In Mardapal area of Kondagaon district under violence-hit Bastar region, Maoist insurgents have allegedly issued diktat to close down two dozen schools and threatened to kill teachers if they continued teaching the students. In view of the threat teachers are now not dare entering the villages leading to a complete crash of teaching activities in dozens of schools located in internal parts of the district for the last three days.
According to sources, the Rebels belonging to Kudur Dalam have asked to shut down more than two dozen primary and middle schools in villages like Kudur, Tumadiwal, Becha, Chilam, Kodoli, Amlidhar, Kodenar, Adnar and others bordering Bastar district warning the teachers of these rural schools that if they lifted the chalk for writing their hands will be chopped off.
Due to the threat not only teachers are avoiding even entering the villages where these schools are located but also shying away from lodging any report with the police fearing Maoist reprisal. Sources claimed that at least 23 primary and middle schools have succumbed to the Maoist diktat as guardians have stopped sending their wards to schools. These hamlets are highly infested with insurgency as only a week ago a village Sarpanch was killed and his deputy was abducted who was later freed by the ultras.
According to [people closely watching Naxal activities, the Maoists have perhaps taken the step to create hurdle positioning of large number of paramilitary jawans who are due to reach state in view of the ensuing Assembly poll scheduled on October 11 in Bastar areas. According to them due to lock out in schools, not only poll work will be affected but security forces to be deployed in Bastar areas during the poll would also have difficulty in searching a shelter for themselves. This is the reason the Maoists have resorted to propaganda war, sources claimed. Meanwhile, Additional Commissioner, Tribal Development Department, Pragyan Seth denied having received any complaint about the Maoists’ diktat for shutting down schools. After getting verified the incident, he would talk with the district collector on the issue, Seth added.