Bharat Durgam
Bijapur, August 30
Aimed to disrupt the academic activities in the interior areas, Maoist rebels killed yet another Shikshadoot (volunteer teacher) in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district last night.
The victim has been identified as Kallu Tati, a 25-year-old resident of Todka village in the Gangalur region of Bijapur district. He was working as a “Shikshadoot” in Nendra village school.
According to police, the rebels abducted him on Friday evening while returning from school and was killed late at night. His body was discovered on Saturday morning. The incident took place in the limits of Gangalur Police Station.
The Shikshadoots are local, often unemployed, youths appointed as temporary teachers to reopen schools in the remote pockets once affected by Maoists violence. They play a crucial role in bringing education to children in conflict zones where regular government teachers are often reluctant to work. The reopening of these schools, many of which had been closed for up to 20 years, is a key initiative by the government.
The Maoists have been systematically targeting Shikshadoots, accusing them of collaborating with the police and government, and obstructing their efforts. This recent killing is part of a series of targeted attacks.
Since schools were reopened, a total of nine Shikshadoots have been killed by the rebels. Of these, five killings have occurred in the Bijapur district, and four in the Sukma district. Police report that over 30 civilians have been killed by Maoists in the Bastar region this year alone.
The latest act of violence highlights the persistent threat faced by educators and civilians in the conflict-ridden Bastar division, and the significant challenges to development and education in the area.
