Shiksharth: Brewing Hope Through Education

This blog examines and tells the story of the impact Shiksharth, a non profit organisation working in the Sukma district in Bastar division of Chattisgarh had on students after Salwa Judum movement.

The seven districts in the south of Chattisgarh namely Bastar, Dantewada, Bijapur, Narayanpur, Sukma, Kondagaon, and Kanker make the Bastar division of Chattisgarh. As Naxal conflict has long affected this area, the education level of the students has severely impacted. With this article we aim to bring out how the Salwa Judum affected the education in the Bastar region and the impact Shiksharth is making because of their efforts in the region and how the efforts of Shiksharth has brought changes in the education levels.

Overview Of The Work

Shiksharth aims to address these challenges through initiatives such as local language pedagogies, classroom libraries, menstrual health and hygiene camps, and community engagement programs. The programs designed by Shiksharth provide children with learning environments that respect their cultural context, empower them through health education, and engage the community to create a safer, more supportive ecosystem.

History Of Naxal Movement In The Bastar Region

The Naxalite movement began in 1967 with a violent peasant uprising in Naxalbari, West Bengal. It gradually spread to other parts of India, including the tribal regions of Chattisgarh. The movement started  to fight exploitation, land inequality, and oppression by the state and landlords. In the 1980s, the Maoists (originally from Andhra Pradesh) infiltrated the Bastar region. In 2005 anti-maoist movement named Salwa Judum (meaning peace march in Gondi) started in Bastar division of Chattisgarh. It was most active in the Dantewada, Sukma and Bijapur districts. The state government was supporting it at that time (in 2005) to fight the Maoists.

The state allowed the local young men with the arms, which led to a bloodied uprising. It was nicknamed as ‘state sponsored civil war’.

“Chale gaye, kaafi log chale gaye. Ab kon bacha hai yahaan, mein apne baccha log ke saath Sukma chod di thi, lekin wapas aa gayi kyunki baaki pariwar yahin basta.”

(They are gone, many people are gone. Now who is left here. I along with my kids left Sukma but came back as whole family is here)

Impact Of Salwa Judum On People And Education

The Salwa Judum left many people displace from their home which led to migration or displacement. The families were now living in camps to survive. During Salwa Judum, 300+ schools were destroyed or became inaccessible impacting 20,000 children children in Sukma alone. These destroyed schools were inaccessible for children. They were either occupied by the security forces or shut down completely.

Shutting down of schools disrupted child’s education, in many cases and children had no access to formal education for years. This was not only loss for the child but big log for the society as a whole. Imagine the future possibilities and growth of the community being stopped because the children have stopped getting education. The already distracted youth were now left vulnerable for recruitment as Special Police Officer in exchange of money; 3000 INR per month.

The years of 2005 – 2011 have decided the current state of education in Bastar in many ways. Due to the past conflict in the region, the foundational literacy and numeracy of the children of class 1-5 has been impacted severely. There is lack of teachers, infrastructure and learning content in local language.

The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) shows that foundational literacy and numeracy is major issues across rural Chhattisgarh. Many children struggle with basic reading and arithmetic skills even by the time they reach higher grades. Infrastructure problems, such as limited access to functional schools, insufficient teachers, and disruptions due to Naxal-related violence, further has worsened the learning outcomes. Schools have been targeted in violent conflicts, either destroyed or converted for military use, leading to learning gaps.

Give ASER report of the state of Chattisgarh a read.

Shiksharth’s Intervention

Even with New Education Policy and other favourable government policies rolling out, the impact will take a long time and there was a need for more immediate measures. There was a need for a ‘Positive Childhood Experience’ for the children in conflict region. Looking at that, Shiksharth started an intervention in 2015. Their intervention programs in Sukma and other parts of the Bastar division aim to provide children affected by conflict with ‘Positive Childhood Experiences’ (PCE).

This approach not just aims at enhancing education levels but also emotional well-being, focusing on safety, love, and growth for children navigating adversity. Since 2015 they are working with the government and communities in order to make schools and communities a safe space for positive childhood experience. Their action based research is helping in developing product tailored for the needs of the tribal students.

