RAIPUR: The recent incidents of abduction of educated youth by Maoists in south Chhattisgarh has led to the belief that the rebels now perhaps consider them a new threat to their "banned organisation".
Two students, during the last five days, were kidnapped by Naxals in one of the worst Maoist-affected district of Sukma, about 400 km south of Raipur.
In one instance, the rebels bowed to the students' protest exhibited through their rallies and released the Class 12 student Podium Mukesh.
In another shocking incident, the Maoists forcibly took a college student away from his home and later killed him.
According to the Sukma police the boy Kunjami Shankar (19), had gone to his village Kundapal and was reported missing. His body, lying in a pool of blood, was later traced inside the jungle by the villagers who reported it to the police.
Shankar was reportedly abducted by armed Red Brigade and was hacked to death at Kundapal. The police believed he was killed merely on suspicion of being an informer.
"It appears the Naxals, who are on the backfoot owing to aggression and remarkable success accomplished by the security forces are now perceiving the educated youths as their enemy. The cowardly act exposed the Naxals on how they are opposed to education in the region. Targeting the educated youth reveal their mindset. It's ridiculous to even presume a college student as a police informer", the Deputy Inspector General of Police in Bastar, Ratanlal Dangi told the TNIE.