Chhattisgarh Police have intensified their campaign against Maoists in Bastar by opening a new front, a “perception war” aimed at countering insurgent propaganda and exposing the rebels’ resistance to education in tribal areas.

Following major security successes that weakened Maoist strongholds, police are now seeking to win the battle of narratives, highlighting how the insurgents have increasingly turned to targeting civilians, particularly para-teachers known as Shiksha Doots, in a bid to stall social progress.

In recent months, Maoists have killed nine Shiksha Doots in Bijapur and Sukma districts, accusing them of being police informers. Among the most recent victims were Kallu Tati in Bijapur’s Gangloor and Laxman Barse in Sukma’s Silger village, both slain within a span of three days. Police argue that these attacks are part of a deliberate strategy to obstruct the reopening of schools in remote villages, which rebels perceive as a threat to their control over local communities.

To counter this, Sukma Police have released social media content, including memes, illustrating what they describe as the “real face” of Maoists. One graphic stated that for Maoists, “the biggest enemy is not the gun, but the book,” underscoring their fear of educated tribal youth rejecting insurgency.

Sukma Superintendent of Police Kiran Chavan stressed that education is the biggest challenge to extremist ideology. “Where education stops, development also halts. Maoists want this darkness to continue because their greatest fear is that literate children will refuse to walk the path of violence,” he said, urging parents to send their children to school despite threats.

Security forces have recently achieved a series of operational gains, eliminating several senior Maoist leaders and recovering arms and explosives. Officials believe these setbacks have pushed insurgents to lash out at civilians as a way to instill fear and reassert influence.

With security operations continuing to degrade Maoist fighting capacity, the state’s focus on education and social awareness marks a decisive shift in strategy. By countering violence with both force and ideas, authorities aim to deny insurgents the space to influence young minds. In Bastar, where the struggle is as much about the future of classrooms as it is about control of forests, the state’s renewed outreach could prove pivotal in steering the next generation away from extremism and towards opportunity.

UNI SSR GNK