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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Atrocities by Maoists on women go unreported: study by Raktima Bose

Atrocities by Maoists on women go unreported: study by Raktima Bose

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published Published on Nov 20, 2010   modified Modified on Nov 20, 2010

That women and children are the worst sufferers during any armed conflict has been proved again by a recent study conducted by the West Bengal Women's Commission (WBWC) on women victims of Maoist violence in the State's Jangal Mahal region. It was found that the atrocities often go unreported and unaccounted, or are misrepresented by a section of society.

Based on the study, the WBWC appealed to the Maoists to abjure mindless violence that directly affected the marginalised sections, and also made several recommendations to the State government for improving the situation.

During the study, the members of the commission spoke to a wide range of people affected by Maoist violence – relatives of women victims who were killed or abducted, victims who are living in a traumatised condition, and even a woman Maoist squad member who had surrendered a few months back.

Shocking revelations

Speaking to The Hindu, WBWC chairperson Malini Bhattacharya said the commission members were particularly shocked on learning that women – mostly from poor scheduled caste and scheduled tribe — were being killed by the Maoists on the basis of suspicion or threatened that their children would be killed unless they left their villages.

Referring to the surrendered woman Maoist leader Shobha Mandi's case as well as other women cadres who might surrender in future, Ms. Bhattacharya said the rehabilitation scheme already in vogue for surrendering Maoists should be made “more flexible” for women.

“In [the] case of surrendering woman Maoists, there are certain requirements that can differ from case to case. For Shobha Mandi, we need to know whether she had passed her school-leaving examination before joining the rebels, and if yes, certain avenues will be open for her. I think, specific cases have specific requirements,” she said.

Severe compromise

According to her, education of young girls and nutrition of children, pregnant women and lactating mothers were also severely compromised due to the volatile situation, as they were forced to leave their villages and take shelter in camps.

Moreover, Integrated Child Development Centres in the areas where the temporary camps had been set up, did not cater to the displaced children and women, she pointed out.

Ms. Bhattacharya said: “During a natural disaster, people displaced are in the government's eyes, but here they are invisible to the administration…I think that the government has to admit that it is a special situation and make special provisions at least for children, pregnant women and students, irrespective of their political affiliations.”

Crisis is obvious

Though she said that the commission did not come across any case of police atrocities on women, she did not rule out the possibility.

“From the accounts of the victims, relatives, it is obvious that they are in a crisis because of constant conflict between the Maoists and the security forces…we are not discounting the possibility of excesses by policemen and to prevent that, we have recommended to the government not to go into unnecessary confrontations and [to] take serious note of complaints of atrocities against women,” Ms. Bhattacharya said.


The Hindu, 20 November, 2010, http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/article899858.ece


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