indeed very sad. adivasi children are normally most happy go lucky and it is a pity that they should be losing their childhood to this civil war in their homeland between two sets of ideologies that ultimately hold nothing for their future.
Rahul Banerjee
74,Krishnodayanagar
,Khandwa naka,Indore,Madhya Pradesh, India-452001
Cell no: +919926791773
webpage: http://rahulbanerjee.notlong.com
blog: http://anar-kali.blogspot.com
--- On Tue, 20/1/09, sri venkat <ahvenkitesh@gmail.com> wrote:
From: sri venkat <ahvenkitesh@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [chhattisgarh-net] Chhattisgarh Maoists recruiting minor girls: Police
To: chhattisgarh-n...@yahoogroups.com
Date: Tuesday, 20 January, 2009, 4:23 AM
Here is a human rights report
http://www.rediff. com/news/ 2008/sep/ 05naxal.htm
Naxalites in this region have recruited and used children for more
than a decade. They deploy children to gather intelligence, for sentry
duty, to make and plant landmines and bombs, and to engage in
hostilities against government forces.
They organise children between ages six and 12 into bal sangams
(children's associations) , indoctrinating, training, and using them as
informers. Typically, children above the age of 12 are recruited into
other Naxalite ranks and trained in the use of rifles, landmines, and
improvised explosive devices.
Children in Naxalite dalams (armed guerrilla squads) are involved in
armed exchanges with government security forces. Even those children
who are not part of dalams are at high risk, as evidenced by an SPO
who said he was instructed to open fire on a group of children,
believing them to be a Naxalite street theater troupe.
Children who desert Naxalite ranks and surrender to the police seeking
protection find themselves in a vicious cycle. Not only are they
subject to brutal reprisals by Naxalites, but they may be re-recruited
as informers or SPOs by the Chhattisgarh police, under the garb of
"rehabilitation for surrendered Naxalites."
The conflict in Chhattisgarh has also severely impaired children's
access to education. Once Salwa Judum began its operations in
mid-2005, many children stopped attending school for fear of
abduction. The Naxalites have destroyed many schools, ostensibly to
prevent their use for military or Salwa Judum operations.
Extracts from accounts:
"I joined the military dalam when I was 13 or 14 years old. I was
studying in an ashram school (government- run residential school) in
the eighth standard when Naxalites came to my hostel. I didn't want to
go. They said I could study until the 10th standard, but I should go
with them. We got weapons training, learnt about landmines, and a
little karate. Finally, I had an opportunity to run away. One year
after I ran away, both my younger brothers (age 8 and 12) were killed
by the Naxalites in retaliation. They beat my mother and broke her
arm. They burned our house and took all our things."
-- Former child dalam (armed Naxalite guerrilla squad) member, December 2007.
