SRINAGAR, DEC 27: On a chilling December morning, Rukhsana leaves her home at 8:30. After walking for more than 90 minutes on snowy mountains she reaches the upper reaches of Shangus in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district where she teaches nomads (Gujar and Bakarwal) children voluntarily. First, she makes herself warm with ‘Kangri’, a traditional portable fire pot which keeps people warm during harsh winters.
Even rains and snowfall with minus 5 to 10 degrees Celsius do not deter her from reaching out to students.
“I am working as a seasonal teacher to teach children of nomads for six months between April to September for which I am paid Rs 10,000 monthly. For the remaining months, I teach these children voluntarily. Even during snowfall or rains amid intense cold, I leave home at 8:30 am and reach their homes by 10 am after walking on frozen snow and through dense forests. Sometimes, I take family members or relatives along fearing for wild animals,” Rukhsana said.
There have been several incidents of man-animal conflict in the area over the years. During evening hours, people prefer to stay indoors fearing they might be attacked.
“I work as a seasonal teacher for six months when they (Nomads) go to higher reaches. When these people come to lower areas in view of heavy snowfall in the upper reaches during winters, I teach these children voluntarily in their homes. We face immense difficulties in teaching these children during winter. But for the sake of education, we teach them so their studies do not get disturbed,” said a youth Mohammad Shafi, who too teaches Noram children in Kulgam.
Seasonal schools have been provided for the nomadic population during their migration from one place to another in search of green pastures.
In 2006, the Jammu and Kashmir government started seasonal schools for children of the Gujjar and Bakarwal communities during their migration.
The government provides these seasonal schools with tents and other required facilities along with seasonal teachers.
These Bakerwals camp with their families in the pastures in large numbers, along with their herds of sheep and goats. They live in tents in these highland pastures during summers then return to their homes during winters.
Every year in April as the snow and cold recedes, Ghulam Mohammad along with his two children and wife, like other Bakarwals, go to the upper reaches of Shangus in Anantnag district.
There they live in the temporary summer home, ‘Kotha’ which is made of mud and thatch, for six months.
“It is because of these seasonal teachers that my children who are studying in class 4th and 6th are able to receive education. Getting an education 10 kilometres away from the road on mountains would not have been possible without the hard efforts of these teachers. Many of these teachers have to stay with us for nights especially during rains as it is not possible for them to come from their homes daily,” he said. He said his children would study in seasonal schools till class 8th after which he has decided to enroll them in some boarding school.
