A Tribal Housewife In Bengal's Ayodhya Hills Ignites Light Of Education In Poor Children
Malti Murmu of Jiling Seren village in Purulia has been running a free tutorial for five years to ensure that no student drops out midway.
Published : July 13, 2025 at 3:25 PM IST
Purulia: Malati Murmu, a homemaker from Jiling Seren village in Ayodhya of Purulia district in West Bengal, has been running a free school for five years to bring the children in her village to the light of education. Despite many obstacles, she has kept the school afloat, hoping to spread education from village to village. As the villagers are slowly but steadily coming forward, Malati wants the government or voluntary organisations to support this noble cause.
Although the Ayodhya hills have developed into an attractive tourist destination, many small hamlets surrounding it are bereft of any development, and Jiling Seren is one such, located 25 km away from the hilltop. Although not many have ever heard the name, a simple woman from this village is now in the headlines.
Malti came to Jiling Seren in 2019 as a homemaker. Upon arrival, she realised that formal education had eluded the village for years. To break the deprivation, she started a free education centre at her home. The village has a primary school nearby where students, mostly first generation, used to go through the forest path. However, both the students and their families were no much interested in taking lessons.
When the school was shut in 2020 due to Covid-19, the online class system sounded like a farce to those tribal students. Those who used to collect wood and earn their living by doing daily labour now had smartphones. Naturally, when schools are closed, students stop studying. Malti feels that it is a difficult time for them. Once children lose the habit of reading, they cannot be brought back to school. Malti, who passed Class 12, realised how necessary education is and started a tutorial.
Malti said the response was lukewarm in the beginning as the villagers wondered how she would be able to educate so many children. Steadfast in her resolution, Malti started fighting a duel battle — one at her home and the other with the villagers. She started going door-to-door to convince the villagers while making her family members agree. Seeing her insistence, her husband, Banka Murmu, also came forward. Gradually, the villagers also understood her aim and started sending their offspring to her tutorial. The current number of students is 45.
"When I came to this village, I saw that the children and adolescents had no formal education. From 2020, I decided to start teaching free of cost, first in my own house, then in a hut. Later, I asked for cooperation from the villagers. They also cooperated. That's when I built the tutorial. I want students from the surrounding areas to attend classes. Let the light of this education spread," Malti sounded hopeful.
Malti's unique teaching technique was so captivating that students were literally moved by it. The villagers also stood by her by building a thatched hut for the tutorial. But the lack of proper infrastructure is still a big hindrance to Malti's noble cause, as she is somehow managing with just two classrooms, with one blackboard each. Devoid of benches, the children have to sit on the floor during classes. "Now, children are taught from the first to the fourth grade. Initially, I used to teach in the indigenous Santali language. Now the students are taught in Bengali and English. Even the school dropouts have started returning to the tutorial for additional coaching," Malti said.
Not only the subjects from the syllabus, but Malti also teaches various other topics. She tries to bust their superstitions to build a scientific thought process among them. It is as if she is bringing her students from darkness to light.
Mother of two, Malti is often seen teaching with her two-month-old child. Her dedication has made Banka take pride in her. "Her life story is very difficult. When I married Malti in 2020 and brought her to the village, the condition of education was poor. If there is no education, how will the next generation move forward? Jhalda is about 18 kilometres from here. Baghmundi, which has a high school, is 25 kilometres away. Given the distance, it is almost impossible to go that far to attend classes," he said.
"Even though there is a primary school nearby, the quality of education is not up to the mark, as teachers come in shifts. The great damage was during Covid-19, when that school was closed due to the lockdown. So my wife started teaching the deprived children. With the help of the villagers, the school wall was built. I am also helping as much as I can. Initially, many NGOs came to help. But they started leaving one by one. If everyone helps Malti and the government comes forward, Malti will be able to work much better," Banka added.
Villagers Minati Soren and Sunita Mandira said, "There is a primary school in the village, which was also closed during the lockdown. The children of the entire village stopped studying. That's when Malati came forward. Being educated, Malati has turned into the torchbearer of education for the children and adolescents of the village. We are all by her side."
Despite Banka's regret on the lack of support, Chandrashekhar Kundu, a prominent educationist and social worker from Asansol, promised to visit Jiling Seren to stand by Malati. "I run 'Boitoi-Hoichoi' schools in various remote villages of the Ayodhya hills, Asansol, Jayachandri and other remote areas. Malti Murmu herself wanted me to be by her side. That's how I met her," he said.
"Education is currently moving at a different pace. Now, smart classrooms are being built. Then why shouldn't the children of the village get that education? So, in addition to the ordinary teaching centres that Malti is running, I will try to see how her endeavour can be further developed with smart education," he added.
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