Mumbai, June 19 (ANI): The New-York based Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called the recruitment of children by Maoist cadres and attack on schools as a major violation of human rights. Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported that Maoists in India were misleading children and recruiting them. The Maoists reportedly organize children in the age group of 6 to 12 into children___s association, and indoctrinate, train, and use them as informers.They use children to gather intelligence, for sentry duty, to make and plant landmines and bombs, and to engage in hostilities against government forces.
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The Times of India
written by Rakhi Chakrabarty, TNN
Wednesday June 20, 2012
NEW DELHI: UN Secretary General's annual report on children and armed conflict said Maoists recruit and indoctrinate children for children's squads and associations, particularly in Chhattisgarh and some districts in adjoining states. This is part of the Maoist strategy for mass mobilization, the report said.
It also pointed to recruitment of children by vigilante groups like the Salwa Judum.
UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon recently sent the annual report to the Security Council. The report mentions the plight of children in conflict zones across the world.
In a press statement, special representative of the secretary-general for children and armed conflict Radhika Coomaraswamy said, "In conflict, schools and hospitals must be zones of peace respected by all parties."
For the first time, the UN report listed groups responsible for attacks on schools and hospitals in addition to those who recruit, kill and maim, or commit sexual violence.
The report said, "In 2011, incidents of attacks on schools by Maoist armed groups continued to be reported."
It quoted the Union home ministry statistics which showed that Maoists destroyed 258 school buildings, mostly in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Bihar, between 2006 and November, 2011. "Government statistics indicate that the number of attacks on school buildings has declined progressively since 2009," the report said.
Also, use of schools by security forces continued in 2011, it said. The Supreme Court, at least twice, ordered security forces to vacate schools in Chhattisgarh, most recently in November 18, 2011.
"In January 2011, the Government of Chhattisgarh conceded that security forces were using 31 schools," it added.
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News Track India
written by ANI staff
Thursday May 31, 2012
Maoists are preventing the children from getting educated by destroying the school buildings across Jharkhand.
Over the last few years, the Maoists have targetted the government and locals. Locals have complained about Maoist killings and abductions.
By destroying schools, the Maoists are forcing young teenagers to join militant outfits, rather that thinking of getting jobs and earning a good living.
"We have seven rooms in our school, but three rooms were destroyed by the Maoists. Now, we are just left with four rooms in which students from the first to the tenth standards are studying. Earlier, we used to sit on the floor and study, but now, we have been provided with tables and chairs by the CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force)," said Vinod Kumar Singh, a student.
Maoists are destroying school buildings to ensure the easy availability of illiterate children for recruitment into their cadres.
However, the paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) distributes free bags and books to the students.
School teachers say it is extremely difficult to teach students in two rooms.
"Police used to stay in these rooms. So, the Maoists have blasted the rooms using landmines. Now, we are just left with three rooms, out of which one is used as the office. Two rooms are used as classrooms, which are jampacked with students from standard 1st to 10th and it is not comfortable to teach the students," said Santosh, a teacher.
The federal government had proposed the setting up of a new counter-militancy body to fight against these anti-national elements.
Also known as Naxals, the rebels have fought for decades in areas of central and eastern India, including many resource-rich regions. They are backed by China and funded by Pakistan, the Maoists in India are trying to create economic, social and political instability.
The government calls them India's main internal security threat and an obstacle to higher growth and more jobs. Although levels of violence have fallen in recent years, hundreds of people die annually in the conflict.
The Maoists believe that they are fighting for the rights of landless people. (ANI)
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