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“Being Neutral is Our Biggest Crime” - Global Coalition to Protect ...

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permitted local NGOs <strong>to</strong> take children from camps <strong>to</strong> other <strong>to</strong>wns or cities in<br />

Chhatt<strong>is</strong>garh for their schooling. 491 In some cases, such relocation has separated<br />

children from or limited contact with their parents who are residing in camps. 492<br />

B. D<strong>is</strong>placed children’s access <strong>to</strong> education in Andhra Pradesh<br />

Children of internally d<strong>is</strong>placed parents who have fled <strong>to</strong> Andhra Pradesh often drop<br />

out of school because they do not speak the language of instruction: schools in<br />

Andhra Pradesh teach in Telugu while schools in Chhatt<strong>is</strong>garh teach in Hindi. 493 In<br />

addition, many children do not possess school leaving certificates from their<br />

Chhatt<strong>is</strong>garh schools, making it difficult <strong>to</strong> enroll in local schools in Andhra<br />

Pradesh. 494 According <strong>to</strong> Sitara Foundation, a local NGO that provides medical and<br />

other humanitarian ass<strong>is</strong>tance <strong>to</strong> d<strong>is</strong>placed persons, around 450 internally d<strong>is</strong>placed<br />

children have dropped out of school in Chinturu mandal [admin<strong>is</strong>trative div<strong>is</strong>ion]<br />

alone. 495<br />

At th<strong>is</strong> writing, the Andhra Pradesh government had yet <strong>to</strong> sanction a single Hindi<br />

language residential bridge course (a course designed <strong>to</strong> mainstream out-of-school<br />

children in<strong>to</strong> regular schools) despite requests from local NGOs and activ<strong>is</strong>ts. 496 The<br />

Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) project officer for Warangal d<strong>is</strong>trict said,<br />

IDPs are not much interested in attending schools because of the<br />

language problem and d<strong>is</strong>tance … In th<strong>is</strong> d<strong>is</strong>trict the mother <strong>to</strong>ngue of<br />

[local] tribals <strong>is</strong> Telugu. So we are not planning <strong>to</strong> establ<strong>is</strong>h schools in<br />

any other language. In other d<strong>is</strong>tricts, there are other languages. 497<br />

491 Human Rights Watch interview with Pillay, Gayatri Sangh Parivar, Jagdalpur, January 26, 2008; phone interview with<br />

Sandhya Madharia, Gayatri Sangh Parivar, Raipur, February 6, 2008.<br />

492 Ibid.<br />

493 Human Rights Watch interviews with J. P. Rao, professor from Osmania University, Hyderabad, November 28, 2007 (first<br />

interview); local activ<strong>is</strong>t N3 (name and details withheld), Warangal, November 29, 2007; Dr. Haneef, Sitara Organization,<br />

Chinturu, December 4, 2007 (first interview); NCPCR, “V<strong>is</strong>it <strong>to</strong> Dantewada and Khammam,” p. 7.<br />

494 NCPCR, “V<strong>is</strong>it <strong>to</strong> Dantewada and Khammam,” p. 7.<br />

495 Human Rights Watch interview with Dr. Haneef, first interview, December 4, 2007.<br />

496 Ibid.<br />

497 Human Rights Watch interview with S. Sunder Abner, project officer for Warangal d<strong>is</strong>trict, Integrated Tribal Development<br />

Agency, Eturnagaram, November 29, 2007.<br />

145<br />

Human Rights Watch July 2008

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