Nagpur – Abhijit Deepke, the architect behind the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), castigated both state and central administrations for the woeful state of tribal‑run schools and the pervasive bureaucratic indifference that has plagued them for years.
Speaking to reporters in Nagpur, Deepke announced that the party will roll out a fresh initiative called Fix Tribal Schools on 17 September, with the inaugural event slated for Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district. The campaign seeks to thrust the educational rights of tribal children into the national spotlight, exposing the lack of basic facilities and the systemic hurdles they confront.
Under the new drive, CJP volunteers will travel to schools located in predominantly tribal regions, conducting on‑the‑ground audits of infrastructure, teaching resources, and safety standards. This follows a previous “Fix Schools” effort that targeted the broader network of government schools across the country.
“Political parties lavish funds on glossy office complexes while turning a blind eye to the crumbling dormitories of tribal residential schools,” Deepke remarked, questioning the allocation priorities of rival parties.
He also challenged the narrative of India’s economic boom, insisting that any genuine progress must reach the most marginalized communities. Deepke highlighted that more than 590 tribal pupils have lost their lives in Maharashtra over the past two years – many due to preventable causes such as snakebites – and cited a recent spate of over 30 deaths in Balaghat, Madhya Pradesh, within just two months.
Addressing compensation policies, Deepke accused several state governments of offering token amounts instead of meaningful financial relief and dignity to grieving families.
According to the CJP chief, of the 720 Eklavya Model Residential Schools sanctioned nationwide, a staggering 477 remain shut, leaving countless tribal children without access to quality education. He also raised concerns about the under‑representation of Scheduled Tribe (ST) students in higher‑education institutions, including premier engineering colleges such as the IITs.
Deepke urged policymakers to undertake a thorough audit of the systemic barriers that limit tribal enrollment among both students and teachers, calling for decisive, structural reforms to bridge the glaring equity gap.
