Chutki Bhandar Girls Inter College in the Hussainganj area of Lucknow, a historic institution founded by Mahatma Gandhi in 1921, has been declared unsafe by the district administration due to its dilapidated condition. Following this declaration, the Allahabad High Court ordered the closure of all academic activities within a week. Approximately 25 girl students from the historic college were shifted to a new school on Wednesday.
Historic Origins: The Chutki Movement
The school is housed on a premises built during the 'Chutki' movement launched by Mahatma Gandhi. During this movement, local women donated one 'chutki' (pinch) of flour daily to support freedom fighters. The excess flour was sold to raise Rs 64, which funded the construction of this school for girl child education. It was named Chutki Bhandar Girls Inter College.
According to the book 'Uttar Pradesh Mein Gandhi' (1969) by Ramnath Suman, Gandhi urged women in the area to spare a pinch of flour before cooking so that freedom fighters and revolutionaries could be fed. Earthen pots placed at various locations collected contributions, which were used to prepare meals for freedom fighters. The surplus was sold. Freedom fighter Pandit Vishwanath Vajpayee had requested Gandhi to establish a national school for girls. The sale of collected flour raised Rs 64 and four annas, with which the foundation for the school was laid on August 8, 1921.
Student Relocation and Court Order
District Inspector of Schools (DIOS) Rakesh Kumar Pandey stated, “Our team visited the school and 25 students enrolled in different classes have been shifted to other government schools. The student record register was not available, so only those who were present could be shifted to other schools.”
The court allowed the institution’s management committee to explore reconstruction of the school building and seek financial assistance from the state government under the Alankar Scheme. This scheme provides renovation funds and grants of up to Rs 25 lakh for schools with enrolment between 100 and 250 students. To avail of the scheme, management committees must contribute a matching share.
Historical Milestones
In the school’s inaugural batch, 19 girls were enrolled, but the school shut down in 1924. When Gandhi returned to Lucknow in 1925, he was presented with a silver plate, which he auctioned. The proceeds, amounting to Rs 101, were used to reopen the school. Two classrooms were built on the premises. In 1924, the Municipal Corporation leased a plot of land measuring 80 feet by 8 feet to the school.
Eminent Visitors and Upgrades
In 1931, Sarojini Naidu and Acharya Narendra Deva visited the school. In 1936, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya also visited the institution. In 1932, through efforts of Pandit Vishwanath Vajpayee, the primary school was upgraded to a junior high school. A new management committee was formed in 1950. In 1952, the government granted Rs 2,000 for the school’s development. In 1955, the institution was upgraded to Chutki Bhandar Higher Secondary School. After the death of Pandit Vishwanath Vajpayee, Chandrabhanu Gupta was appointed patron of the school in 1952.
Kunti Verma, who taught at the school for four decades, shared insights into its founding. She said, “In 1921, when Mahatma Gandhi visited Lucknow, freedom fighters informed him about the scarcity of food they faced, and he urged women to contribute a pinch of flour each. Earthen pots placed at various locations collected contributions which were used to prepare meals for freedom fighters. Surplus was sold. Freedom fighter Pandit Vishwanath Vajpayee had requested Gandhi to establish a national school for girls.”
