(a) whether the Government has received any complaints with regard to
exploitation of tribals owing to the high influence of naxals in tribal areas;
(b) if so, the details thereof, State/UTwise; and
(c) the steps taken by the Government to check naxal influence on the tribals and provide security to them?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS
(SHRI R.P.N. SINGH)
(a) & (b): Yes, Madam. Different instances of exploitation of tribal communities by the naxalites has come
to the notice of the Government. Such instances primarily include sexual exploitation of women in the
Maoist camps, which have been disclosed in statements of several surrendered women CPI (Maoist) cadres
of Odisha, Maharashtra, Bihar, Jharkhand and other States. This has been widely reported in the media
from time to time. Such instances of sexual exploitation include rape, forced marriage and molestation
by senior male CPI (Maoist) cadres.
In Chhattisgarh, Some surrendered CPI (Maoist) male cadres have disclosed that they were forced by the
senior leadership to undergo vasectomy operation as a pre-condition for marriage with women cadres.
There are allegations that women cadres of CPI (Maoist), who become pregnant, are forced to undergo
abortion against their will. The surrendered women cadres have also disclosed that even if they are married
to male cadres, they are not allowed to give birth to children since the senior leadership of the CPI (Maoist)
feel that it impairs their fighting capability and mobility. Further, forced recruitment of children from families
of poor and marginalized segments of the society by the Maoists has also come to notice.
In order to instill a sense of fear in their areas of dominance, the naxals also kill civilians after branding them
as police informers. Out of 6031 civilians killed by the Maoists since 2001, the overwhelming majority are tribals.
The Maoists have in reality killed thousands of innocent Adivasis, whose cause they profess to espouse.
This tragic reality is glossed over by the Maoist Front organizations and their apologists in towns and cities
who have launched a propaganda war against the Indian state.
(c): The aforesaid problem has to be seen in the overall context of the LWE insurgency. The Central Government
closely monitors the LWE situation and supplements the efforts of the State Governments over a wide range of
issues, both on the security and development fronts. These measures include deployment of Central Armed
Police Forces (CAPFs), help to State Governments towards capacity building of State Forces and implementation
of a wide range of development schemes in LWE affected Stats. The State Governments initiate legal action
when they receive complaints of exploitation of tribals, under the relevant provisions of law. As regards forced
recruitment of children, the matter was brought to the notice of the National Commission for Protection of Child
Rights (NCPCR), which was implementing ‘Bal Bandhu Project’ in areas of civil unrest. In order to prevent
exploitation of tribals, the Government of India also issues advisories to the State Governments from time to
time. The Union Government has advised the State Governments to consider facilitating vasectomy reversal
operations of willing Maoist cadres who were forcibly sterilised. The Government has also enacted the Scheduled
Tribes and other Traditional Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 to recognize and vest the forest
rights and occupation in forest land in forest dwelling scheduled tribes and other traditional forest dwellers, who
have been residing in such forests for generations, but whose rights could not be recorded. The Ministry of
Tribal Affairs have issued comprehensive guidelines to the States/UT Governments for expeditious recognition
of forest rights. The Ministry of Environment and Forests has also written to the Chief Ministers of all States
to treat bamboo as a minor forest produce and respect the rights accrued to communities as per the aforesaid Act.