Teachers in Jharkhand agitate against Maoist atrocities

Latehar, Jan 18 (ANI): The teaching fraternity in Latehar District of Jharkhand held a sit-in rally to protest the frequent abductions of teachers in the state.

Interacting with mediapersons on Tuesday, teachers said that often abducted teachers are tortured and threatened by Maoists which has created a fear in the mind of the entire teaching fraternity in the region.

"Teachers are often abducted by Maoists in forest areas and brutally beaten, tortured and threatened. Maoists also say that if we tell anything to media or state authorities, they would kill us. We are scared about our existence," said Ramesh Kumar, a primary teacher.

Students who participated in the rally said that such incidents make life miserable for the students as well as the teachers as it disrupts the entire education dissemination process.

"When I came to school today I saw that our classrooms were locked. Our school is close to nearby forest area and Maoists abduct our teachers, making life miserable for us and attempt to disrupt our education," said a student, Ravi Lakda.

The Maoist insurgency has spread into the rural pockets of 20 of India's 28 states. (ANI)