Dantewada's Education City is kindling dreams for kids affected by Naxalism

In the last few years, rebels blew up 86 schools and ashrams in the area. The violence left nearly 22,000 children out of school

The thought of the long school break ahead does not bring cheer to 11-year-old Sunil Mandavi, a student at Education City in Chhattisgarh’s restive Dantewada district. He, along with his two younger brothers and two sisters, will remain in hostel during the vacation.

The children do not have a home to go back to. Their parents were killed during the Naxal conflict that the region has come to be identified by. About three years ago, heavily armed left-wing extremists raided the children’s village, Mangnaar, about 100 km from the district headquarters of Dantewada. They dragged Sunil’s father, Sudram, and mother, Sukdi,