Bijapur: Maoists have brutally executed two education volunteers (Shikshadoot) in separate incidents in violence-ridden Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh.
Reports suggest that armed member of the unlawful group barged into Pailur village and abducted Vinod Made, a Shikshadoot on late night of July 14. Made was forcibly taken to nearby forest and executed.
In a similar incident reported from Tekameta village under the jurisdiction of Farsegarh police station, another educator was picked up and killed by Maoists. The deceased has been identified as Suresh Metta.
It is being speculated that both the government-appointed Shikshadoots were killed for alleged espionage activities, a charge often labelled by Maoists against the civilians executed by them.
The killings underscore the grave security threat posed by the Maoists to the civilian population, residing in areas infested by red terror.
This is not the only time when Maoists have targeted and executed Shikshadoots in Bastar and similar killings had also taken place on previous occasions, leaving the residents terrified.
The brutal murder of educators follows an IED explosion near Dhangol village under the jurisdiction of Maded police station on July 14, injuring three civilians including a 16-year-old minor girl.
The explosion occurred when the villagers were on their way to collect mushrooms from the nearby forest area and accidently came in contact with the IED planted by Maoists, resulting in injuries to them. The injured villagers were evacuated and rushed to Bijapur for treatment.
The troubling developments have unfolded amidst security forces gaining significant grounds in the ongoing fight against red terror in Bastar.
Operations launched in insurgency-hit pockets of the state in recent years have resulted in neutralization of hundreds of Naxals, including key members of Maoist’s central committee.
Maoists admit loss of 357 cadres
In a booklet released this week, the outlawed CPI (Maoist) has admitted about suffering heavy losses including loss of 4 of its central committee members in separate gun battles with security forces.
The Maoist group in the press note has admitted about losing 357 cadres of the group including 4 central committee members and 15 state committee members in last one year.
As per the release, 281 members of Dandkaranya region were killed in last one year. While the extremists have suffered loss of 23 cadres in Telangana, 20 in Odisha, 14 in Bihar-Jharkhand and 10 in other regions. The ultras in the note have also announced to celebrate their annual martyred week from July 28 to August 3.
The Union Government has announced a deadline to end Maoist-insurgency from the country by March 2026.
