Malkangiri district police in Odisha has taken up the mantle to educate former Maoists, who were once trained to raise guns against the security forces.
Owing to the efforts and coaching of police officials, 107 surrendered former Maoists of Malkangiri district were now appearing in the examinations for Bachelors Preparatory Course (BPP) of IGNOU this month. Most of them were appearing for the commerce course, which could be a catalyst for their decent livelihood in future.
It was an achievement of the ‘Mission Education’ initiated by Malkangiri police in 2017 with an aim to provide free education to surrendered Maoists and their supporters living in remote pockets of this Maoist infested district. Police officials including Superintendent of Police (SP), Jagmohan Meena had taken active role in the training.
“We had managed to identify and motivate around 120 tribals mostly surrendered Maoists and school drop outs to get enrolled in the six month BPP coaching. All of them had started to realise importance of education in life,” said Malkangiri SP Mr Meena. As all these youths lived in remote pockets of the district, police department made arrangements so that they could come over to Malkangiri town on weekends for regular direct coaching and counselling for the purpose.
Police officials including Mr Meena, took classes for these surrendered Maoists at district police headquarter premises every weekend during past six months to get them prepared for BPP examination. A private tutor was assigned to help out these students and authorities of IGNOU study centre of Malkangiri also extended support.
Out of the 120 students 107 decided to take up the BPP examination of IGNOU in June this year. They included a former hardcore Maoist leader Sukdev, who was involved in Maoist ambush on a motor-launch in Chitrakonda reservoir in June 2008 in which 36 greyhound commandos of Andhra Pradesh were killed.