107 surrendered Maoists appear at IGNOU exam

MALKANGIRI:IN another step forward for social inclusion and economic empowerment of estranged youths, as many as 107 surrendered Maoists appeared at IGNOU term-end examination in Kendriya Vidyalaya centre here on Saturday. On the first day of the examination, they wrote Commerce Paper-1 of the Preparatory Course under sixmonth Bachelors Preparatory Programme (BPP) of the open university. Under the initiative of SP Jagmohan Meena, the district police had launched ‘Mission Education’ to educate the surrendered Maoists and unemployed poor and tribal youths last year.

The objective of the mission was to provide free education to the rebels who had shunned violence and joined the mainstream. The former Maoists who appeared at the examination included hardcore rebel leader Sukdev. As many as 120 tribals including surrendered rebels who did not have formal education nor passed Plus Two were enrolled for the six-month Bachelors Preparatory Programme (BPP) being offered by IGNOU. After completion of the BPP, they will take admission in Bachelors Degree programme, police said. All the expenses for the BPP and Bachelors Degree programme of the surrendered Maoists will be borne by the police. In order to encourage the uneducated tribals, particularly surrendered Left wing extremists, the police also conducted the counselling classes on district police office premises. The SP and his team took classes on the BPP Programme.

A day before the examination, the examinees were called for the last minute revision and briefed about the previous question papers and other information on Friday. Meena has been taking keen interest in bringing the Maoists into the mainstream and thereafter providing free education to them. The efforts of the police yielded results as the surrendered rebel leaders actively took part in the mission to educate and bring themselves into the social fabric.