26 schools reopened after 14-yr wait

RAIPUR:The Chhattisgarh government has over the last month reopened 26 schools that were shut for 14 years because of Maoist violence in the Bastar region’s Bijapur district, state government officials said on Thursday.

The schools were among over 300 that were closed down in the district amid an escalation in violence, according to the state education department records. In August, eight schools were reopened in the neighbouring Sukma district.

The violence in Bijapur peaked in 2007 when 155 people, including 98 security forces personnel, were killed in 51 incidents of violence, according to data maintained by the South Asia Terrorism Portal. The number of fatalities so far this year is down to 20.

Maoist rebels had called for a boycott of government operations in the Bastar region after clashes with the state-sponsored Salwa Judum militia, which was disbanded on Supreme Court orders in 2011.

Officials said the local administration reopened the schools with the help of local tribespeople after Maoist violence in the region waned, adding that 700 students have so far enrolled there.

“We have taken this initiative [of reopening schools] to connect extremely sensitive and far-flung villages with the mainstream through education. The revival of schools has been done with the support of villagers in the extremely sensitive areas and to provide proper education facilities to the children,” said Bijapur district collector K D Kunjam.

Kunjam added that slates, textbooks, notebooks, and midday meals were being provided in these schools.

“Before starting classes at these schools, discussions with villagers were held and they were informed about the importance of education. A survey of children was done and local unemployed people were offered teaching jobs.”

The district administration has also appointed local residents as shiksha doots (teachers), who are given an honorarium of ~10,000 monthly from the District Mineral Fund, which mining companies in the region contribute to for its socio-economic development.

Suresh Kursam, a shiksha doot, said children and their parents were excited about the reopening of a school. “The school was shut in 2007 and since then, most of the kids of this village were not studying.”

The literacy rate in Chhattisgarh’s urban areas—80.27%— was higher than the national average of 74.04 as per the 2011 census.