The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Monday announced a nationwide campaign to improve government schools in rural India. Founder Abhijeet Dipke called on parents to audit the basic facilities and urged sarpanches to take up the task of improving the institutions. The campaign will be launched on August 15 i.e 80th Independence Day. Dipke will launch it from his village Hingoli in Maharashtra by approaching the village to improve the government schools there. Read the article to know more details.
The Problems in Village Schools
In a video message Dipke said government schools in villages are the most neglected thing of the last 80 years. He asked why the country built a new parliament and a new PM house but no real Indian lives in villages. He said children of farmers and laborers are the nation’s future and real lives in villages. Village children still walk long distances to schools and often find no drinking water or toilet facilities. Dipke highlighted the difficulties faced by girls in particular. He urged citizens, parents and village leaders to work together and start by improving government schools.
The Sarpanch Challenge and Citizen Audit
As part of the campaign the CJP has issued an appeal to sarpanches across the country under the Sarpanch Challenge. Under this challenge the CJP will publicly recognise village heads who improve their schools by sharing before and after photos on its school media platforms. Dipke said this credit would inspire other village heads to improve their schools. The CJP announced a citizen-led social audit of government schools. Parents whose children study in government schools must check the availability of electricity, clean drinking water, functional washrooms and mid day meals. The CJP will soon issue a printable audit form to note the facilities available and missing. The form will be shared on the campaign video on the social media platforms. Completed forms and video evidence can be mailed to contact@cockroachjantaparty.org. The CJP began as an online satirical platform and later moved to the streets. Its 36th day agitation at Jantar Mantar in Delhi against NEET examination irregularity ended on JUly 25 after Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned. At a two day strategy meeting in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar the CJP chose to continue as a youth movement instead of entering electoral politics. It also announced a nationwide Kya Bolti Public outreach campaign. Dipke has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address the youth on Independence Day.
