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The Online Petition
In the first week of December 2005, friends of Digantar launched an online petition. The petition seeks to raise not just the issue of Bandhyali School but the children’s right to education being suppressed by market forces. It also seeks to gather support for Bandhyali School.
Some comments from the online petition:
Anil Sadgopal - People's Campaign for Common School System, Member CABE
Insertion of Article 21A through 86th Constitutional Amendment has made free education for all children in 6-14 age group a Fundamental Right . The State or any of its agencies is under obligation to ensure that this Fundamental Right is not superseded by any of its decisions or steps in favour of a cause that is not covered by any of the Fundamental Rights. This has also been the case since Supreme Court's Unnikrishnan Judgement (1993). JDA's decision, therefore, violates the Constitution as a private university, designed to provide commercialised education to students over 18 years of age, is not protected by any of the Fundamental Rights. In contrast, the Bandhyali school is providing free education to children (esp. the girls) in 6-14 age group where the state govt. has failed to fulfill its obligations under Article 21A. The State is duty bound to give priority to Bandhyali school over a private university. This is a struggle to save India's Constitution from the assault of global market forces.
Tasqeen Macchiwalla - Education and health consultant
I have had the privilege of learning from Digantar school during my years of working with tribal communities in Udaipur, Rajasthan. It is indeed a beacon of innvoation in education. It provides the local children with opportunities for creative learning and play and is a social asset that needs to continue with unstinting government support.
Dr. Savithri Singh - Delhi University
A school like Bandhyali should not be forced to close down. It is a "one of a kind" institution. Rajasthan should be proud of organisations like Digantar. It is absolutely essntial that such an effort should not be closed.
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