Children carry bow and arrow to school due to Maoists

01 September, 2012

The act of self defense weighs more on the minds of these people and so they allow their kids to take bows and arrow to schools. The Maoists have made life impossible for them but they are doing their best.

FEARING ATTACKS from rebels locals in East Singbhum, district in Jharkhand, parents are training their children to shoot arrows. The fact that these children carry bow and arrows to school is an indication how difficult survival has become for parents and their children in this region. If the threat from Maoist leads to such desperate survival tactics then surely there is something terribly wrong in our politcal leadership and local law and order machinery.

The terror created by Maoist rebels has become a nightmare for tribal villages in Jharkhand, as detailed in a video by ANI. A tribal who lives in East Singhbum said, “We are very scared as this is a forest area where the Maoists rebels are able to catch children as they are more vulnerable.”

Bows and arrows have been used by the people of these area traditionally but now they are used as weapons on a daily basis. Children from these areas have to walk about 2 kms through dense forest to reach their school and have to remain highly vigilant while passing through the forest. School principle Sunil Kumar Bera also said that they have not kept any reservations on children coming with bows and arrows.

He also adds, “The parents and guardians of the students send them with bows and arrows for their defense, so we cannot stop them from doing so. If we do not allow them to come school with bows and arrows and something happens to them, then we will be answerable. Since the past year the rebels have stepped up their efforts against the government targeting and damaging democratic institution of the nation such as schools, medical centres and government propeties. The Government calls them India's main internal security threat and obstacle to higher growth.