DEHRADUN: A unique initiative has been launched by Champawat district administration to teach daily wage earners from India and Nepal to read and write amid the ongoing coronavirus lockdown.
SN Pandey, district magistrate of Champawat district said, "The initiative has given chance to hundreds of daily wage workers to acquire literacy which has been a lifelong handicap for them. Total 10 such centres in Tanakpur, Banbasa, Champawat and Lohaghat areas have been set up where literacy class initiative is being implemented".
Ramnath Bir Bhadur (55), a resident of Kailali district of Nepal, who was deprived of education due to poverty and other problems of life is learning to read and write for the first time. He used to work in Char Dham Scheme in Pithoragarh district.
"I can now write my name and my village name in Hindi as well as in English. It's tough to earn in this age but I guess it's never too late to get an education," said Bahadur.
Bahadur got stuck in India with thousands of migrant workers who were denied entry in their home country due to ongoing lockdown. District administration have arranged for teachers of government school to teach these migrant workers from Nepal and many other parts of India who are stranded.
Mohmmad Shahid, another worker from Bareilly district of Uttar Pradesh who shared an almost same story told The New Indian Express that he is learning to read as well as write.
"If it wasn't for my family's economic and social condition, I would have been educated. At least now I am getting literate and won't be called illiterate," says Shahid.
Thousands of labourers were earning a livelihood in mining in Sharda, Ladhiya rivers as well as in ongoing project of all-weather road in Champawat and other districts till lockdown was imposed.
In many relief centres set across school buildings in the district, thousands of Indian and Nepalese have been put under quarantine.
Apart from providing basic education to read and write, the administration has also arranged for classes of yoga and meditation to put time to better use.
Prema Thakur, senior teacher and incharge of Tanakpur centre said, "The workers are showing interest and working hard to pick up literacy skills. We teachers are also happy to teach and help."
Similar activities of teaching are being conducted at relief centres in Banbasa, Champawat and Lohaghat and others.