Saina Nehwal’s victory at the recent Olympics has become an inspiration for the entire country with many more girls being attracted to the sport. But in a remotely-located Himalayan region, where even the waves of motivation are slow to reach, girls from a conservative society are on their way to surprise the rest of the country with their efforts in education.
Two hundred and four km from Srinagar, Kargil district is spread over the inaccessible mountainous terrain of the western Ladakh region. Back in the 1980s, when education was meant only for men, the women were taught to assist their mothers in the household, agricultural pursuit and rearing their young siblings. There was scarcely any school for girls in the entire district, except for one Government Girls High School. Most of the schools were co-educational at primary and middle level with an insignificant number of girl students. In more remote villages like Drass, Chiktan, Taisuru and Zanskar, there was negligible enrolment of girls in schools, reflecting in the low literacy rates. According to the 1981 Census female literacy was only 3 per cent compared to a district literacy rate of 18.86 percent.
This conservative society saw waves of change in the late 1980s and early 1990s when Central and State policies like Development of Women and Child in Rural Areas (DWCRA) insisted on hundred per cent endorsement in elementary education. In this context, a group of female teachers from the area were tasked with convincing conservative families residing in far-flung villages, campaigning for the promotion of schooling within the age group of 6 to 11 years at the elementary level. Another step was to provide a scholarship to every girl child attending school from Class I to X with free uniform, books and scholastic and non-scholastic necessities.
The effort made by Kaneez Fatima, who was the main functionary of the Education Department and is presently the Deputy Commissioner of schools run by the Centre, in this direction is commendable. Asked about the challenges she and her team faced on the way, she says: “Initially we encountered a lot of complications when it came to convincing people who were still following the customary tradition and norms. But today after my team’s consistent attempts, the enrolment of girls in numerous schools has touched the 100 per cent mark.” She adds: “In secluded villages of Tsaleskot, Sankoo, Chiktan, Drass and Batalik, girls are pouring into schools like never before and the ratio of girls is more than that of boys in Kargil district.”
Ms. Fatima was awarded by the Jammu and Kashmir government for her initiatives and efforts in the emancipation of girls in Kargil.
Today the girls of Kargil are excelling not only in the academic curriculum but also in co-curricular activities like music, painting, debate, sports and karate organised at school, district and national levels. Parents now are willing to send their daughters outside the district or even the State for better academic opportunities. According to the 2011 Census, male and female literacy rate are 86.73 and 58.05 respectively which clearly reflects the positive picture. However, this journey is also fettered by high dropout rates despite rising enrolment figures. At the primary level, 17.79 per cent students leave school, while the rate at the middle level is 11.38 per cent. Some of the reasons for this situation are a general lack in awareness, domestic responsibilities of children, limited resources for schooling at the middle and higher secondary levels, low community involvement, limited income of parents, lack of quality teachers, severe climatic conditions and difficult life conditions.
With representatives from Kargil District participating in the series of colloquia, special attention towards this district is warranted, being one of the most difficult and conservative regions of Ladakh. There is a distinct need for coordination and collaboration between local resourceful persons in the district and members of the numerous national and international outfits working in the region.
(Charkha Features)
