Bastar, Chhattisgarh – In a significant shift within the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh, children previously educated in schools run by the banned CPI (Maoist) are now integrating into state-administered education. This transition marks a new chapter as government efforts to counter insurgency lead to the takeover and establishment of educational infrastructure in remote areas.

At a former girls’ residential school in Dunga, Narayanpur district, more than 100 students are currently enrolled. Sixty-three of these children, who until recently attended a Maoist-operated school in nearby Ambapara, were relocated to the Dunga campus last month. Teachers at Dunga are assessing the students' abilities and placing them in appropriate grades, deliberately avoiding questions about their past curriculum to facilitate their adjustment. Anju Dhrew, a teacher at the Dunga campus, emphasized the focus on moving forward, stating that students are encouraged to quickly forget their previous lessons.

The Chhattisgarh government is actively constructing a new school in Rekawaya, situated between Dunga and Ambapara, with plans to eventually house all students from the former Maoist school. Two teachers, Anju Dhrew and Arti Kujur, originally recruited by the state for the Ambapara school in 2023, are now temporarily based in Dunga due to ongoing examinations and the challenging 100 km commute from their rented accommodation in Orchha, despite a 20 km aerial distance.

For years, the CPI (Maoist) operated an estimated 12 to 15 schools in the remote Abujhmad region and the Sukma-Bijapur belt. Vivekanand, Additional Director General of Police for anti-Naxal operations in Chhattisgarh, suggested these institutions served as "breeding grounds" for recruitment and subtly indoctrinated young children, even when using government textbooks for basic literacy. However, other accounts, including those from former central committee member T. Vasudeva Rao (alias Rupesh), who is slated to join the mainstream in October 2025, claimed that the primary syllabus was largely identical to state schools, with ideological lessons reserved for cadres in mobile schools. Gaurav Rai, Superintendent of Police for Dantewada, corroborated that primary schools focused on basic literacy, often in the Gondi language.

Since late last year, police indicate that no Maoist schools remain operational, with all affected students redirected to government institutions. The government has also commenced reopening schools that had been shut for years, with 35 schools in Bijapur, Sukma, and Narayanpur districts resuming operations in 2024-25. This resurgence follows decades where Maoists frequently destroyed school buildings to prevent their use by security forces.

The receding insurgency is also evident in the demolition of over a hundred Maoist memorial pillars across the Bastar division in the past two years. Madharam Netam, deputy sarpanch of Dunga village, noted that Maoists have largely deserted the Ambapara area, with many having surrendered, including a prominent leader, Papa Rao, earlier this week. The Ambapara school, known as Bhumkal School, now stands deserted, though blue flags of Chandrashekhar Azad's Bhim Army were observed, indicating potential discussions about future educational initiatives.

Navigating the region remains challenging due to mountainous terrain and limited infrastructure. The 30 km stretch between Fundri and Ambapara, for instance, requires crossing three streams without bridges, making travel difficult even for security personnel. Despite these obstacles, the shift of children from insurgent-controlled education to mainstream schooling signals a changing power dynamic and an ongoing effort to stabilize and develop education in Bastar.