Therefore, the three primary schools near the area against the abundant number of Hindi coaching centres there.
Pakistan-born children having migrated here have bleak chances of ever making it to a school or using a textbooks, pencils or even wearing uniform. Each day is a Sunday for them.
“No school takes us in as we are Pakistanis,” said 17-year-old Archana.
She used to go to school in her village in Pakistan, but the fear of persecution and threats from Muslim boys forced her to give up her education. She came to India in 2012, where her will to study was eventually killed. Archana, who speaks in a heavy Sindhi accent and barely understands Hindi, said: “All schools here are Hindi medium. I have never studied Hindi as Sindhi was our language.”
Almost everyone in the area speaks Sindhi, even those born here. Those lucky enough to get admission in a school dropout soon as they fail to comprehend anything. Few even complained of discrimination from the administration.
“Many children are discriminated against and many don’t get admission for being ‘Pakistani’,” said Ashok Aggarwal of Social Jurist.
This is where the Hindi tuition centres come in. Even Archana is keen on joining one.
“We have to pay extra for tuitions. Surviving here is tough already,” said Anita, a mother of three. Her boys have stopped going to school and started accompanying her husband to construction sites instead. She will now send her youngest to learn Hindi and hopefully help change the family's fate.
Already going to school, Raunak is the first in the family to receive education. In turn, she teaches Hindi to her elder sisters. “It’s easy and helpful for us.”
Pakistan-born children having migrated here have bleak chances of ever making it to a school or using a textbooks, pencils or even wearing uniform. Each day is a Sunday for them