Sukma (Chhattisgarh) [India], February 12 (HBTV): The sound of children learning alphabets and numbers is echoing through Dorlapara village in Chhattisgarh’s insurgency-affected Sukma district, where a small hut has become a centre of education.
In Dorlapara, located in the Sinabodkel area, a school is currently operating from a simple hut that belongs to the teacher’s brother. The village was once affected by Naxal activity, where insurgents allegedly ran parallel structures. The initiative is being seen as a step towards restoring normalcy through education.
Bastar Range Inspector-General of Police Sunderraj P said that Naxals had destroyed hundreds of schools and ashrams across the Bastar region in the past. He added that after the establishment of security force camps, schools, anganwadis and other basic facilities are being provided to residents.
He said areas that once witnessed IED blasts and gunfire are now hearing school bells, and that visible changes are taking place across Bastar. He added that in coordination with the local administration, more basic facilities will be provided in the coming period.
Sukma Superintendent of Police Kiran Chavan said that after camps were set up in remote areas, facilities such as schools, health services, anganwadis and the public distribution system have begun functioning. He said the school operating in Raiguda is also being attended by children from nearby villages.
According to the SP, a camp was established in Raiguda in December 2024, after which the situation improved significantly. He said that with the implementation of the Niyad Nellanar campaign, residents are now seeking to connect with the government and access public welfare schemes.
Raiguda school teacher Arjun said earlier there was fear due to Naxal presence and children were unable to study.
‘Earlier, people were afraid to move around and there were no facilities. Now the school has opened and children are coming to study, although a proper building has not yet been constructed. Earlier, due to Naxalites, there was a strong atmosphere of fear and children could not study. Now schools are opening at various places in the area and children are attending them. Children believe they will study well and make their parents proud. The government is trying to provide facilities. Roads have been built, schools have been opened and security is being provided. We thank the government,’ he said.
Villager Mandvi Sanvaiya said there was previously no school in the village, but residents wanted their children to be educated and progress in life.
‘Due to Naxalism, children could not study and people from one village could not go to another. Now that a CRPF camp has been set up, we face no problems. We can move freely and there are no restrictions,’ she said.
(ANI)