Kamal Ghorui
RAIPUR: In a quiet classroom in Bijapur, far removed from the dense forests that once defined their lives, 85 surrendered Maoists sat down this week to write an exam, most of them for the first time in their lives. For years, these men and women had lived in the shadows of insurgency, cut off from formal education and the rhythms of ordinary life. On Friday, however, they held pens after giving up on weapons, attempting a basic literacy test after completing training under the ‘Ullas Nav Bharat Saksharta Programme’.
“These are individuals who never had the chance to go to school. Now they are learning to read, write and rebuild their lives,” Bijapur SP Jitendra Yadav said.Officials say the shift is as symbolic as it is real, since Bijapur has been one of the worst Maoist-affected districts in the country, it means alot when the reason (Maoists) itself is becoming an example (surrendered cadres). The literacy programme, aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, is part of Chhattisgarh’s broader surrender and rehabilitation policy. Alongside financial assistance and livelihood training, the state has begun focusing on education as a key tool for reintegration.“The results are beginning to show. Before this batch, 272 surrendered Maoist cadres had already completed basic literacy training. Many of them are now leading relatively stable lives, blending back into society as workers, farmers or small entrepreneurs,” SP Yadav said.In training centres across Bijapur, the transformation is visible. Former cadres, some in their 20s, others much older sit through lessons, tracing alphabets, forming words, and slowly gaining confidence. Police officials say the idea is to replace the narrative of violence with one of opportunity.“The aim is to take misguided youth away from the path of violence and put a pen in their hands,” SP said.Bijapur police continue to appeal to those still in the Maoist ranks to surrender, promising support through rehabilitation schemes that now go beyond monetary aid to include education and skill development.In Bastar, where stories have long been shaped by conflict, such scenes of former insurgents writing exams are quietly scripting a different future.
