Karbi Anglong Officials, Police Collaborate to Build a School for 12 Forgotten Villages

KAAC To Rouse From Slumber Yet

At a time when Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council and Assam government are proud of the tremendous development in the field of education, a surprising news item revealed that barely 30 kilometers from Dokmoka police station and close to Takalanjung area in east Karbi Anglong, a cluster of nearly 12 villages do not have any facility which the modern world can offer.

One can begin to mark ‘no’ from roads to sanitation, drinking water, medical assistance, power, school, PDS, not anything which can be pointed out as government aid. Thousands of people including children, women and adults live a hard life.

All of a sudden, things become clear when for the first time in 67 years, government officers visited the locality and saw the prevailing situation.

The place is within Howraghat MLA constituency, represented by undisputed public leader and incumbent Hill Areas Development minister, Khoro Sing Engti. But until that day, no public representative nor any government employee has bothered to set foot in those villages.

The visitors were none other than Deputy Commissioner of Karbi Anglong Mukul Gogoi, Police Chief MJD Mahanta and Additional Police Chief Bolin Deury. The top officials of the district discovered the primitive lifestyle of the natives and hundreds of children do not attend school.

The officers resolved to do something for the children of the area. Within a month, a school was established by the personal supervision of the DC, SP and Additional SP. Around 100 students were enrolled with free school uniforms.

Furniture, books and other necessary materials were donated from the personal contribution of the three righteous officers and a few donations also came from various others.

Two teachers were appointed and the officers promised to pay their salary from their own pocket until an alternative arrangement is made. Although providential mercy helped these children to become school goers, the education department functioning under KAAC has not yet awoken from its slumber to assume responsibility for the ill fated children.

Sushanta Roy is a journalist in Assam, India, who photographs and writes about the people, animals and flora of Assam, and the things that affect them.