War Zone turns open school

PARADIP: Manorama Khatua, Sarojini Das and a few other youths of Dhinkia, the ground zero of anti-Posco resistance, have donned a new role these days. They have turned teachers to the hundreds of children, who have been forced to shun school and join the human barricade under Posco Pratirodha Sangram Samiti.  Schools have reopened after the summer vacation on Friday. But to ensure that children do not miss classes, the youth have taken them under their fold and by turns teaching them.  Nearly 500 schoolchildren of Gobindpur, Dhinkia and Patana of Dhinkia panchayat read in Dhinkia High School, Dhinkia Primary School, Patana Primary School and Gobindpur High School, all government-run schools. Manorama said study and stationery materials had been purchased and classes were held under the open sky on Friday and Saturday. To streamline the teaching process, the students have been divided into groups as per their class.  “I will continue to teach them till the matter is resolved and students are able to return to schools,” said Sarojini. Meanwhile, a teacher of Patana Primary School said all the 65 students did not turn up at the school after vacation. Additional District Magistrate of Paradip Sarojkant Chaudhury said deployment of children in such protests is a violation of human rights.