PASSION FOR STUDY

PASSION FOR STUDY

Kareena and Kirna daily reach border village govt school riding boat across Sutlej River

Ferozepur, November 16, 2022: There can be no obstacles if one has emotions, feelings and passion for a particular target. So is the daily journey of Kareena Kaur (12) and Kirna Rani (13) of village Kaluwala – a village on Zero Line of the India-Pakistan border, for going to nearby Government Senior Secondary School, Gatti Rajo Ko in Ferozepur district of Punjab, by crossing the Sutlej in a boat.

This is the only senior secondary school catering to Kaluwala and 14 other nearby villages near the India-Pakistan border. It now has around 800 students.

Kaluwala is a village, covered from three sides with the flow of Sutlej River and one side touching the Pakistan border. Daily ten students including two girls – Kareena (8th Class) and Kirna (6th Class) – come to Gatti Rajo Ke across the Sutlej River, taking a makeshift boat by marching on foot for around 2 km and then 3 km to reach the school campus at 9 am. The other source reaching the school was a temporary bridge of ‘Pontoon’ by the BSF authorities, at Tendiwala-Nihalewala villages but the same is dismantled when the flow of river is too much.

Added here, once Secretary Education, Krishan Kumar had visited Kaluwala in 2017, taking a ride on boat, to get a first-hand feel of the students plight, interacted with parents and ordered opening of Government Primary School in the village which has 50 families with around 400 population.

Talking about the emotions, feelings and passions of Kareena and Kirna, both are in high spirits to continue with their studies and so were the other boy students. They get up earlier in the morning at 6 am to get ready and it takes around 2 hrs to reach the school riding a boat across Sutlej with a self-propelled boat by using the overhead rope to reach to the other side. Even sometimes, they have to wait for hours for a boat to come to their side, when the boat is on the other side. Around 12 boys from the village have been enrolled in this school, whose attendance is irregular as they help their parents to earn their livelihoods.

Since they are living close to the international border and see the people in uniform, all want to join the Army to fulfil the dream of their parents, to do something for the comforts of parents and serve the country. However, during interaction with the students and villages, they said, it’s now 75 years of our independence; the government must do something for the development of the unique geographical conditions of Kaluwala.

Speaking about the high spirit of the students coming Kaluwala to his school by crossing the Sutlej River on the boat, Dr.Satinder Singh, Principal, GSSS, Gatti Rajo Ke said, “Kareena and Kirna especially had hardly missed a day of school. I salute their vision and emotions to do something in their life and wish them success for their determination”.

Recently, on National Children’s Day celebrations on November 14, Dr.S.K.Sonkar, CEO of BSF 136 Bn honoured Kareena and Kirna besides the education department has decided to provide them free education up to Plus Two in the school, he added.

DEO Chamkaur Singh said,”The education department will extend all possible help to the students of Kaluwala to continue with their studies”.