Walking for freedom

A field work experience of independence day with Santhal tribe at Assam

           As a student of social work, I have come for my block placement at Assam. I was very excited for my journey. Assam is not only just a state but also a dreamland since my childhood. For the holistic understanding of our society, we must travel and learn from ground level experiences. As a student when I come for this field work I am realising about real problems of community as well as it's solutions from them.

For the academic field work I have come at Gossaigaon, District Kokrajhar, Assam. There are some indigenous tribes living from historical period. We the students of social work , learn just from books about the community and about tribe but here tribe are living and giving a knowledge about holistic social perspective through them.

In the duration of my fieldwork, we celebrated our 72nd independence day at Dhalkata L. P. School, Burachara Block Kuchgaon, District Kokrajhar. That school established in 2004. There are 42 students learning in the medium of Assamese. All students are from Santal community. This is very primitive tribal community of India. All Satal people who is belong to the very poor background. Extreme level backwardness and marginalization are very constant for that society. When we go there that time very few people come for celebration of independence day. Because all tribal people had gone for their work or labour. Only four or five women and five to seven men have come there. Some students have also not come for celebration. Because they were also gone for with their parents for dally work. Only 40 or 50 people present that day from villages.

Children's with rat hunter machine 

In this area there is not much of awareness about education in Santal community. These people are living in extreme backward and marginalized life. There are no basic human right also till today from the back 72 years of independence. And that day hear we were celebrating independence day with this community. This a tragedy of our country. We mobilize the people and celebrate independence day. We sing our national song, and they listen. We satisfied about our so cold national filling in the medium of that celebration. After that celebration Rajesh Basumatary addressed people and student. In that speech he talks on the importance of education for change their life. He has also to talk on the role of non government organization and government also.

After that program we arranged some games and computations for school children.

                                                           Drawing competition was  good. In this competition there was a task of national flag drawing. But most of the School children were not aware about our national flag. In local Santali language they called ‘Zandi’ or ‘Jatiya Pataka.’Children were very happy that time. They are playing with colours and drawing the flag. We can not judged children.
In that time I interact with the teachers, parents, some locale people and some social workers. In that time I realized about basic problems of the community.

Parents of the children are not literate. They are facing high-level poverty. In this situation they are not able to send their children in school for education. School established in 2004. That time there have no building as well as basic facilitates in that school. Till 4 months ago the school was known as one teacher school. Teachers belong to Bodo community. Their local language is Bodo. The medium of the learning is state language Assamese. All children belong to Santhal tribe. They all are not able to know Assamese and Bodo language also. Teachers are also not able to speak Santali language. This is a tragedy of our school education system. But in this situation school has continued from 2004.

Santal community is a following patriarchal system. That's why girls education is not working properly. Some girls students are here. But girls dropout rate is so high.

There are no basic facilities like road and vehicles also. And obviously all student walking for education and their freedom.


-Kunal Ramteke
Gmail : ramtekekunal91@gmail.com