Abhijeet Dipke asks ministers to send children to village schools

Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), challenged ministers, MLAs and MPs to send their own children to village schools for at least one day. Speaking at a protest in Hingoli, Maharashtra, on Tuesday, Dipke said politicians arrange buses for election rallies but have not provided basic transport for rural students who walk 7 to 10 km to school, a journey that becomes dangerous during monsoons. 'Will these ministers send their own children to school walking like the children of villagers?' he asked.

Dipke launched the 'School Thik Karo' campaign on August 15 from his native village Santuk Pimpri. He listed poor water supply, broken windows and dirty washrooms as issues facing government schools. The CJP has been active since its weeks-long protest at Jantar Mantar against the NEET-UG paper leak in June. Dipke said the campaign will use a checklist-based form to record school amenities across Maharashtra and compile data for analysis.

Dipke also said political discourse over the last decade has divided people along caste and religious lines while education and employment remain unresolved. He asserted that a tribal child's life holds the same value as a minister's child. The CJP will continue working as a pressure group, Dipke said, and vowed to improve schools with help from villagers if the government fails to act.