RIGHT TO EDUCATON - NEED TO REACH UNREACHED

An educated Mahtab tracked my contact through internet and contacted me on telephone day before yesterday night telling me that in his relation, four students (siblings) have been kept out of school by an unaided private school of Delhi as the parents were unable to afford school fees and moreover, the school had been refusing to issue TCs. I asked him to come to my office next day morning. Mahtab came to my office along with the students and their mother. The parent and the students narrated me the entire disgusting tale as to how the school management persecuted them during the last three years continuously because they were unable to afford the school fees any more. The school denied those TCs saying that they must first clear entire outstanding fees.

I noted that the parents and the students had been undergoing mental agony and harassment in silence at the hands of the greedy private school for the last three years as they were totally unaware of their rights and also the platform where they could approach for the help. When they came to my office, they were under the impression that they had to pay to me for my services. A sign of relief was quite visible on their faces when I told that all of my services would be totally free of cost. It is a story of the students residing in the National Capital Delhi. One can image as to what would be situation in other parts of the country.

The point I would like to make here is that there is a tremendous need of reaching to the unreached. The children and the parents at large are in need of help from the persons like us. It cannot be delayed or ignored if we are serious about realization of their basic human and fundamental rights like, right to education. The masses don’t expect economic benefits from us nor is it possible for us to provide them with the same. What they need is; moral support, guidance and a platform where they can agitate for realization of their rights. I would request to all my friends to take out some time from their busy schedule to reach to the unreached to make a difference.

Ashok Agarwal, Advocate

March 20, 2011

M-09811101923