Nestled in the Gagadtalai tehsil of Banswara district, Rajasthan, Hadmat is a predominantly tribal village. Yet this village recently accomplished something that would make even the most prosperous cities and well-resourced places pause and reflect. The people here did not look to any politician for help, nor did they wait for any government scheme — instead, they rolled up their sleeves, collected contributions door to door, and together installed tin shed roofing in their school, providing the children with a safe and organised place to sit and study.
For years, several rooms of the Government Higher Secondary School, Hadmat had fallen into disrepair; walls were cracking, rain seeped through the roof, and children suffered in sweltering heat during the day. Studying in such conditions was itself a kind of ordeal. Everyone could see theproblem teachers, parents, villagers yet no concrete initiative had taken shape. Government files moved at their own pace, and the children endured at theirs.
Under the tin roof installed through the contribution of a Bhamashah donor at Government Senior Secondary School, Hadmat, Block Gagadtalai, District Banswara, school teachers with members of the Gram Swaraj Group and the Krushi avm Aadivasi Sagthan (Photo Credit: Vikas Meshram)
Against this backdrop, a monthly meeting was held by the Gram Swaraj Samuh, formed under the guidance of Vaagdhara, and Krishi Evam Adivasi Swaraj Sangathan, Gagadtalai. When the issue of children’s attendance and seating arrangements in the school was raised, the depth of the problem came to the fore once again. But this time, the discussion did not end at complaints. The members collectively decided that three sets of tin sheds would be installed in the school and this work would be done by the community on its own, without waiting for any government assistance.
Government Senior Secondary School, Hadmat, Block Gagadtalai, District Banswara — Tin roofing installed through the contribution of a Bhamashah donor(Photo credit: Vikas Meshram)
No sooner was the decision made than the work began. Members of the Gram Swaraj Samuh went door to door, informing people about the purpose of this endeavour. They explained that if everyone contributed a little today, tomorrow their children would have a better place to learn. Awareness spread gradually. Then one day, drums were beaten to gather the entire village in one place. Young and old, men and women all came together and stepped forward to contribute according to their individual capacity.
The single most inspiring contribution to this entire effort came from Shri Bhuralal Ji Parmar, a resident of Hadmat itself. He donated an entire one lakh rupees for the tin shed. About this, he said:
“These are the children of the village, our children. If their place of learning is set right, their future will be set right. Money can be earned again, but the time that children lose in a broken environment can never come back.”
Chunnilal Ji Damor came from Navagaon. He was not even a resident of this village yet he arrived with a contribution of five thousand and one rupees. When asked why he had come forward for the school of another village, his answer was simple:
“Education is not the responsibility of just one village. The children who study here will serve the entire society tomorrow. So this is the work of all of us.”
Source: Global Research
