Surya school Information

In the summer of 2007, team Surya, supported by a number of volunteers, came back to Kargyak, with the goal of completing the school within a year. But the unfortunate reality that was awaiting, was a surprise to all of us. The government of Jammu of Kashmir didn't, after all, approve the proposed and long discussed ecological construction of The Sun School and decided to build their own school model. This inefficiently constructed model is used all over India from the beaches of South India to the snow covered villages of Himalayas. This Indian universal school model is just a very basic concrete structure with a tin roof and is absolutely unsuitable for the cold and very windy climate of the arctic Himalayan desert of Zanskar. In the end, the officials came to Kargyak and offered the villagers four lakhs of INRs (about eight thousand dollars) only if they agree to build the type of government school mentioned above. But villagers chose in favor of our school and dismissed the government's offer. We were of course very happy to gain the villager's trust but also puzzled by the circumstances and aware of the difficulties that were awaiting us. What followed were many meetings and endless discussions about the status of the Sun School, the functioning of Civic Association Surya in India and the allotment of the school site. We faced many problems and delays, mainly because Zanskar is a very isolated region and a sensitive place with its own specific rules and regulations, due to its borders with Pakistan and China. To find the right approach, we had to follow proper procedure and learn how to keep within state law. While this was a valuable experience, it also took a lot of our precious time. In the end we were lucky again and gained the trust and support of many officials who guided us through the maze of Indian bureaucracy. We have dealt with Padum, Kargil and Delhi offices. We have come to a decision to build a private school without major state support and interference. It was a fundamental decision, ...