Naxal violence destroys nearly 260 schools in 5 years: Report

Nearly 260 schools have been destroyed in Naxal violence in Maoist-affected states in the last five years, a Home Ministry report has said.

In another report on violence faced by educational institutions globally, UNESCO has cited various examples of Naxal violence including destruction of 11 schools in Jharkhand and nine schools in Bihar between January and July 2009.

The Home Ministry, in its report, said the highest number of schools hit by Naxal violence was in Chhattisgarh, followed by Jharkhand. While the figure in Chhattisgarh was 131, it was 63 in Jharkhand. 46 schools were destroyed by the Maoists in Bihar between 2006 and November this year.

In 2009, a total of 71 schools were attacked by the Naxals in six Maoist-hit states -- Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Orissa, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. Altogether 59 schools were destroyed by the Naxals in 2006, 43 in 2007, 25 in 2008, 39 in 2010 and 21 in 2011 (till November), it said.

In its worldwide report--Education Under Attack, 2010, UNESCO said that in the whole of 2009, at least 50 schools were attacked in Jharkhand and Bihar as part of Naxals violence.

Maoists also torched the house of a para-teacher in Chowka, Jharkhand, and beat him up, it said.

In April 2009, a boy in Mandar, Jharkhand, was reported to have been tortured for refusing to join the Naxalites' children's brigade. In Bihar, four schools were blown up, the UNESCO said.