Iconic social entrepreneur Achyuta Samanta, who has taken empowerment of tribals through education as a mission of his life, has come under threat from Maoists, who, ironically, claim to be fighting for the tribal community.
A banner put by the outlawed CPI(Maoist) at Kakiriguma in Koraput district has threatened that Dr Samanta would be punished at a Praja Court if he does not desist from his alleged nexus with police in educating tribal children at his Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) and weakening the Maoist organisation.
The banner was found on the wall of the Kakiriguma KISS branch. “While we are opposing the Government’s policies, you are inviting the Ministers. If you do not stop doing this, you will be punished in Praja Court,” the banner read.
In fact, the KISS, a unique institution of its kind in the world, has as many as 25,000 tribal boys and girls who are educated from KG to PG levels, lodged and given food, all free of cost. By now, several thousands of tribal children have been educated at the KISS and have secured jobs coming to the mainstream of the society.
The expenditure on the KISS is met from the profit from Dr Samanta’s Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) without dependence of funds from any other source, Government or private.
Unperturbed by the Maoist threat, Dr Samanta in his reaction said he would continue his mission for welfare of tribals, who are fond of him so much. He also said many Maoists like him for his efforts to improve tribals’ lots.
Observers felt the Maoist threat to Samanta is a sort of recognition for him for his act of educating tribals on a mass scale which would not force young tribals to join Maoist cadres.