Chhattisgarh: Six years after a Naxal razed school campus in the insurgency-hit Dantewada district; it has been restructured and brought into function by the surrendered Maoists.
On Monday, the school authorities recorded an attendance of 27 students. It should be noted that the primary school was brought down twice in 2008 and 2015 by the Naxals and the guilt-ridden members of the Communist Party of India rebuilt the brick mortar setup and re-instilled life in it, resuming physical classes on Monday.
The students were given a grand welcome as they attended school after nearly one and half years.
The school is located in the forest region in Bhansi, Masapara, about 350km south of Raipur. Dantewada collector Dipak Soni, told reporters,” We restarted the school six years after it was demolished by Naxals. It’s important to note that those who demolished it are the very ones who rebuilt it after surrendering and joining the mainstream. When these Maoists surrendered in July 2020, they were asked what they would like to do. They said with conviction that they wanted to rebuild the same school and earn their first livelihood from the labour.”
Sources report the repair was initiated within two months of the sanction issued by the district administration. The Maoists claim to have realized the value of education and hence have routed to restructure the school.
Maoists continue to hit a symbol of welfare and development while carrying on with their rhetoric about neglect of tribal areas by the state. Over the past few years, Maoists have unleashed attacks on several government and private buildings and infrastructure works pan India so far.