Pochpani Village in Jharkhand is situated in the Dumka District and is a small village om the border of West Bengal and Jharkhand. Till this news came in, it was a small unknown village, far away from the world of technology and growth.
As per latest news, children of this village carry bows and arrows to defend themselves from Maoists, who stop them from attending school.
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Primarily an agricultural village, it is awaits Industrial development to reach its doorsteps. Education, drinking water, road and electricity are the main concern of this village, apart from the shadows of the Maoists.
Around 80 km from Jharkhand’s main industrial town of Jamshedpur, the children here carry sets of bows and arrows to defend themselves in case they encounter Maoists on their way to school. Locals say Maoists hamper development in the area.
Ram Chandra Mardy, a local, said children have taken up bows and arrows to fight Maoists. “If we get afraid of them now, they will try to scare us more,” he says.
Unfortunately, due to the high Maoist activity in this region, there are no schools here. The children have to walk a considerable distance to reach a school, and since there are no roads here either, they have to pass through a jungle.
It is here that the scare goes up. The kids and adults move in groups with their weapons.
“Some unidentified people have been seen in the jungle. They make gestures and call us. But as we move in groups and carry bows-and-arrows, they don’t dare to come close,” said Budhu Sabar, a Pochpani resident.
“These people are not from here. They speak in an alien language. We are afraid of them, and because of that, we carry bows and arrows to the school,” Kala Sabar, a village student said.
(With inputs from agencies)