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The home schools teaching Kashmir’s unwritten history amid Indian lockdown
- These volunteer schools offer a glimmer of hope to young people in the valley eager to continue their studies
- Among the topics discussed are why students cannot go to their regular schools – and why they haven’t been able to see their friends for months
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It is 9.30AM and the winter sun is shining on Ghulam Mohammad Ganai’s house in Samboora village, Kashmir. Outside, the empty road and closed shops give the scene a glum look, but things are very different inside. Children, sitting in rooms turned into makeshift classes, are humming nursery rhymes and doing maths equations.
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In August, Ganai was approached by a group of local teachers and volunteers after schools and colleges were shut following India’s unilateral decision to revoke Kashmir’s autonomy – which took effect on October 31 – and impose military restrictions on the region.
The group wanted to start a school for children missing classes due to the lockdown, and they needed a space to operate.
“We discussed it in the neighbourhood and then my next-door neighbour and I decided to provide them space for the community school,” says Ganai, 54, adding that the initiative was only possible with the collaborative effort of the entire village.
While he provided his newly constructed house as a venue, other villagers brought whiteboards and markers. Another local donated mats for the children to sit on. Today, around 400 children – from kindergarten to Year 10 – attend.
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