1. Ramboland
is a newly developing country with a population of 16 crore where 57 million
are children. The country is located in South Asia. The country is rich in
history and culture. It was under colonial rule of the Thieves Empire for more
than 200 years. In 1947 the Thieves left the land and the people of Ramboland
region came under the rule of Ghauraistan. After a nine month long war the
people of Ramboland secured independence from Ghauraistan in 1971.
2. Even
though Rambolands industrial sectors are growing promisingly, a large amount of
people are living lives below human standards. According to the Annual Report,
2016 of the World Bank, 68 percent of the village people of the country are
leaving below the poverty line, means these people earn less than $ 1.90 per
day and cannot afford a minimum of 2100 calories of food per day per person. The
political condition of Ramboland is not very sound. There are two major
political parties that rule the country by turn. Both parties have records of
corruption. Democracy is practiced by means of violence. Whenever the
government takes any measure to improve the situation of this country, the
opposition finds a loophole and start protesting against it. International
experts say, development initiatives can hardly succeed in such a culture.
3. Adult
literacy rate of Ramboland increased from 29.2 % in 1981 to 61.5 % in 2015
growing at an average annual rate of 21.09 %. The Ramboland Bureau of Statistics
(RBS) published their Annual Report of 2016 on February 23rd of 2017
where they claimed that the adult literacy rate in the country rose to a
12-year high of 72.3 percent in 2016. The report titled “Sample Vital
Registration System (SVRS)” in which the RBS, defined that if a person can
write a simple letter, she/he will be considered literate. This clearly
contradicts with the definition given by the UNESCO which declares that
literacy incorporates three things -- reading, writing and doing simple arithmetic.
This is also a globally accepted definition of literacy. Several world renowned
professors of University of Ramboland criticized this approach of RBS and asked
why have these guidelines of UNESCO not been followed in preparing this report?
The RBS did not provide any answer on this issue.
4. Unfortunately
more than half of the total number of children of Ramboland comes from poor
economic background. Their low income parents happen to be housemaids, factory
workers, rickshaw pullers. Poverty lead these children to drop school and start
working in various sectors. Many of them get to involve in hazardous work in
industries. Some of them perform dangerous duties in public transport services. A considerable portion of these children
become mere street children selling cheap rate flowers, handicrafts or
chocolate. These children are often found to be involved in begging.
5. Road
accident rate is very high in Ramboland. As children from poor families work in
the transport sector many of them often become victim of road accident.
Therefore death rate of children in accident is also high. On 20th
July, 2017 a series of road accident had happened in several places of Ramboland
as a result 20 children died. All of them were working as helper of different
vehicles. These accidents have raised serious rage around the country.
6. On
21st July several News Paper covered this incident. On 22nd
July all the newspapers of the country published the same headline “Angels are
dying, the Nation have to choose either School or Road,” and all of them
concluded their report on the notion that “The future of the nation is serving
in the transport sector and toiling at a tender age. While at this age they
should have been in schools. This shows that cheap labor is much more desirable
to us rather than a school full of kids. It is high time to declare the right
to education as a fundamental right, which will ensure kids at school rather to
workplaces.” On that day the Ramboland Reporters Unity (RRU), the biggest
journalist association of the country published a press release that the
journalist association unanimously decided to publish this report in every
daily newspaper.
7. Series
of protest broke out the next day. Students of many national universities with
their teacher took position on the road on demand of making right to education as
a fundamental right. In the capital Mondo, the protest turned into a large
scale blocking all the roads of the city. Police took initiatives to clear the
road. The police commissioner declared Curfew under sec 144 of the Code of
Criminal Procedure, as a result police forces used force to make clear the road
and a violent fighting started between the students and the police. More than
265 person got heavily injured. The next day the opposition party called for
strikes. Police also charged tear shell on the protest procession of the
opposition party. 35 people got injured and two of them lost eye sight
permanently. The opposition party declared month long strike as a result life
in Ramboland comes to a standstill.
8. Moreover,
the forest area of Ramboland is decreasing day by day. Industrialization and
urbanization are the main reasons behind cutting off trees. Industrialists not
only clean up forests to locate more industries, but also their illegal and
excessive pollution cause death to many species in the neighborhood. Environment
specialists have repeatedly shown their concern for the rivers and forest land
of Ramboland. They apprehend that the condition of river and forest lands are critical.
If these are not protected with special attention, within few years situation
of Ramboland will be beyond repair. They suspect, after only a decade the
country shall not be livable any more.
9. Although
Ramboland had policies against child labor and projects for providing foods to
the poor school going children for many years, such projects could not reduce
the amount of child labor. In the Annual Report of 2016 of UNICEF showed that in
Ramboland the parents of these children think it is unlikely that their kids
will be able to finish study and get a good job. After all the quality of free
education is very poor and is not in consonance with the job market. As a
result, the unemployment problem is still very high’- they say. Moreover
according to the Annual Report 2016 of the International Energy Association
(IEA), Ramboland need at least 8 coal based power plants of 2000 Mega Watt to
boost its industrial growth. The minister of the ministry of Energy said in the
House of the Nation that the Government is planning to build 8 power plants and
they are consulting with the Ministry of Education to start a project which
will aim to reduce the energy crisis and the child education problem seriously.
10. As
a result, ministry of Energy and ministry of education had several meetings to
initiate a comprehensive project to deal with the street children. They decide
to start a public school with all facilities of food, clothing and residence.
The first target shall be the street children and slum dweller children of the
capital of the country. The education quality shall be ensured with special
care. After their completion of education and training the country will get a
good number of efficient people.
11. Moreover,
government owned large power plants will be constructed just beside this public
school. Minister of education said in one of his interviews that the parents of
such children shall be given employment opportunity in that power plant. They
call this project as ‘Good Life Scheme’. It is mandatory for the slum dwellers
of the capital city to get involved in the project. A portion of their salary
shall go to the school fund, but school shall have other funding beside that.
It was reported in a daily newspaper ‘The Peoples Power’ that the government is
thinking to make it punishable offence if any family leaves the membership of
that scheme in the middle of the education of their children.
12. The
plan of such project requires huge amount of land. Since the country is densely
populated it is very difficult to find vacant land. The ministries after
examination for several times selected 8 places. But building of public school
compound as well as the power plant will require cutting of a portion of
national forest. Although that portion is not under any forest conservation
project the environment conservationists obstruct the project showing concern
over environment. They argue that the situation of the country is vulnerable. Cutting
off forest is a risk not worth taking. This forest is holding the land against
a big river. If this forest is cleared, the river can cause flood any time. It
can even eat up the land portion within a year.
13. The
political opposition gave their statement in line with the conservationist.
They start protesting against the public school cum industry scheme. Besides
they claim that the government is using forced labor for cheap price for
building power plants. “The Free Will Defense” a well renowned NGO condemned
this approach of the Government and challenged the scheme on the grounds that
forced labor mechanism is in violation with the constitution and they said that
it is high time to declare the right to education as fundamental right.
A
writ petition has been instituted before the High Court Division and the issues
before the Court are:
1. Whether
the Constitution of the Ramboland imposes any obligation to provide free
compulsory primary education?
2. Whether
Right to Education can be declared as a Fundamental Right under the
Constitution of the Peoples Republic of Ramboland?
3. Whether
does ‘Good Life Scheme’ violate the fundamental rights of the constitution?
4. Whether
the proposed power plants are in violation with the constitution obligation of
the country?
Note:
The Constitution of the Peoples Republic of Ramboland and other laws are
similar to that of Bangladesh.
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