Can education be the light for the Bastar Village youngsters?

With the decrease in Maoist insurgency and the lessening impact of Covid-19, villagers can now focus on the education of youngsters. With continuous help from the government, various NGOs and the Shiksha Doots, learning has opened its door to the children of Bastar.

students happy to resume school; source: tatsatchronicle.com

When the Maoist attacks increased, there was continuous gun firing and bombing at places. Schools and houses were set on fire. Life of the villagers became miserable. Every day, they slept at night praying for their lives. In the morning, when they woke up and found that they are still alive, they were overjoyed. But this fear itself gave them courage and every day was a new hope for them. The hope of freeing themselves from the Maoists.

Salwa Judum is a movement of the locals in Bastar, aided by the government. It was against the Maoists. In this fight, people lost their lives and terror could be seen on everyone's face.

Even on these days classes continued. Verandahs, shades of mango and tamarind trees, or the courtyards of someone's house were borrowed to take classes. With the help of the Shiksha Doots, government teachers and the Porta Cabins education somehow continued.

Now, who are these Shiksha Doots and what are these Porta Cabins? Shiksha Doots means education messengers. Who are they? They are none other than the villagers themselves, the youths who were educated and unemployed and knew the local dialect. They volunteered as messengers of education. The Porta Cabins are schools built with materials like bamboo and plywood as they can be rebuilt easily. These were residential schools far away from insecurity and fear. Children are encouraged to innovate, solve problems in their day-to-day life and prepare them for employment. They are also taught vocational skills. Away from fear and violence, children are kept safe and are well-armored to face challenges in life. This method of providing education has improved attendance in classes and parents are also eager to send their children to schools. The goal of The right to Education Act and education for all seem to be getting fulfilled.

The pandemic, Covid-19 has brought many changes in each and every one's life. Be it young or old. Even nature and animals are not spared. Schools are one of the most affected. With the lessening effects of the Coronavirus, life in Bastar is also trying to come to normalcy. But it's not only the pandemic, the other main reason for the closure of schools is the Maoist violence. Slowly and steadily in a few years, education has become important for the development of children.

Bastar is a district of Chattisgarh state. Due to its rich tribal culture and beautiful forests and hills, it is called the state's cultural capital. They worship the goddess Danteshwari and to a surprise, there are more than 4tribes that reside harmoniously in Bastar village. Dance, art, handicraft, and a unique cultural bind together and promote the rich culture of Bastar. Their livelihood mainly depends on the cultivation and selling of forest produce.

People of Bastar think that all these years the government has not done enough for education. With no proper infrastructure, it was challenging for the children and the teachers to continue school. Walking long distances to schools through forests and rough roads have decreased children's participation. The school building has not been renovated for years, and some of them are in such bad condition that someday the ceiling might fall or due to forests around, snakes and other creepers can enter the school, which will be dangerous for the children. One such incident occurred when a child at school was bit by a snake. People started sending their kids to ashram schools. These are residential schools. The teachers say it is very difficult to cross the forest and the kaccha and uneven roads every day and reach school. Somedays, they even have to face the Maoists or the Naxalites. Girls drop off from school when they become teenagers. Since there is no security at school and on their way to school and back home. Boys also have very low attendance, as they go to neighboring places in search of a decent job and where life is secured.

Bastar was a hotbed for the Maoists. But why and what did these Maoists want? That is a part that can be discussed later.

Bastar has very poor literacy, the Maoists used this as their golden chance to convince the villagers to join them, and if not, then they have to risk their lives. Not a single villager can help the government in any way. The Maoists want people to be under them and they think whatever they are doing is right. They do not want any development in Bastar. On the other hand, the Naxals are better than the Maoists. They do not force anyone. They can even become friends with people they think are right and are doing good to Bastar.

Education is for all......; image source: https://www.sundayguardianlive.com

The power of education showed the villagers a way to untangle themselves from the chains of Maoists. With more and more children getting an education and finding jobs, Bastar is trying to come back to normalcy. The government is continuously providing help for the education and security of the villagers in Bastar. Trying to connect it with the mainstream.

Empty roads of Bastar.jpg ; image source: https://openthemagazine.com