Window for better life in red bastion

Soni Rashmi, a final year engineering student from National Institute of Technology (NIT), Sikkim, still shivers while recalling how Maoists blew up her house in Gaya's Dumaria block in Bihar when she was barely 13 years old.

One late evening in 2009, armed Maoists raided her nondescript village called Barwadih in Dumaria, around 85 km west of Gaya and 190 km from the state capital.

After heavy gunshot firing, the guerrillas blew up several houses in the hamlet, including that of Soni's ancestors.

But the mayhem unleashed by rebels did not deter her from pursuing her higher studies. Today, Soni is about to complete her engineering from NIT and plans to appear for civil services examination. Her aim is to work in the state, which has been long hit by the Maoist menace.

But then Soni is not alone from the Left wing extremism-hit district who has fought all the odds and written a new chapter.

Ashwini Kumar Gunjan from the trouble-torn district Gaya is another role model for others. His uncle Sandeep Yadav is one of the top-notch leaders of the left-wing extremism.

Sandeep Yadav is an accused in the Dumrinala encounter on Gaya-Aurangabad road in 2016, which claimed the lives of six CRPF men.

But students like Ashwini do not want to even remotely identify with the underground guerrilla leader nor want to talk about his family background. He, along with his father Bindeshwari Prasad Mandal (who dropped the surname Yadav so as not to be identified with the Maoist leader's family), left the Lutua village in Banke Bazar.

"Fearing social ostracism, they dropped the surname, shifted to Gaya, got Ashwini groomed at Magadh Super 30 in Gaya, which, in turn, helped the boy crack engineering examination," says Pankaj Kumar, coordinator of Magadh Super 30, an institute, which gives free coaching, food and lodging to students most of whom are from the Maoist-belt.

"Today, Ashwini is pursuing engineering from NIT, Jamshedpur, while one of our former students Soni Rashmi is in NIT, Sikkim," he adds. "Sonu Gupta of Imamganj and Mukul Anand of Warsaliganj are pursuing engineering from IIT, Delhi, while Gaurav Gupta of Sherghati after completing his B Tech, is presently doing his MBA from one of the IIMs," says Pankaj, listing the names of students from Maoist-belt who studied in Magadh Super 30, and qualified for IITs and NITs.

Ever since it was launched in Gaya on August 15, 2008, the Magadh Super 30 has helped 29 students crack the prestigious IIT examinations, while 40 students have made it to the NIT.

"Basically, Magadh Super 30 is the brain child of retired IPS officer Abhayanand, who served Bihar as DGP. We started this institute in 2008 with 12 students. But since 2012, we have been regularly coaching 30 students for engineering examinations," Pankaj told DH.

"It's a gurukul type of environment here, where students are not allowed to use mobile phones or televisions or air conditioners. In the initial days, some of the students left us mid-way as they could not cope without the present day luxuries. But we have not changed our rules," says Pankaj.

"The admission is on the basis of a written test which is sort of screening process to assess the proficiency of the student in physics, chemistry and mathematics. Besides, the interview is conducted by Abhayanand.

Once admitted, there is intensive coaching for about two years where 350 mock tests are conducted, which essentially means a test/exam every alternate day. Abhayanand occasionally takes classes in physics," said Pankaj.

The institute does not get any government aid. But public donations are accepted. "This institute collects nothing from the students. The accommodation, food, teaching are all free of charge. Our motto is: 'Samaj ke liye, Samaj ke dwara' (For society, by society). Good Samaritans provide us financial assistance and all such donations are put to social audit," said the coordinator, thanking industrialists like Dalmiyas and trade organisations like Central Bihar Chamber of Commerce for the financial aid.

Abhayanand, who retired in 2015, felt that opening an coaching institute in Gaya was all the more necessary as this area in Magadh division was afflicted with Maoist menace till a few years back.

"The situation in the area was quite bleak. The violence unleashed by Maoists had cast a long shadow. Therefore, I decided that I should devote my energy in an area where an atmosphere of fear pervaded," said the former DGP, dwelling at length why he chose to groom students in Magadh division.

Social scientist Ajay Kumar, who hails from Gaya, says the move of the ex-DGP is praiseworthy as the entire stretch from Gaya to Aurangabad had remained in the news only as a fiefdom of Maoists. "What better service it could be if students from these backward areas, dominated by Maoists, are being groomed to produce good results and turn into IITians and NITians," says Ajay Kumar.

To buttress his point, the social thinker cites the case of Maoists who till a few years back would brainwash the children of Magadh region with Maoist literature and ideology, create 'Baal
dasta' (child brigade) and promise their parents Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000 per child per month as remuneration.

"The children, armed and trained by People's Liberation Guerrilla Army, an outfit of CPI (Maoists), then carried out their task like any other professional ," he said. "However, all these are now passe. These students, who are now IITians and NITians, are the new role models for such children residing in this part of the Maoist-belt. And they have realised that the real power does not flow from the barrel of the gun. It's the pen which is mightier than the sword," the social scientist hastens to add.