The CPI (Maoist) has minimised recruiting women into the dalams to avoid marital issues and security reasons, says a police official. The Maoist leaders have even discussed several times the option of stopping the recruitment altogether.
Though women Naxalites are found to be creating problems associated with sentiments and relationships, mahila dalam members continued with dedication in the movement. But the police who are in the Anti-Naxal Squad (ANS) operations observe that there is a decrease in recruitment.
“The Maoists take shelter in tribal hamlets as they are their sympathisers. Tribal youth, including some women who move with dalams and participate in their cultural programmes, get attracted to Naxalism. Still the Maoists are trying to avoid recruitment of women,” said the police officer.
Love-related issues and illicit affairs are major reasons, according to the source. “We also observed in the minutes written and documented by the Naxalites during plenums, which were seized during exchanges of fire, about the ban on women recruitment,” the official said.
A CRPF personnel, on condition of anonymity, said there were a good number of women Naxalites earlier, but their number had come down. “According to some surrendered Naxalites, there were issues such as harassment by superiors, negligence in elevation to higher positions and domination by men.”
“Moreover, if a woman member married a fellow dalam member and conceives, she will need medical aid, pre and post maternity care and proper diet, which is not possible while moving in the forests leading to couples surrendering to the police,” said the CRPF official quoting the Naxalites.
With the police stepping up vigil, injured dalam members and women are also finding it difficult to take treatment with RMPs and in small clinics in villages.
Most women prefer to surrender as it is not possible for them to escape from the police raids with toddlers, especially during encounters. Many such women had been caught earlier, according to the police.
