Political tension has resurfaced in the Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh over the merger and closure of government primary schools. The Samajwadi Party has issued a strict warning to the state government, announcing plans to resume its high-profile 'PDA Pathshala' (Backward, Dalit, and Minority School) campaign if the shut schools are not reopened promptly. Party leaders emphasized that underprivileged children must not be deprived of basic education, asserting that community progress depends entirely on educating future generations.
Renewed Conflict Over Government School Closures
The controversy dates back to 2025, when the Uttar Pradesh government issued administrative orders to merge primary schools experiencing low student enrollment. Following this policy implementation, numerous government schools across the state ceased operations, drawing sharp criticism and widespread protests from the Samajwadi Party. SP leaders argued that closing local primary schools disproportionately affects children from marginalized and economically weaker backgrounds. In response, party workers established local PDA Pathshalas in various regions to offer free supplementary instruction to affected students.
Claim of 67 Shut Primary Schools in Saharanpur
Senior Samajwadi Party leader Farhad Gada raised critical questions after reviewing local educational administrative data. Upon consulting with district education officials regarding current operational statuses, it was revealed that 67 primary schools remain shut within Saharanpur district alone. Farhad Gada voiced serious concern over this statistic, highlighting that if a single district accounts for 67 closed institutions, the total count across the entire state of Uttar Pradesh must be alarmingly high. He noted that one year ago, following directives from party leader Akhilesh Yadav to protest school closures statewide, the Chief Minister and Education Minister had assured the public that no primary school would be closed. Based on those official assurances, SP had suspended its PDA Pathshala operations, but claims that government commitments remain unfulfilled on the ground.
Return of the Unique 'A for Akhilesh' Pathshala
Exactly one year ago, a PDA Pathshala operated at Farhad Gada's residence in Saharanpur gained widespread attention across Uttar Pradesh for its unconventional teaching methodology. The informal school taught children English alphabets using political and social figures, including 'A for Akhilesh', 'B for Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar', 'C for Chaudhary Charan Singh', 'D for Dimple Yadav', and 'M for Mulayam Singh Yadav'. Marking the one-year milestone, the Samajwadi Party announced it is prepared to relaunch the initiative under specific conditional demands. SP leaders stated that if the state government immediately reopens all 67 closed primary schools in Saharanpur, the party will refrain from running parallel classes. However, if the government fails to reactivate the schools, SP workers will resume the PDA Pathshala to ensure poor children continue to receive education.
