CRPF camp triggers Red attack fear

BOKARO: The future of about 700 students and 15 teachers of Harijan Adivasi High School has once again caught between devil and deep sea after security men took shelter in it while conducting anti-naxal search operation in the area. The school is situated at around 70 kilometers from district headquarter in deep interior Tiskopi under Chatro Chatti panchayat of Maoist prone Gomia Block,
Fear looms large on teachers and villagers whose wards are studying in the school situated in red zone.They believe that Maoists would again blast the building as they had destroyed it on 2009, December, 18 only because securitymen had taken shelter in it then also. The school is the only High School run privately by local village committee in 30 kilometers radius of the area.
Girl and boy students from seven panchayats comprising about 30 villages came to study here, with no other High School nearby. A villager said that this school is running since 1986 with contribution and donations of villagers of the area. However, the school is closed since July, 27 after securitymen put their camp while conducting anti-naxal search operation in jungles of Jhumra.
The operation is being conducted by police jointly with para-military forces to nab Maoist squad of zonal commander Mithlesh Singh alias Duryodhan Mahto who torched 24 trucks in Khasmahal of Bermo on July, 24. Headmaster of the school, Sanjay Kumar Mahto said that they were passing through very difficult situations.
“We have closed the school under compulsion because securitymen are camping here. This has affected studies of children as their first terminal is scheduled to be conducted from August, 4. Moreover we are afraid of Maoists, who are threatening us to be ready to face their wrath for giving school to men-in-khakis to camp,” said Mahto.
The school authorities, teachers and villagers have sent a letter to Governor, chief minister and senior police officials requesting to remove the camp soon. They have mentioned in the letter that Maoists are threatening them to blast the building again as they have damaged the school in 2009 after securitymen had camped in it.
“We are in helpless state. Earlier when Maoists had blasted 10 rooms of the building, we got no financial help from government for reconstruction. Then residents of more than 20 villages collected donations and again constructed the building for better future of the children. Besides two rooms each are donated by MLA, Madhavlal Singh and Damodar Valley Corporation, in which school is running presently,” said Headmaster.
Now the villagers are again frightened, thinking that if Maoists damage the school how they will construct the building. Of the 700 students, more than 350 are girls who come from Jhumra, Baltharwa, Hurlung and other remote villages walking several kilometers. What will be their future.
“The people of the area still remember that winter night in 2009 when after securitymen left the school, the Maoists came at 11 pm and triggered seven blasts in series resulting to 10 rooms building demolished. Important documents, certificates of students and others where destroyed in the blasts. The waves of blasts were so powerful that it strike fears among residents in villages upto 3 kilometers. Maoists also left posters then mentioning that they had blasted the school in a revenge from them for giving school building to police. We don’t want the incident got repeated again,” said Mahto.
Few days ago, Maoists have blown a panchayat Bhawan in Pachmo of the area only because securitymen used to camp in it four months ago. DIG, Koylanchal, Shambhu Thakur has his own genuine justification over plea of the villagers. He said that security forces are in jungles in this rainy season only to nab the ultras and restore peace in the area. “The securitymen are spending day and night only in jungles for safety and security of people. Once the Maoists will be nabbed who will blew the building. The villagers should understand and cooperate police in arresting the naxals which is the only permanent solution to the problem,” said Thakur.