Need For School Interventions

1. The children in tribal areas understand their local language only which makes it hard for them to grasp the books taught in school. There is always a language barrier between the child and the book. Moreover teachers employed in the government schools do not know the local language to teach the child. In the scenario of language barrier the child’s interest level was felt low, due to which there were high dropouts from the schools.
2. Poverty has forced many families to prioritize labor and household responsibilities over education. Children often drop out to support their families financially.
3. Basic infrastructure like electricity, clean drinking water, and adequate school buildings are often missing.
4. The long-standing conflict between Naxalite insurgents and government forces creates a hostile environment, disrupting school functioning.
5. There are few institutions for higher education or skill development in Bastar. Even if students complete basic schooling, they have limited options for further studies or jobs.
6. Girls face additional challenges like child marriage, early pregnancies, and cultural norms discouraging education for females.
7. While government schemes exist, their implementation is often weak or disrupted by conflict. In such case NGOs play a crucial role. But their reach is limited by security issues and logistical challenges.

How Are They Creating Positive Childhood Experience

1. Classroom Library – Shiksharth in partnership with Pratham is creating classroom libraries. Books are in the tribal language for the students. Since the tribal students generally understand and are speak their local language Shiksharth is building study material and pedagogies for them to enhance their learning levels. This has also seen to spark the interest level among the students of the region.

2. Porta Cabin – These are government schools where Shiksharth’s intervention is to provide safe space for the senior class students. The students from class 6^th -12^th stay in the campus and attain their education inside the campus only. Currently there are 11 Porta Cabins in the Sukma district. There are some regions from where it is difficult to come out easily due to high security forces. Shiksharth has employed local community leaders who are working with the govt school in their region.

3. Menstrual Health And Hygiene Awareness – Community engagement through menstrual health and hygiene camps was necessary to reduce the school dropouts and increase the attendance rate of the girls. Still mensuration is seen as a taboo and shameful thing in tribal area.

Impact So Far

Since its inception in 2015, Shiksharth has reached over 50,000 children in Sukma and neighbouring regions. Their programs have been recognized among the top 10 innovations in public administration by the Government of India. Children have started coming to school because of the safe space created by Shiksharth for them.

1. Children are more enthusiastic about attending school due to interactive teaching methods in their native languages.
2. The introduction of classroom libraries (in local language) has encouraged children to read more.
3. Girls are more comfortable attending school during their menstrual cycles, thanks to health education. With the workshops educating them on how to make their own pads, it is convienent for them to do good hygiene practice.

With the safe spaces being created for the children, now the Porta Cabins are being filled with the children brimming him joy and hopes.

The 11 Porta Cabins are now fully converted into pakka residential schools. They are in the interior part of Bastar region. Flow between these places is not easy due to the check posts and security. Therefore Shiksharth has employed local youth from the community itself to teach the children. These local youths have been trained to interact with the students and provide them safe space. The concept of local youth is empowering the communities which enable them to think beyond the scope of their environment. When a youth from a tribe goes to a school and teach, it gives him an image in the society. The family is happy that their child is doing good work and getting money at home.

Shiksharth’s initiatives have begun to create a positive shift in education for children in Sukma by addressing both academic and social challenges. The focus on local languages, reading, menstrual health, and community engagement has brought hope to children and families affected by conflict.

Conclusion And Way Forward

Shiksharth’s intervention in Sukma and other parts of Bastar has shown how education can be a powerful tool in rebuilding communities affected by conflict. Following the conflict and the adversities of Salwa Judum people are still regaining from the emotional trauma the period inflicted on the society there. Children grew up seeing the violence and continuous conflict. As the older generation heals from the trauma, the younger generation needs to be given safe spaces for their better development.

To heal and support the communities in the Bastar division in long run understanding their pain is crucial. The pain of losing a home or getting displaced can not be healed. Instead of seeing them as marginalised communities who are always in conflict with the government, we need to understand and accept them for who they are. For better education, government should publish the books in their local language and employ teachers who can speak and understand local language.

Women and families needs to be empowered. Tribal women are excellent in craft and agricultural produce activities. Livelihood programs needs to be started to empower them financially. Initiatives around forest-based products, crafts, and sustainable agriculture should be scaled up.

Expanding initiatives like classroom libraries, local-language education, and seasonal hostels is essential to bridge the education gap. Continuous teacher training and better access to learning resources will also improve learning outcomes. Government should include the voices of grassroots, so that the policy level intervention is more human centric.