Alleging molestation and harassment on their way to school in neighbouring Kanwali village in Rewari, as many as 13 girls from Gothra Tappa Dahina village here have been on a hunger strike for the past one week seeking upgrade of their village school to the senior secondary level.
Looming threat
Nikita, one of the protesters, said boys passed lewd comments on them and harassed them on their way to school in Kanwali village and the parents of many of them had advised them to give up their studies.
‘PM not hearing us’
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given the slogan of ‘Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao, but we are not being heard. We have not eaten anything for the last seven days. How long can we survive? We are not seeking land or money from the government. We have a small demand to upgrade the high school in the village to the senior secondary level,” said Nikita.
She added that the strike would continue till their demand was met.
One of the girls, Neha, was hospitalised for dehydration on May 14. She, however, rejoined the protest after being discharged on Tuesday.
‘Govt least bothered’
The village Sarpanch, Suresh Chauhan, and sacked BSF jawan Tej Bahadur Yadav are also holding the strike in support of the girls.
Mr. Chauhan said the administration was putting pressure on them to give up the protest.
“The girls have been sitting on a dharna since May 10 amid extreme hot conditions. The government, however, seems to be least bothered. Instead, the local administration is pressuring us to give up the protest. We won’t budge till the time the notification for the upgradation of the school is issued.”
Mr. Yadav said he joined the strike on Monday.
“I joined the protest because I believe injustice is being done to these girls,” he said.
Mr. Chauhan claimed that the protest had got massive support from the nearby villages as well as from female students of the government college in Kanwali village.
“Even girl students of Classes VIII and IX in the village school have come out in support of the agitation,” said Mr. Chauhan.
‘Protesters adamant’
Rewari Deputy Commissioner Yash Garg said Haryana Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma had made a press statement on Monday assuring that the school would be upgraded and the same was communicated to the protesters, but they were adamant on not giving up the strike till the time a notification was issued.
He said an ambulance and a doctor were available at the site round the clock and those complaining of dehydration were being given immediate medical aid.
“So far, two girls have been hospitalised for dehydration,” said Mr. Garg.
