A Classroom of Hope: Uri village donates land for school after years of neglect

Srinagar, June 02: In the shadow of the Line of Control (LoC), nestled in the remote village of Hathlanga in north Kashmir’s Uri sector, stands a quiet testament to resilience—a makeshift school where hope has endured far longer than infrastructure.
The Government Boys Middle School Hathlanga, once housed in a temporary structure near the Zero Line, was reduced to rubble during the devastating 2005 earthquake. Since then, for nearly two decades, students have been attending classes inside a community centre built by the Army—a temporary arrangement that tragically became permanent.
Today, the school serves around 40 students with just one teacher, following the death of another staff member. Yet, despite the overwhelming odds, these children continue to attend classes, and their parents continue to hope.
“Our children aren’t asking for luxuries—just walls, a roof, and someone to teach them,” said Tanvir Ahmad, a local resident.
For years, the villagers approached government officials pleading for a new building, but were met with the same response: “No land available.” Now, the people have taken matters into their own hands.
In an extraordinary display of community spirit, villagers have donated their own agricultural land to make way for a new school building—breathing new life into a decades-old demand.
Zonal Education Officer Uri, Javaid Gani Banday, who recently took over the charge, confirmed the development.
“We have received an affidavit from the villagers donating the land. I have taken up the matter with senior authorities. The process has started and we are hopeful that a new school building will be sanctioned soon,” he said.
While official formalities are underway, the gesture has rekindled optimism among the villagers who had nearly given up hope. But challenges remain—the school still operates with only one teacher for 40 students and learning resources are scarce. “Twenty years is too long for a child to wait for a classroom,” said Abdul Majeed Dar, a local villager. “But we believe this time, the promise won’t be broken.”
In Hathlanga, where fear has overshadowed daily life, a small piece of land donated by the people could soon become the foundation of a better future—for their children, and for generations yet to come.
An elderly villager said that the education of children in Hathlanga has borne the brunt in absence of a proper school. “Many children refuse to go to school in the absence of a proper building,” he said. Ahmed also urged the authorities while the new building will come up in the village, adequate staff should be provided to the school as well so that the education of children doesn’t suffer anymore.