Daijiworld Media Network – Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh, Dec 20: In a remarkable display of determination, 10-year-old Surabhi Yadav brought traffic to a halt on a road in Betul district on Saturday, protesting after her school van failed to arrive. The Class 5 student, enrolled under the Right to Education Act, sat firmly in the middle of the road clutching her school bag for nearly three hours, refusing to move despite the growing traffic congestion.

Surabhi travels approximately 18 kilometres daily to attend school. “She kept saying she wants to go to school,” a local resident said. “She didn’t shout or cry; she just sat there quietly.”

The protest came after the school management discontinued her van service, citing unpaid transportation fees for the past two years. Surabhi’s mother, Asha Yadav, said, “My daughter was admitted under the Right to Education Act. The school didn’t allow her to attend classes for the entire year. They let her study for just 28 days in November and stopped her again. Today, they leave her on the road. She is under immense stress and cries.”

The incident caused a major traffic disruption, with vehicles stranded as commuters struggled to pass. Police and officials from the education department arrived at the scene to speak with the child and assured intervention with the school management. After nearly three hours, Surabhi finally left the road.

The school management, however, maintained that the parents had stopped sending her to school and alleged that the driver faced misbehaviour during the incident.

This incident has sparked discussions on the implementation of the Right to Education Act and the responsibilities of schools in ensuring uninterrupted access for students.