Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Wednesday announced that his group will launch the “Adivasi School Thik Karo” campaign from Maharashtra’s tribal-dominated Gadchiroli district on September 17, alleging that schools serving tribal communities have faced government neglect for decades. The initiative comes a month after the CJP launched its nationwide “School Thik Karo” campaign to highlight shortcomings in rural and urban government schools. Dipke said representatives would visit tribal schools, inspect infrastructure and facilities and document problems faced by students to draw the government’s attention to their conditions.
Tribal schools in focus
Dipke alleged that successive governments had failed to adequately invest in tribal education over the past 80 years and questioned why many tribal residential schools continued to function from rented premises while political parties spent large sums on their offices. He urged governments to give greater priority to tribal students, arguing that economic growth figures and ambitions of becoming a USD 5 trillion economy would have limited meaning if children in remote areas were deprived of quality education. Dipke claimed that more than 590 tribal students had died in Maharashtra over the past two years, including some due to snakebites, and alleged that such deaths did not receive adequate attention. He also referred to deaths of tribal students in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Uttarakhand and claimed families did not always receive adequate compensation.
Residential schools flagged
The CJP founder raised concerns over Eklavya Model Residential Schools, claiming that 477 of 720 such schools were non-functional, and questioned how tribal students dependent on them would continue their education. He also cited what he described as a 22.8 per cent higher-education enrolment rate among tribal students and claimed that only 130 Scheduled Tribe applicants had secured admission to IITs. Dipke questioned the low representation of ST students and faculty in IITs and alleged discrimination. He said students from tribal and rural areas should receive the same opportunities as those studying in private schools and major cities.
Gen Z debate
Responding to a question on alleged attempts to “saffronise” the education system, Dipke said he did not believe Gen Z could be easily influenced in that manner. Referring to the CJP’s recent Jantar Mantar protest, he said young people had demonstrated political awareness and claimed that “Jai Bhim” had found acceptance among Gen Z across caste and religious lines. He said the younger generation would continue to draw from the ideas of B R Ambedkar, Jawaharlal Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi. His remarks were made in response to questions at the press conference and reflected the CJP’s political position.
Campaign impact claimed
Asked whether governments had responded to the earlier “School Thik Karo” campaign, Dipke said steps had subsequently been taken to improve ashram schools in Vidarbha. He recalled Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis inviting him to visit Zilla Parishad schools in the region and claimed the administration began paying greater attention to ashram schools after the CJP raised the issue. Dipke maintained that the campaign did not have a political objective and said governments should address deficiencies in schools without waiting for protests or agitations.
Jobs and reservation
Dipke also spoke about his recent meeting with Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange, saying he had visited him to enquire about his health after Jarange supported the CJP during its Delhi agitation. He linked demands for reservation to inadequate access to quality education and employment opportunities, arguing that better opportunities could reduce such pressures. Dipke also criticised the Centre’s decision to introduce a 0.4 per cent fee on certain merchant UPI transactions above Rs 2,000 and, responding to a question on Maharashtra Public Service Commission chairman Vivek Bhimanwar, said he did not believe the present MPSC chief deserved to continue in the post.