The Dalit Adhikar Manch, Khariar, undertook a noble step to encourage the children of remote Patdarha plateau of Nuapada district for regular schooling and to generate participation of the parents in children’s education.
A group of volunteers of the Manch visited the remote village Patdarha of Bhainsadani Panchayat under Boden block on the occasion of the Republic Day and hoisted national flag there in the presence of school students and villagers, which was followed by distribution of reading and learning materials to students and discussion about problems of the area.
“Flag hoisting is usually done in the schools and sometimes the school committee members participate there, but this time we did it inside the village under the leadership of Dalit Manch,” said a villager. There are two revenue villages with a total of 12 hamlets in the Patdarha plateau area spread over an area of about two hundred sq. km. The villages are located in Chhattisgarh border and due to remoteness and inaccessibility, it has become a safe haven for the ultras.
“We reached the village in the morning and hoisted national flag there. It is a big achievement for us as well as for the villagers to see the national flag unfurled in a Maoists infested area,” said Kamalcharan Tandi, president of the Manch. Other members of the Manch, Rajib Sagaria and Ritesh Das also were present.