Uppara community elders to 'distance' families

Chamarajanagara: The Uppara community in the district has taken a stringent decision that if children are not sent to school, the community would keep distance with such families. The community has taken the decision since many cases of children leaving schools in before teen ages and to provide them education. The Uppara community of Chamarajanagara has taken a strong stand to get their children educated and ensure them to pursue higher education without being deprived.

Since last one year 158 children under category-1 in Chamarajanagara district have dropped out of school, among them majority are from the Uppara community. In addition, the Legal Services Authority and the Education Department have held a meeting of the community leaders to create awareness and send them back to school.

Forty children in Chamarajanagar , In Kollegala 39 and in Hanur taluk more than 40 students have dropped out of school. Realising the importance of education, the leaders of the Uppara community are appealing people by visiting door to door from Tuesday and persuading them to send the dropout children back to school so that no one should be deprived of compulsory education.

In Chamarajanagar district, the local community panchayats of the Uppara community still remain strong, and no one can disrepect the word of the Yajamans (leaders ) of the community. If they violate , they have to pay penalties and abide other conditions. The community elders and leaders are visiting door to door and requesting the parents to send their children to school, warning that if they do not do so, they will not attend the auspicious and inauspicious activities of their house.

Earlier there were many child marriage cases were reporting among Uppara community. Two years back the community leaders held a meeting decided not to support or attend child marriages. Then the child marriages were drastically came down . The leaders said even if child marriage is done the community leaders does not help. As a result of taking a stand that they are not responsible for legal action, child marriage has stopped in the Uppara community. Taking strong stand against social evils the community became an ideal in district.