Children of Marathi Camp in N.R. Pura taluk of Chikkamagaluru district in Karnataka walk through forests and agricultural land to reach their school at Byrapura. Often, they encounter wild animals on the way.
| Photo Credit: S.K. Dinesh
It was about 4.30 p.m. and Lakshmi, Ranjitha and Pallavi, all Class 7 students from Marathi Camp in N.R. Pura taluk, were walking home from their school at Byrapura about 3 km away. They froze as they approached a dry stream. Not very far from them was a leopard.While the animal went its way, the children have not forgotten this encounter that took place in July. The fear was heightened the following day when a group of parents, on their way to the school to enquire about the incident and seek measures to ensure their children’s safety, spotted what they believed were the pug marks of a tiger along the same route. For the next three days, none of the 28 schoolchildren from the village attended classes.Though they have since resumed going to school, the incidents in early July have left the village, comprising around 44 families, constantly on the edge.Anganwadi centreFollowing the incident, officials from the N.R. Pura taluk administration decided to open an anganwadi centre in Marathi Camp for 10 children.“Earlier, even children below six used to walk along the same path to reach the anganwadi centre, which was located in our school premises. Now, they have their own centre in Marathi Camp,” said N. Krishnamurthy, the headmaster. He and his three colleagues have also been advising the children to walk in groups to and from school.
