In the remote Maoist-hit districts of Chhattisgarh, the fight for education has become a battle for survival. The state’s shikshadoots—temporary teachers hired to revive schools in conflict zones—are caught in a deadly tug of war. For them, stepping into a classroom often feels like stepping into a war zone.
Earlier this week, 25-year-old Shikshadoot Kallu Tati was brutally killed by Maoists in Bijapur’s Lendra village. Accused of being a “mukbir” (police informer), he became the sixth temporary teacher murdered this year, and the eighth since mid-2023. His death has amplified the fears of hundreds of others like him, who live under constant suspicion, questioned by both Maoists and security forces.
Trapped Between Maoists and Police
“We are always under the scanner,” said a young teacher, requesting anonymity. “Maoists check our phones, interrogate us, and threaten us. And when we return from work, the police also question us. We are treated with suspicion by everyone.”
The pressure is immense. Gambir Telam, a union leader with a BA degree, voices the cruel choice: continue teaching and risk being killed, or quit and face poverty. Many teachers, he says, have already abandoned their jobs.
Why Maoists Target Teachers
According to Bastar Range Inspector General of Police Sundarraj P, the killings are part of a deliberate strategy. “Maoists don’t want the children of Bastar to be educated. They fear that an aware and educated society would reject their outdated, violent ideology.”
Officials admit that the growing distrust runs deep. “After suffering heavy casualties, Maoists have stopped conducting public hearings and now suspect everyone,” said a senior officer.
The Shikshadoot Scheme
The shikshadoot (literally, “education messenger”) scheme was launched in 2018 to fill vacancies and reopen schools shut down due to Maoist violence. Candidates need to have passed Class 12, and are paid Rs 12,000 a month from District Mineral Foundation (DMF) funds. Recruitment is done through Gram Panchayats, with attendance verified by the administration.
Since its inception, around 400 shikshadoots have been hired across Sukma and Bijapur. But with the rising threat to their lives, their job is proving more dangerous than most frontline professions.
Murders and Resistance
The formation of the Chhattisgarh Local Shikshadoot Welfare Association in 2023 was a response to these killings. In a recent video statement, its Sukma unit demanded answers from the Maoists: “Why are you targeting teachers? If you have evidence that we are working for the police, show it instead of killing us.”
Of the eight murdered since June 2023, six were from Sukma and Bijapur, and one each from Dantewada and Narayanpur.
One teacher recalled the death of his friend, Suresh Meta, murdered on July 15 this year in Bijapur’s Tekameta village. “Suresh once told me Maoists had threatened him. I asked him to leave his job and take up farming. But he refused, saying children needed education. This July, he was killed along with another teacher.”
Teachers Demand Protection and Security
The community of shikshadoots is now pressing for urgent government intervention. Their demands are clear: regularisation of jobs, higher pay, and adequate compensation for families of those killed.
“The government should either make us permanent or increase our salary to Rs 20,000. If a teacher is murdered, the family must receive Rs 50 lakh and a government job under compassionate grounds,” said Kamlesh Dodi from Bijapur.
For now, the blackboard in Bastar remains stained by fear, where every lesson taught is shadowed by the risk of death.
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