As a zilla parishad school returns, a remote Nanded hamlet finds new hope

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: For decades, children in Ramdas Pawar Tanda, a remote Banjara hamlet tucked amid hills in Nanded’s Mukhed taluka, have had to walk 8 to 10 km daily to get to school, or drop out altogether.

On Tuesday, the reopening of a zilla parishad school in the settlement brought hope, offering children here a real shot at life beyond farm work and seasonal migration.The hamlet, home to about 770 Banjara community members, located barely 12 km from the Karnataka border, has, for long, lived on the margins — of services and opportunity. It has no all-weather road to connect it reliably to the outside world. The nearest state transport bus stop lies several kilometres away, making even a visit to a school or hospital an arduous task, especially when the monsoon turns pathways into slush.

In such a landscape, education is often the first casualty.

In the absence of a nearby school, children here were forced either into exhausting daily treks or to drop out entirely. Many instead accompanied their families to work on farms or sugar cane fields.“We just hope that now things will change for good. For generations, we have worked as cane cutters and farm workers. Even my children could not be educated. At least the next generation will study and have a better standard of living,” said hamlet chief Santosh Apparao Pawar.

The driving force of the change has been Dinkar Pawar, a 62-year-old professor whose father had founded the hamlet. Dinkar Pawar donated two acres of land, registered in his elderly mother’s name, to enable the school’s establishment. The land was transferred to the zilla parishad after securing a formal resolution.The revived primary school — with Classes I to V — saw 30 students on its very first day, with more expected from neighbouring Banjara hamlets, like Munna Nayak Tanda, Sona Nayak Tanda and Hanumanwadi, which also lack schools.

Currently, over 35 students are already enrolled.

The reopening follows years of disruption. A temporary school had started in 2017, but it shut down within a year. According to Nanded ZP chief executive officer Meghna Kavali, the school was shut because the number of students did not meet the minimum requirement prescribed under a govt resolution at the time. However, recent efforts by villagers revived the demand.“The issue was raised over the past four months after villagers approached the zilla parishad. We conducted a survey within a 3km radius and found that an adequate number of children were now available and willing to join the school. Accordingly, an approval was granted to start the school in the current academic year. We have also deputed a teacher there,” Kavali told TOI.

She added that funds would be allocated for construction and repair work this year, raising hopes of a permanent, functional school structure.The other ZP schools are in Kotgayalwadi, Savarmal and Mukramabad, located 4km, 6 m and 8km away, respectively. Residents said said the ZP school’s return to Ramdas Pawar Tanda is not just about education, but about breaking a cycle of deprivation.