MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS
(SHRI R. P. N. SINGH)
(a) to (e): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.
STATEMENT IN REPLY T0 PARTS (a) TO (e) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 103 FOR 13.08.2013.
(a) & (b): The Left Wing Extremist groups, particularly the CPI(Maoist), forcibly recruit female cadres, including minors girls, from the tribal belts of naxal affected areas in various parts of the country. No data on the exact number of female cadres present in the CPI(Maoist) is available. However, in recent incidents of naxal attacks, participation of a substantial number of female cadres has been observed. A large number of female cadres have also died in exchanges of fire with the Security Forces. Field reports from Security Forces indicate that the female cadres are tactically placed in naxal armed units to protect male cadres and leaders during exchanges of fire with the Security Forces.
The presence of a large number of women cadres in the CPI(Maoist) armed units is a matter of serious concern. Many of them, who have surrendered before the authorities concerned from time to time, have complained of sexual exploitation by the male cadres. Such instances have been reported in the national and local media at frequent intervals.
This problem has to be viewed in the larger context of the LWE insurgency. There are certain remote pockets of LWE influence in the country, where area domination by the Security Forces is difficult and the Maoists exploit this security vacuum to impose their writ on the local population. Even the slightest resistance by local people invites harsh reprisals like beheading, torture and other forms of violence. Local people are often pressurized to offer their children, including
girls, as recruits to the Maoists. The Government has recognized this problem and steadily increased the deployment of Security Forces in the LWE affected areas to bridge the security vacuum. From a deployment level of 37 Bns of Central Armed Police Forces(CAPFs) in 2009, the deployment level has now increased to 89 Bns and is set to increase further. Once the optimum deployment levels of State/Central Forces are reached, a firm grip over the LWE problem can be established which will also address the problem of exploitation of women by the naxals in their strongholds.
(c) & (d): The State Governments have appealed, from time to time, to the Left Wing Extremists, especially the CPI (Maoist), the most violent group, to abjure violence and hold talks on any issue of concern to them. But, no concrete results have emerged so far. The CPI(Maoist) Party believes in overthrowing the present system of Parliamentary democracy through ‘Protracted People’s War.’ The Central Government would welcome talks between the State Governments concerned and the Left Wing Extremists, provided the latter abjure violence and give up their so called ‘People’s War’ against the Indian State.
(e): Instructions have been issued to the LWE affected State Governments concerned and also to the Delhi Police to provide adequate security to the Members of Parliament facing security threat from LWE outfits.
