Zilla parishad member Daneshwari Devi takes a class at Navsrijit Prathmik Vidyalaya in Gidhko. Picture by Amit Kumar

Jhajha (Jamui), Oct. 19: Maoists back to the mainstream of the society in Jamui have not only picked up agriculture as livelihood but also influenced other villagers to emulate.

Residents of Gidhko, a sleepy village located in an inaccessible terrain 6km from the Jhajha block headquarters, were elated after Navsrijit Prathmik Vidya- laya (government primary school) in the village recently reopened and some students (nearly 200 were enrolled in the school earlier) have started attending regular classes.

“The school had been closed for over a year because of absence of teachers. We complained to higher officials concerned several times. But since the village is located in an inaccessible place, teachers preferred to stay away fearing rebel attack,” said Ashok Yadav, a resident of Gidhko.

“We were very worried about the future of the village children because not a single officer concerned was ready to take any step to open the school. We approached Daneshwari Devi, a resident of Barajor village and a local zilla parisad member,” said Nandkishor Mandal, a villager.

Dhaneshwari took the challenge, reopened the school and started tak-ing classes regularly, villag-ers said.

“When the villagers came to me and complained about the absentee teachers, instead of indulging in protests, I decided to take classes. Look, in such a system, you simply cannot depend on the government or its agencies for every problem. You have to take initiative to solve your problems,” Dhaneshwari said.

“Many Maoists now have changed their lifestyle and started making efforts to earn a living,” said Arun Bohra, a social activist at Jhajha.

A former Maoist, Rajesh Yadav, alias Nelam of Rangakurdh hamlet under Jhajha block, who surrendered three years ago, has now become a farmer.

“This time, I expect a bumper paddy harvest because of my hard labour,” Yadav claimed.

Similarly, another former Maoist, Narayan Yadav of Baijala hamlet, said: “I was distanced from the society as well as from my family. Thank god, I ma-naged to return to the mainstream.”

Rajesh or Narayan are not the sole instances. Many like Surendar Yadav and Bajrangi Sha, who quit the rebel outfit with six others, now enjoy life putting in hard labour.

Jamui superintendent of police Ramnarayan Singh was not available for comment but a senior police officer, on condition of anonymity, appreciated the changing scenario.

“Those who surrendered under the government’s policy would be protected as well as guided by the district administration. But the success of such a mission depends only on the character of the surrendered persons. I feel proud that most of them have been engaged in hard work and are rewriting their future on their own,” the police officer said.