The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has asked the Union Ministry of Home Affairs Secretary to submit a consolidated report regarding employment of children as Maoists, and also as soldiers and police in some States within six weeks.
However, the consolidated report is yet to be prepared by the Home Ministry.
Moved by the petition of Supreme Court lawyer and rights activist Radhakanta Tripathy, the apex rights panel passed an order in 2013 stating that large numbers of children have been employed as soldiers in Jammu and Kashmir, North Eastern States and in turbulent areas of India. The children are also engaged as Maoists in ultra infested States like Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhatishgarh etc.
Considering the seriousness of the issue, the NHRC issued notice to the Home Secretary of India who subsequently submitted some details of every State of India before the NHRC.
The IG of Police (Operations) Odisha, informed the NHRC that the State Government has implemented “Surrendered and Rehabilitation Scheme” for the surrendered Maoists. A sum of Rs 5,91,72,410 has so far been sanctioned towards rehabilitation of the Maoist surrenderees in deserving cases, on the recommendations of the concerned District level Rehabilitation Committees.
The Government of Bihar stated that since 2014, a Special Programme has been initiated in 22 districts to take necessary action for prevention of the recruitment of children by the Naxalites and the rehabilitation of the children who were arrested or surrendered. Necessary steps also had been taken for an awareness programme, it
stated.
In the report submitted by the Mizoram Government, it has been stated that even if reports of recruiting children as soldiers by the armed groups happen to be true in other North-East State, such reports have never been heard or received in the State until today.
The report submitted by the SP, Raygada, Odisha admits in clear terms regarding the secret employment of children in Naxalism and sexual harassment by the senior Maoists. The report provides horrible ground realities. The report submitted by the SP, Mayurbhanj also provides some details of children employed by Naxalites.
The Director General of Police, Government of Andhra Pradesh, stated that as far as AP State is concerned no such instances of child recruitment by Maoists have come to notice. However, the police will take necessary action according to law, if any, such cases reported.
In his rejoinder, Tripathy submitted that the reports submitted by the Madhya Pradesh and Chhatishgarh Governments admitting employment of children below 18 years in the police. The same has been mentioned in the related police regulation of the States.
Tripathy requested the NHRC to investigate the cases State wise through sending the Special Rapporteurs, formulate policies and recommend appropriate measures to combat the menace of children being illegally used by the State and by the extremist groups.
The NHRC directed the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to issue necessary directions to the Government of Odisha, for proper rehabilitation of the juveniles who have surrendered and take adequate steps for prevention of children from joining the Maoists cadre.
Meanwhile, Tripathy recently has submitted before the NHRC that the State authorities simply sent brief letters without details as to (a) what is the police estimate of actual number of children who have been recruited in the Maoists cadre in the States (b) what action has been taken by the administration/ police to trace such children, and re-integrate them with the main stream, (c) what measures have been taken to educate and rehabilitate such children (d) what action has been taken against the persons, who are involved in dragging the innocent children into the Maoists’ cadre, and coercing them to carry out illegal activities.