She says: 'The army is providing us such good quality education here that I have no doubt I'll be able to compete and become a doctor, which is my aim in life.'

Parveen Akhtar's husband was killed by militants. Now her child studies in the school. 'When my husband was killed, I had no money at all. So I was scared about the future of my children. The army came forward to provide education to my children; otherwise there would have been no hope for them.'

Parveen gets Rs.3,000 monthly besides free education and books for her children.

Sharifa's only son is also studying in this school. 'I was very scared about the future of my son as militants intimidate such children and lure them into their cadres. He would either have to become a labourer or would have become a militant had the army not provided help for his studies.'

She recounts over a dozen incidents where militants had taken away boys to become militants. 'They trap boys by giving money and take them to Pakistan for training as militants. Then their lives are destroyed, and so are the lives of their families.'

Such schools provide employment too. Salma's husband was killed in a militancy-related incident. 'I am working as a teacher in junior classes in this school. Besides, my son is getting free education.'

(Binoo Joshi can be contacted at binoo.j@ians.in)