Jilingseling was number one among the villages in the Ayodhya hills that came to the fore in the wake of underdevelopment and scarcity. At one time people had to collect leaves from the forest to alleviate hunger. Along with this was the power of the Maoists. In 2010, the Maoists shot and killed six Forward Bloc leaders in front of Jillingseling. So, in 2021, our journey is towards Jilingseling. We aim to see how much development the people of Jilingseling village had witnessed in recent times.
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After asking many people for directions, we finally reached Jilingseling. A number of people came out of the nearby houses as soon as the car stopped at the village. There are indications of the development of concrete casting roads across the forest, but a glance at the appearance of the surrounding houses reveals that development has not been done much in the village. One thing that always catches the eye in this tribal area is the mud house walls. it looks like an artist has decorated it with a brush. Tribal women have decorated their houses by following the ancient tradition. But, if you look at the construction of the house, you can understand the financial condition of the people. In the village of Jilingselling, those who are in a very good financial position have made their house of tiles and those who have poor financial condition have made kutcha house with un- burnt bricks, bamboos, mud, grass, reeds, thatch, loosely packed stones.
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We found Malati in this Jilingseling village. This housewife in her twenties is playing one of the most integral part in the village. 135 children of the village are being educated in regular primary education with the help of Malati. Her husband Banka Murmu and brother-in-law Bharat Murmu have joined hands with Malati to run the school equally. Malati, a high school student, came to Jilingseling after her marriage and saw how far the people of the area were from the light of education. Although some of the primary education centers run by some voluntary organizations are in the surrounding villages, they are not benefiting the children of the villages because most of the children in the village can't even pronounce their own name. Even adults have the same problem. They also have to think many times to pronounce the name of their child. As a result, the people of Jilingselling village are afraid to talk to anyone outside the area. The people of Jilingselling are working tirelessly day and night for two meals a day. This lack of education in the village made Malati restless. Therefore, she took a decision. According to Malati, their village has poverty, underdevelopment, but she has not lost the words of her mouth like people of her village. The situation during the lockdown took an extreme shape in the village. Primary schools were closed. After that, in consultation with her husband Banka, Malati opened a school on the hill behind her house. Banka Murmu and Bharat Murmu came forward to help her. In fact, in the hills of Ayodhya, these are now Ram-Sita-Lakshman. the name of Ayodhya, which is associated with the story of Ramayana, seems to have become synonymous here. But unlike the villagers of Jilingseling, Malati and her family have not forgot to speak.
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Both Banka and Bharat are graduates of Jhalda College. They have been doing various social work in the area on their own for a long time. This time they got a partner. As a result, both of them jumped into building a school for Malati. They cut bamboo themselves and made it like a tent with straw. Blackboards were brought from the city. Malati and her family brought a movement in the village. They tried to highlight the fact that education can only be the solution for scarcity and starvation. This mantra is conveyed to every house of Jilingseling by Malati-Banka-Bharat. Without any government help and without oiling the political leaders, they set up an entire primary school in Jilingseling.
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Everyone's clothes in the village are in very poor condition, and women's clothes are sewn in multiple places. There is no slipper to wear on anyone's feet. However, in the light of education through the hands of Malti-Banka and Bharata, Jilingseling is now full of new hopes. At first, boys and girls came to school, but sometimes the number of students coming to the school got reduced. The Malti-Banka-Bharattook help of the local MLA Nepal Mahato over the issue. MLA Nepal Mahato arranged Mid-Day meal for the girls and boys who came to the school. Then the number of boys and girls in the school started filling up again. At the moment, Malti’s school is running with 135 children.
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The level of starvation is so intense in Jilingseling that people here consider rice and salt as a good meal. It is difficult for the people living here to buy vegetables and bring them home even if the price exceeds 20 rupees. Potato-rice and salt became their main food. When the price of rice exceeds eighteen rupees, people get into trouble. For the people of this village, eating meat and fish is a dream. The villagers do not want to cook chicken at home during the festivals because they feel that if the hen is alive, they will keep getting egg all the year. Irrigation work in Jilingseling is useless as it is just above the hill of Ayodhya. Cultivation is impossible here without rain. As a result, in the villages at the foot of the hills, where there is no source of employment except to hire people and take them to the city for working or to collect wood from the forest and sell it in the city and earn some bucks. Even, there is no transportation from the road in front of Jilingseling. It is necessary to walk at least 8 to 10 kilometres by climbing hills and big stones to see the urban areas. Otherwise, if you have a bicycle, you can skip the walking.
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Even in such an unbearable situation, the Malti-Banka-Bharat are fighting. According to them, if the light of education shines properly, people will be more aware. People will understand the need for self-improvement. Malti claimed that people in the village will understand that the mountain's logistics are not the last word for the development of Jilingseling. For now, Malati has opened two rooms in their school but she wishes to expand her school if given financial help. Malti-Banka-Bharat are aiming to open a secondary school in the village.
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Arriving in 2021, West Bengal is once again in the midst of assembly elections today. But Jilingseling as thrown away the question of when the political leaders will fulfil the aspirations of the people over time to improve their lives. There are still some houses in this village who are starving day after day to teach their children to read. The development of a state depends on an educated society. Many government projects are inaugurated but people from far and wide are not getting the benefits of it. Why is it that they have not yet been provided with adequate education and access to safe drinking water? These questions revolve in the minds of people. Can those who have not changed their party from the leaders who have changed their party due to the persecution of people's work answer it?
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