New Delhi: Hundreds of tribal students and activists will begin a 180-km foot march from Nashik to Mumbai today, September 28, to protest against Maharashtra tribal development minister Ashok Uike and demand better facilities, safety and accountability at government-run residential schools. The ‘Tribal Gen Z Ulgulan’ march, organised by the Sakal Adivasi Vidyarthi Andolan Kruti Samiti, was scheduled to depart from the Anant Kanhere Maidan (Golf Club Ground), Nashik, at 11 am.The protesters, who have been holding a sit-in at Nashik’s Idgah Maidan for the last 40 days, are pressing the state government to take action on a range of issues concerning education and welfare. Alongside Uike’s resignation and transfer of the tribal development department’s secretary and commissioner, students are demanding improved essential facilities at tribal schools and hostels as well as an independent inquiry into the deaths of tribal students at residential schools.Protesters have demanded financial assistance for victims and effective implementation of the National Commission for Protection of Chil Rights (NCPCR) guidelines governing ‘ashram’ schools and residential educational institutions in Maharashtra, according to the Hindu. Students have also sought a direct meeting with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to address their grievances.Speaking to the Hindu, tribal leader Rahul Pawra said around 1,500 students were expected to join the march on its first day, with participants travelling from Nashik, Khandesh, north Maharashtra, Marathwada and Vidarbha.Concerns over food quality, infrastructureA major point of contention is the central-kitchen system supplying food to residential tribal schools. They have asked for the system to be scrapped altogether as the food is prepared hours in advance and transported over long distances, making its quality questionable and increasing heath risks.The protesters have also called into question the quality-control mechanisms at the kitchens, including the labelling and expiry information of raw materials.”We don’t want central kitchens at all. There is no labelling on the raw materials used in these kitchens. There is no mention of expiry. Where is the quality control? The government wants to show everything on paper. But nothing exists on the ground. On paper, the rice distributed to our schools is Basmati rice. But one should look at the quality of rice served in the schools,” Vikram Gavhane, a warden in a tribal school, told the Hindu.In response to the allegations, the state government has claimed that central kitchens supply food to residential areas within a 50-km radius and that it has appointed a committee to examine the issue. This committee is expected to submit its report in three months, following which a decision will be taken.Jyoti Gavit, a nurse at a private private hospital in Surgana, told the Hindu that tribal students are being asked to pay admission, donation and other fees, as high as Rs 1 lakh, even though the government claims that education for tribal communities is provided free of cost. The memorandum, submitted by the protesters to the government, reportedly calls for legal action against such educational institutions that collect unauthorised fees from vulnerable students.Other key demands include infrastructure improvements at residential schools and measures to ensure safety and basic living conditions for students.Compensation, Swayam fundsAs per the Times of India, protesters have asked Rs 1 crore compensation for families of the deceased students in Gadchiroli and Rs 50 lakhs for injured students. They have also sought the release of the remaining Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) funds under the Swayam scheme and an improvement in the level of assistance provided under the initiative.Some demands have been acceptedThe tribal development department held a meeting with student leaders on September 25 and circulated a seven-page letter detailing the demands that had been accepted and the ones which had not, reported the Hindu.The department claims that work orders and tenders have been issued for some demands, including hot water provision in bathrooms of tribal residential schools. Meanwhile, several demands have not be yet accepted, with the government stating the need for deeper policy decisions.Regardless, the protesters have persisted with their agitation and continue to demand written commitments and action from the state.March will continue till October 4Prashant Gavandhe told TOI that participants in the foot march will travel during the day, while halting at open spaces to rest at night. The march is expected to continue till October 4 until the protesters reach Raj Bhawan in Mumbai.The current developments come against the backdrop of a month-long agitation by the tribal community, including demonstrations held on August 18, August 19 and September 1. Some protesters had earlier even taken an indefinite hunger strike. Cockroach Janta Party founder, Abhijeet Dipke, met with protesters on September 3 and requested them to end their hunger strike and move the agitation to the state capital.Gavandhe told TOI that phone conversations had earlier been organised with Fadnavis, Uike and Nashik District Collector Ayush Prasad, where the protesters had asserted that they would listen to the government’s response if their demands were given in written. They are now seeking a direct meeting with the CM to put forth their demands.