Odisha: A blind student’s ‘blind’ jab reopens admin’s ‘blind’ eyes

“Has the administration gone blind as well,” the question of a divyang Class-6 student of Beheraguda Upper Primary School in Kalahandi’s Dharmagarh ripped through the insides of the officials present at the school on Monday.

Visually-impaired Jashobant Chhatria, who reads in Class-6 of the government run school, minced no words in criticizing the officials including the Block Education Officer (BEO) and police officers over a shortage of teachers in his school.

As per reports, the Upper Primary School at Beheraguda has a total strength of 425 students and only seven teachers for which the students had staged a sit-in a few days ago demanding appointment of more teachers.

Following the protests, the BEO visited the school, but little did he know that he will be confronted with some of the most unsparing darts by Jashobant. Not beating around the bush, Jashobant who could not see since birth, vented out his anger in some strongly worded questions.

Getting the authorities in front of him, he questions, “I am blind. I can’t see what’s happening around me. But is the BEO blind too. Have the DEO, Collector all of the district administration have gone blind? Can’t they see we do not have sufficient teachers at our school?”

“As per government guidelines, there should be a teacher for every 30 students. But the situation in our school is far from that,” he said.

When the officials sitting in front of him assured to appoint more teachers as soon as possible, he again said, “You have been saying that for last 15 days, but nobody has been appointed so far.”

Pertinent to mention here that the School and Mass Education department rushed two new teachers to that school on Monday after Jashobant gave the officials the ‘blind’ jab.