Maharashtra: Hingoli ZP School Principal Removed After CJP's Protests

Hingoli (Maharashtra): The principal of a local Zilla Parishad school in Hingoli district in Maharashtra has been removed from his post following sit-in protests led by Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke and local villagers as part of their "Fix Our Schools" campaign.

Speaking to ANI, Dipke claimed that the now-removed principal used to arrive at the school in n intoxicated state. The protest led by the CJP had the core demand for his removal.

Dipke added that the Cockroach Janata Party has also demanded the recruitment of two more teachers, adding that the protests will continue until the demands are met.

"The school principal here used to come drunk to the school. We have been protesting, demanding the principal's removal. I have been informed that the principal has been removed from his post. We are also demanding the recruitment of two more teachers. The villagers here will continue to protest until their demand is fulfilled," he said.

Earlier on Saturday, the CJP founder launched the "School Thik Karo" campaign from his native village of Hingoli. He also alleged shortages of basic amenities at government schools, including broken windows, clogged toilets and inadequate seating.

Dipke visited a government school after attending an Independence Day flag-hoisting ceremony in his village and inspected its facilities.

The launch follows Dipke's announcement earlier this week that the CJP would begin "Season 2 of Jantar Mantar", after its 37-day protest at Jantar Mantar was withdrawn on July 25 following the resignation of former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and assurances on other key demands.

"Many people were commenting on Instagram about when Season 2 of 'JantarMantar' will begin. I want to tell them that Season 2 of 'Jantar-Mantar' is going to start very soon," Dipke had said.

CJP Chief Spokesperson Saurav Das earlier said the party had begun a nationwide "listening tour" to hear public concerns and was prioritising education from Independence Day.

"This itself is Season Two. Protests are taking place across the country against such incompetent governments and officers. On behalf of CJP, we are now embarking on a nationwide 'listening tour' to hear what the public has to say. We will run a campaign, and we are prioritising the issue of education starting from Independence Day," Das said.

It should be made compulsory for education department officials to send their children to government schools, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said on Tuesday as he criticised the Maharashtra government for failing to provide transport facilities to rural students. Ministers and politicians should also send their children to village schools for at least a day to understand the plight of rural students who are forced to walk several kilometres every day, said Dipke who last week launched the 'School Thik Karo' (improve schools) campaign.

Speaking to reporters at Limbala in his native Hingoli district, Dipke evaded a direct reply when asked whether he planned to contest Lok Sabha elections from Hingoli, only saying that if government schools improved, he would have no issue to contest elections on.

Earlier, Dipke had posted a video of the headmaster of a Zilla Parishad school in the village who allegedly drank and slept in class.

Authorities suspended the teacher on Tuesday, but he would not leave the village till a new teacher replaces him, the Cockroach Janta Party leader said.

"This school requires four teachers. They have only two, so two more should be provided. I am also going to visit four to five other schools in the coming days," he said.

Villagers had demanded two years ago that the headmaster be removed, but education department officials took no action, Dipke claimed.

"Action should also be taken against these officials....If the daughter of an education officer sees a teacher drinking country liquor and sleeping in front of her, will these officials tolerate it?" he asked.

"It is their job to run government schools in a proper way, seeing that teachers are available. Their kids study in private schools, and they are not doing their duty....It should be made mandatory for the children of these officials to study in government schools," the CJP leader said.

This would bring about a drastic improvement in government schools, he said.

''People are (now) asking questions because they are concerned about education and jobs for their children. They have risen above the politics of caste and religion," Dipke said, adding that people would not vote for them if political leaders failed to improve government schools.

Asked about speculation that he was preparing to contest the Lok Sabha elections from Hingoli seat, he said, "If the government repairs all government schools, there will be no issue left for Abhijeet Dipke to contest Lok Sabha elections on."

Some people did not want government schools to improve, because if the children of the poor studied well, it would not help the next generation of today's leaders win elections, Dipke said.

Earlier in the day, Dipke took part in a protest in Hingoli over school-related issues.

Political leaders arrange buses and trains to ferry their supporters for election rallies but can not provide a single bus for poor students, he said.

Over the past decade, political debate divided people along caste and religious lines while core concerns such as education and employment remained unaddressed, Dipke said.

Children in remote areas are often forced to walk 7 to 10 kilometres to reach school, particularly during the monsoon when roads become muddy and waterlogged, he said.

"Ministers, MLAs and MPs should send their children to village schools for one day and make them walk to school like village children do. Then they will understand what village children face," Dipke said.

"The life of a tribal child should have the same value as that of a minister's child," he said, adding that politicians' children go to America to study. "I studied at the same place where their children studied," said Dipke who was studying at Boston University before returning to India in June to lead the CJP's agitation over the NEET paper leak.

He had seen his siblings walk to school, and hence he launched the protest from his home district, Dipke said.

"My sisters used to walk to school. I have seen my brothers walking to school.... Even after 15 years, the situation has not changed," he added.

"If the government cannot do it, we will do it with the help of villagers," Dipke stated, making it clear that the campaign was not against village officials including sarpanches.