Bhavana S
Karwar: It was only a couple of days ago that India successfully launched Chandrayaan-II, but the success of India’s moon mission holds no meaning to these four girls from Karwar. Like every day, Rami, Dondi, Manisha and Taayi, walk seven kms to reach to their school and then another seven kms to reach back home.
Walking 14 kms a day has become an unchanging reality for these four girls hailing from Teregali and Patilwada villages of Jagalapet grama panchayat. Hailing from economically backward Gouli families, the girls are very determined to equip themselves with education so that someday they can take control of their life, but to arm themselves with education, today they need to tread the difficult path, literally.
According to Savitri Pavane, Vice-President of Gouli Samaja, Joida, these children joined the school assuming they will get hostel facilities at the Jagalapet. But as they didn’t get the hostel seat they were forced to walk for seven kilometres. The seven kms stretch again wears a precarious look. Isolated, lonely and untouched by basic facilities like road and lights, walking on the muddy road is nothing less than an act of bravery.
“The region is known to have been a habitat of tigers. There have been several cases of cattle being killed by big cats,” say locals, who laud the bravery of the four girls. The Gouli Samaj, taking note of the hardships faced by the four girls, has decided to stage a protest demanding hostel facilities for the four girls.
