CJP-villagers clash over dilapidated school turns political in Rajasthan
Jaipur: A confrontation between villagers and a team of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) over the poor condition of a government school in a Rajasthan village has snowballed into a political controversy.
Amid the allegations and counter-allegations of political interference, a more fundamental question remains: when will the village children get a proper school building? The Government Primary School in Rampura-Kanwarpura village of the Bagru Assembly constituency has reportedly remained in a dilapidated condition for the past one to two years.
Clashes broke out between an inspection team of CJP activists and villagers, as the latter claimed that the government has sanctioned around Rs 12 lakh for construction of a new building, raising the obvious question of why students are still studying in temporary premises.
For the children, the dispute between political groups is of little consequence. What matters is whether they have a safe building, adequate classrooms and basic facilities in which to study.
The issue came into focus on Friday when a CJP team arrived in the village to inspect the school’s condition. The visit ended in a confrontation with villagers, with both sides making allegations against each other.
CJP activists alleged that they were assaulted and prevented from inspecting the school. Villagers, on the other hand, said they did not want political organisations turning the school into a site of confrontation and maintained that the village itself wanted the school rebuilt.
The dispute escalated, with protesters blocking the road using tractor-trolleys and a second confrontation taking place when the CJP team returned with spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka.
CJP subsequently accused state Education Minister Madan Dilawar of instigating the incident and issued a 48-hour ultimatum, demanding action against those allegedly involved and withdrawal of restrictions on school inspections.
Dilawar rejected the criticism and backed the villagers, saying schools should remain secure and that anyone wishing to enter a school should obtain permission from its head. Amid the political sparring, the most important issue risks getting lost.
Villagers say funds of approximately Rs 12 lakh have already been sanctioned for a new school building. If that is the case, the focus should now shift from the confrontation to the implementation of the project.
The school has reportedly remained in a poor condition for a considerable period. Its students are continuing their education from a private residence, while questions have also been raised over the payment of rent for the premises.
The dispute therefore raises practical questions: When will construction begin? Where will the students study until the new building is completed? Who will monitor the quality and progress of the construction? And will the new facility provide the basic infrastructure children need? These questions are more important to parents and students than the political claims surrounding the controversy.
Even among those who opposed the CJP team’s visit, there appears to be little disagreement over the condition of the school itself.
Villager Chhota Devi Sharma said the school is in a dilapidated state and needs improvement. She argued that although both sides contributed to the dispute, the priority should be fixing the school and improving facilities for children.
Other villagers said they wanted the sanctioned funds to be used for construction rather than allowing the issue to become a political battle. For CJP, the Rampura-Kanwarpura incident is part of a broader campaign concerning the condition of government schools.
The organisation says it has been responding to complaints from villagers and inspecting schools to highlight deficiencies. It has also questioned restrictions on such inspections and warned of further protests if its demands are not met.
The confrontation has consequently expanded the original school-building issue into a debate over political intervention, school security and the right of outside organisations to inspect government institutions. The political battle may continue.
CJP may intensify its campaign, while the government has insisted that the schools cannot be entered without permission. Villagers may continue to oppose what they see as outside political intervention. But none of these arguments changes the condition of the school.
For the children of Rampura-Kanwarpura, the priority is simple: a safe building, functioning classrooms and proper facilities to study. The government has reportedly sanctioned money for a new building.
Villagers say they want it constructed. Even the controversy itself has established, the school needs improvement. The question now is whether the attention generated by the confrontation will lead to a solution—or whether, once the political noise subsides, the children will continue studying in the same dilapidated conditions.
