- Pankhuri Tripathi, a Class 7 student, seeks fee waiver after her father lost his job due to injury
- Her school in Gorakhpur charges Rs 1,650 monthly, with dues of about Rs 18,000
- Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath assured support, but the school refused to waive fees citing financial issues
A Class 7 girl's appeal for financial support that can help fulfill her dream of becoming an IAS officer has snowballed into a political row in Uttar Pradesh.
Pankhuri Tripathi's family suffered a major setback after her father, Rajiv Kumar Tripathi, sustained a critical leg injury in an accident and had to quit his job. The family sought help from Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who assured them that her education wouldn't face obstacles.
The Class 7 student says the school management has refused to waive her fees and stressed that there is no such provision. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has now targeted the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh and offered to support the girl's education. Pankhuri's family hopes the Chief Minister will intervene and help her work towards fulfilling her dream.
Pankhuri Tripathi studies at Saraswati Shishu Mandir in Gorakhpur's Pakkibag. The school, run by RSS education wing Vidya Bharati, charges Class 7 students a monthly fee of Rs 1,650. Pankhuri has dues of about Rs 18,000.
"I had gone to the Chief Minister with a fee waiver request. He gave me a chocolate and assured me that it would be done. But when I went to school with my father, they misbehaved with us. We were told that the fee couldn't be waived off. They said that if more parents sought a fee waiver, the school wouldn't be able to function. They said they have to pay teachers," she said.
"My father broke down. No one had ever spoken to him like this. But I trust that the Chief Minister will not let my dream shatter. I will work hard and become an IAS officer," Pankhuri said.
Gorakhpur is a stronghold of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. He is the head priest of the Gorakhnath Math and was elected Gorakhpur MP five times before he took over as the state's Chief Minister.
Akhilesh Yadav, who heads the state's main Opposition Samajwadi Party, has now taken a swipe at the ruling party over Pankhuri's remarks. "We promise that her education won't stop. This is the truth of the BJP's fake slogans of 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao'. We urge the BJP not to lie to children," Mr Yadav said in a post on X.
Pankhuri's father Rajiv Tripathi said he worked outside the state before the COVID-19 pandemic. "When I was at home during the pandemic, I slipped off the terrace and suffered a leg injury. I lost my job. Both my children study in English-medium schools. My son studies in Class 12, and my daughter is in Class 7. I was struggling to pay their fees and my daughter did not go to school after February. It is my son's last year in school, so I did not want to disrupt his education. I thought of taking my daughter out of school for a year. Then it struck me that I could approach the Chief Minister for help. We went to Janata Durbar on July 1 and sought his help. He immediately asked officials to ensure that my daughter's education does not stop," he said.
"The school administration, however, said there is no such provision. They said that if every parent manages to get a fee pardon, the school will shut down. They misbehaved with us. When I saw my daughter crying, I broke down too," he added.
On hearing that Mr Yadav had tweeted about the issue and offered help, Mr Tripathi said, "He has tweeted. But we are associated with the Math and Maharaj ji (referring to Yogi Adityanath) and we believe he would ensure my daughter's education."
NDTV reached out to the school administration, but they refused to comment on the matter. An education department official said the state government has written to the school administration and a positive response is expected shortly.
Inputs by Abrar Ahamad
