Students left in lurch as Naxalites force school closure in Bastar

Bastar, Chhattisgarh, Aug 27 (UNI) More than 3000 students of Naxalite infested south Bastar district have been left in the lurch with scores of schools lying closed following the Maoist rebels' "Directive" against functioning of these schools in the rural areas.

The situation has turned worse after the rebels had so far blasted at least 50 buildings of ashram schools and other buildings, located in the villages, as the Maoists feel the security forces were using these schools as their camps during the anti-Naxalite operations.

Dantewada district's Assistant Commissioner (Tribal Welfare) Srikant Dubey told UNI that the Maoists had blasted more than 50 buildings of ashram and other schools in the remote villages of Konta, Bhairamgarh, Bijapur and Usrur development blocks and 108 schools were closed following threat from the rebels, affecting the fate of more than 3000 students.

He said the administration had made efforts to re-open the schools in these villages but the parents and other villages did not cooperate, saying the Maoists had cautioned them against reopening of these schools. Subsequently, it was proposed to accommodate the students in other schools in nearby villages but the parents were not ready to send their children to any other village, he added.

Mr Dubey said arrangements were in place for education of children of more than 50,000 people, who had taken shelter in 17 government run relief camps after their deserting their native villages following Naxalite threat, by setting up ashram schools close to these camps. The police and para-military forces heavily guard these camps and the nearby schools.

Meanwhile the Maoists, using explosives, had demolished 32 ashram school buildings in the remote areas of Narayanpur tehsil during the last one-and-a-half month, putting the fate of hundreds of students in jeopardy.

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