Schoolchildren in Hamirpur, Uttar Pradesh, along with their parents, protested at the District Magistrate’s office, demanding a proper paved road to their school. They argued that the current unpaved road becomes unusable during the monsoon, and they have threatened to continue protesting until a permanent solution is found.
A group of schoolchildren in Uttar Pradesh’s Hamirpur took their protest from the classroom to the district administration office on Tuesday, demanding a proper paved road to their school. Along with their parents, the children protested the state of the road that connected their villages to the school by marching to the Hamirpur District Magistrate’s office while brandishing the Tricolour and shouting slogans.
The government was unprepared for the unexpected demonstration, in which a huge group of kids showed up at the Collectorate and demanded that the road be fixed right now.
The kids who are protesting come from villages in the Kurara block of the Hamirpur district that are related to the Chandupur gram panchayat. They claimed that the road that leads to their school is still in bad shape and is essentially useless during the rain.
The neighbourhood has around 3,000 residents and relies on an unpaved route, according to the students and their parents. The path becomes muddy during periods of heavy rain, making it challenging for locals to transport sick people to hospitals and for pupils to get to school.
The students also said that the Forest Department had restricted their access to the region by closing an alternate road that locals had previously utilised.
The students had already tried to raise awareness of the issue before the demonstration. They said that after their protest on July 3, dirt was temporarily placed on the road. But when the rain came, the road became mud once more.
The students chose to go straight to the District Magistrate’s office because they were dissatisfied with the absence of a long-term solution. As the children arrived at the Collectorate in a procession, carrying the Tricolour and banners, local officials and police personnel reached the spot to prevent the situation from escalating.
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Police and other administrative staff eventually stopped the group, following which the students sat down in protest at the Collectorate gate. For a while, the students persisted in their protest, shouting slogans and demanding a permanent road. The students have called for a paved route to be built between the school and their communities. They have threatened to keep protesting until a long-term solution is found.
The incident has once again highlighted the challenges faced by residents of rural areas during the monsoon, when poorly maintained and unpaved roads can severely affect access to schools, healthcare and other essential services.