Mohanty Salam, a Class 9 student, has been living in a shelter camp in Chhattisgarh’s tribal-dominated Narayanpur district for the past 21 days after clashes broke out between members of two communities over alleged religious conversions in her remote Boravand village.
She lost her books and clothes when her family was reportedly evicted from the village following clashes that had been going on for some time between the Christian and non-Christian communities in the district. Salaam says that she wants to study and return to her village to go to school.
He is one of over 30 children living in a shelter camp set up at the indoor stadium in Narayanpur town after their families were forced to leave their villages for allegedly converting to Christianity. This is now affecting his studies.
“We are staying at the indoor stadium since December 18. We were thrown out of our village. We have lost our books and clothes. I keep thinking how will I get back to my school. I want to study,” Salam told PTI.
Eleven school children of Boravand village are living in a shelter camp with their families.
On December 18, 2022, tribal Christian families from 14 villages in Benoor area of Narayanpur protested in front of the District Collector’s office, claiming that they were attacked by miscreants and driven out of their villages for practicing Christianity. removed.
The district administration had then assured to take necessary action in the matter and shifted them to a temporary shelter and arranged basic amenities for them.
Though he has found shelter, his mental agony is not over. The parents of the children living in the shelter camp are worried about how the children will be able to continue their studies.
“The future of our children is at risk. He saw our houses empty. They are not able to go to school. They keep hearing that people (tribal Christians) are being driven from their homes and it scares them,” said Narasabati Netam, a woman living at the shelter camp.
Netam, a resident of Bhatpal village, said, “We are worried about their education being disrupted.” Also, he appreciated the children for showing resilience in such difficult times and helping each other to overcome this challenging phase. He said that the children who are in higher classes are teaching the younger children with whatever study material is available in the shelter camp.
Netam said activities like reciting poems and playing badminton at the shelter camp are helping the children overcome the trauma. “But how long will this last? The administration should take immediate steps to ensure our return to our native places.”
The families living in the shelter camp are mostly from Kudargaon, Boravand, Bhatpal and Bhandapal villages in Benoor area.
Ajay Kumeti, a teacher at a government primary school in Kudargaon village, said about 10 children have not been attending school since last month’s clashes. He said that these children along with their families have shifted to Narayanpur town.
Narayanpur Collector Ajit Vasant said that the district administration is making efforts to ensure the return of the affected families to the village and at the same time arrangements are being made for the education of the children in the shelter camp.
“I have instructed education department officials to send local school teachers to the camp. The priority is to resolve the issue of studies of students who are in class 10 and 12 and have to appear in board exams,” Vasanth told PTI on Sunday.
Along with this, the administration is discussing with the members of both the communities and efforts are being made to shift these families to their native villages in the next three-four days.
“We have called a meeting on Monday of local public representatives, village heads, Geeta (village priests in tribal areas) of 68 gram panchayats in the district to discuss the situation so that there is no fresh clash and everyone lives in harmony. After the meeting, the villagers living in the shelter camp will be shifted to their homes.
There have been reports of unrest in various villages of Bennur area of the district for the last two months over the issue of alleged religious conversion.
On 2 January, a church was vandalized in Narayanpur town and six policemen, including an IPS officer, were injured, during a protest by a group of tribals against alleged religious conversions in the tribal-dominated area.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)