School as Battleground: Teachers and Children in Civil Strife

Sanjeev Rai

July 5th ,2012

IHC,Delhi

People’s War in Nepal (1996-2006): Issues and Challenges for Teachers and Children

• What is the interrelationship between conflict and education?

• Dialectical relationship of education and conflict is a new emerging area of research after 2000 (Tawil,2004)

Nepal’s Case

• Exclusion and discrimination on the basis of caste, religion and region , education for ‘class’ not for ‘mass’

• Different norms for different regions

• In 2006,at primary level ,only 3% teachers were from Dalit background and 2% were from marginalized Janjatis groups.

• Over crowded classrooms in Schools of Terai -62%

• Feeling of second grade citizens (35% people)

• Text Book-Single Printing Press,33% less resources allocated to schools

• Teachers issues-untrained,Niji Srot,low remuneration,other engagement

• 47% Teachers were fully trained in 2006

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Nepal’s Case

• Autonomy and language Rights were promised by Maoists

• Ethnic divide –Pro-Maoists /Pro-King (Rai,Limbu,Magar Vs Bahun

• Martinelli and Almeida (1998 ) feelings of unfairness and injustice, suspicion, anger, emotion, and mistrust results in to conflict

• Davies Lyan, (2004) deprived by legal channels, excluded people may adopt illegal ways and go with violent acts in reaction( cases of Rwanda, Mozambique ,Honduras )

• Teachers were asked not to teach certain lessons, contents and words of the existing text books. Sanskrit Teaching ,National Anthem opposed (In person Interview/FGD,SS)

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Nepal’s Case

• Maoists introduced curriculum for students up to 3rd standard in Rukum and Rolpa . Students were asked to recognize pictures of Marx, Mao and Prachanda, to recite the full name of the party, place of birth and death of Marx, Mao and Lenin (Nepali Times, 29th July, 2005).

• Schools were attacked, bombed and firing took place by both RNA/Police and the Maoists (FGD,SS)

• Use of school premises as a hide out, recruitment center, store for arms, ration and place for meeting

• 13000 people lost their life from 1996-2006, Mass kidnapping

• At least 141 teachers were killed, 84 by the Maoists and rest by security forces.( INSEC appeared in IRIN news,2010)

• 475 children were killed in which 205 were girls.5

Nepal’s Case

• ‘Ek Ghar Ek Jana’ lead to displacement of 30,000-40,000 children ,youths from the villages

• Technology of warfare –Changed role of girls and boys (In person interview, SS)

• 3000 schools closed due to strike, attack, threat and torture. (CWIN,2005)

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Nepal’s Case

• Mass abduction of students and teachers for political orientation,15 days curriculum (FGD/SS)

• Over 1000 students and teachers were abducted for political indoctrination. Some Classes held in the schools to explain Maoism, exploitative nature of monarch and alternative

• Reports and evidences gathered from the field confirm recruitment of children in PLA( In person interview)

• 3500-4500 children engaged in PLA(HRW-2007)

• Arrest of minors and detention with adult prisoners

• Diversion /Suspension of Funds

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Teacher’s of Nepal- Experience

• Caught between police and Maoists

• Challenge to maintain neutrality

• To maintain non affiliation , teachers were present at work and sent their wives and family members to demonstrations

• Some teachers became part of first ‘People’s Government’ , left native village. Others also accepted, it was not their wish.

• Teachers were forced by Maoist to give chanda (financial contribution) on monthly basis for two-three years

• Teachers for slogan writings on the wall

• Some teachers were working for the parties , left their job and became full timer of CPN (Maoist), CPN (UML) and Nepali Congress

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Nepal’s Experience

• Anger against the system ,upper caste, victims of rape & abduction career option, food and shelter etc. were the reasons to join armed groups (The Himalayan Times, December 31, 2011,cited in CWIN ,2011, In person Interview)

• “I joined the war expecting two square meals, opportunity to visit new places and was excited to know that I could also carry a gun”. (Case study appeared in HT-2011)

• Cases of forced recruitments

• Some cases of sexual abuse by police and Maoists were also reported

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Nepal’s Experience

• Getting back to community was a challenge

• Police picked up ‘missing’ children once they came back

• Upper caste children towards private school and government schools for children of ‘nanh jaati (lower caste)

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Glimpse from India

• 180 districts are affected

• Uprooted from the villages ,some came to government camps, some stayed behind, services were withdrawn. No record on how many were reenrolled in schools.

• Long distance to attend schools(1-3 days)

•Competing ideologies –Exploitative nature of state, historical discrimination ,Oppressive etc. other side welfare state,schemes,Gandhi-Nehru,Bharat Mata etc.

• “Catch them Young” from both sides

• Language issues(Gondi,Dorli,Halbi –Hindi?)11

Issues and Challenges: Glimpse from India

•Schools are being used as hide out, shelter, storage

•Came under Attack

•CRPF moves in to an Ashramsala in Aranpur

•Maoists brought down three schools in nearby villages-Potali,Nahari,Kakadi(Sharma,S,2011)

•Schools relocation by state officials, some children moved to new location, not all

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India’s Case

• Recruitments of Children - Chhattisgarh and bordering areas

• Forced Recruitments, Food-shelter, Livlihood, Security

• Mass Mobilization-Indoctrinating Children (Bal Dastas,Bal Sanghas) Children’s squads

• Children’s role ,exposure to arms and power dynamics

• Home Ministry statistics indicated that between 2006 and November 2011, Maoist armed groups destroyed 258 school buildings, mostly in Chhattisgarh,Jharkand and Bihar States, of which 21 schools were destroyed between January and November 2011.

• In January 2011, the Government of Chhattisgarh conceded that security forces were using 31 schools.

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School as Zone of Peace

•SZOP

•Political Dialogue

•Address long pending issues /greviances

•Quality Education

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Thank You

Thank You!