Why women join India's Maoist groups

[Devil Soul]

Women have joined male fighters during many rebel attacks
India's Maoist rebel groups are increasingly hiring more women for their operations, reports journalist Kishalay Bhattacharjee.

Rebecca, a tribal girl, is a bodyguard of a local area commander of India's Maoist rebel group in the eastern Indian state of Orissa.

Maoists, also known as "Naxalites", have been operating for more than 40 years in central and eastern India.

They demand land and jobs for the poor, and ultimately want to establish a communist society by overthrowing India's "semi-colonial, semi-feudal" form of rule.

Carrying an automatic rifle, Rebecca's face is covered with a black mesh to protect herself from malaria in the mosquito-infested jungles of Kandhamal district.

Rebecca's sister joined the rebels in 2010. After her arrest she was allegedly gang raped in police custody.

'Keep a vigil'
Her brother, she says, was also held by the security forces and "died mysteriously" in custody.

Police say women fighters keep a watch on their male counterparts
Rebecca says "state repression" drove her to take up arms and join the rebels too.

"We don't live this hard life for nothing. I had no choice but to join the revolution. Now there is no looking back," she says defiantly.

The Maoist movement started in the 1960s with a peasant uprising in a small tea garden in West Bengal state.

Analysts say that the reason more women are joining "the movement" can be attributed to the desperate conditions that prevail in India's countryside: Displacement of locals from their lands due to big business projects, grinding poverty and fear of atrocities by security forces and state-backed militia - like Salwa Judum - who are countering the rebels.

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The Maoists would visit our village to recruit cadres. They promised a steady income for my family. There was no other way but to join them”

Rashmi MahliFormer Maoist fighter
Police officials say the rebels seem to have no ideological problem in hiring more women.

"Maoists recruit women for fighting and to keep a vigil on the male cadres who may harass villagers," says Rahul Bhagat, a former police chief of the Maoist stronghold of Bastar in Chhattisgarh.

"In effect, almost half the rebel fighters are women now. Most of the men and women fighters cohabit either as married or unmarried couples."

Women rebels, police say, generally play a tactical role in operations: They are placed at the front to distract security forces.

Women fighters have led some of the major rebel attacks in India.

In May, police say, women fighters joined male rebels in the front while carrying out a deadly attack in Chhattisgarh, where 24 people, including some top state politicians, were killed.

'Disillusioned'
But a number of women fighters are also leaving rebel groups after complaining of abuse and fatigue.

Women say they join the Maoists because of the grinding poverty that exists in parts of rural India
"We had women from 16 to 40 years of age in our group. Almost all those I knew had experienced some form of sexual abuse or exploitation when they had stepped outside their homes to work or at the hands of security forces," says Rampati Ganjhu, a former rebel commander from the eastern state of Bihar.

"These women joined us to seek revenge but things are very different now.

"More and more of them are disillusioned and some women in particular are being abused by the male leaders."

Former woman fighter Rashmi Mahli was until 2011 an active member of a Maoist group in the state of Jharkhand. She now runs a tea shop in the town of Ranchi in eastern Jharkhand state.

Driven by poverty, she fought for the rebels but left the jungle behind in 2011.

"We were seven siblings. We lived on meagre land produce and on days we were just able to eat just one meal," she recalled.

"The Maoists would visit our village to recruit cadres. They promised a steady income for my family. There was no other way but to join them.

"I married a fellow rebel and we had a child. That changed my life. I couldn't live like that with my child. We were always in hiding and on the run. I surrendered because I wanted to live peacefully."

It is path that the security forces hopes other female Maoists will follow.
BBC News - Why women join India's Maoist groups

 

[neehar]

well they are about to get marginalized anyway with in few years..this is the proof
A record 74.65% polling in Chhattisgarh phase-II - The Hindu
they can survive as long as they have the support of locals.people are vexed with them and they want growth.which is why inspite of the maoist threats not to attend the polls such a huge amount of electorate turned out.

 

[bronxbull]

many educated brahmins are in maoist groups,women joining is no big deal

 

[Chronos]

many educated brahmins are in maoist groups,women joining is no big deal

In many ways, the middle class are their own worst enemy. They spout jingoistic rhetoric and want to crush these rebels with no thought for collateral damage.

You also have sympathisers who sip latte and provide encouragement while benefit from the capitalist system they deplore.

Then you have the actual tribals who have been wronged and are angry and these Maoists use that frustration.

 

[bronxbull]

There is no collateral damage if you crush them,if you dont fight,they ll get emboldened and think that the government is weak.

 

[Contrarian]

I actually believe the Naxalite movement will start ebbing in the next 5-10 years. This is because the majority of the problems of the locals in tribal areas have been addressed.

The colonial attitude of the Governments in charge, the random displacement with no compensation, no return of land in exchange, etc have been stringently addressed in the new Land Acquisition Bill.

The only issue remaining is misuse of power and authority by the local authorities. I dont know how this will reduce till there is more education in the region.

 

[xuxu1457]

In fact, I don't like Maoist, it's India's own thing, I am also surprised that so many Non-governmental armed people in a country

 

[Indian Tiger]

Maoist ideology is to transform capitalism towards socialism... I fully support this cause, here Maoists were judged only by the views of politicians & media power houses. But these medias never asked a cadre why he/she joined the movement. Always it's published that these many peoples killed by maoists, their intention is not kill the innocents, what to do?? while destroying a poisonous tree/forest some birds nest will burn, that's unavoidable dharma, showing hesitation is only adharma.

we have seen our Democratic govts, let people starve and die, for the shake of their own benefits(Corruption), There is no big difference b/w our Democratic govts and Maoists... Ideology of Maoism is far better, i believe it's better(Personal view)....

 

[Levina]

The peasant movement in Andhra Pradesh just after India’s independence was a precursor to the rise of Maoist thought. And it was an attack on tribal man in the Naxalbari village of West Bengal in 1967 that sparked the violent extremist left-wing movement.The Maoists today has changed a lot ,now they get "foreign" help to carry out the terrorism in the red corridors of India.
But then too i cant deny the fact that Indian govt.hasn't done much to improve the condition of the poor tribal ppl who live in the red corridor (or beyond) except for deploying army jawans there.
I am not surprised if woman have joined this outfit,the reasons as stated in the article could range from atrocities against women to their poor living conditions.And i am sure Maoists use them because a woman Maoists has lesser chances of being suspected as compared to the men.

 

[notsuperstitious]

This is a dishonest question. Maoist and other violent communist movements, by principal recruit women in all their functions. That's the ideology! All local insurgencies have local women playing a role, the role is more diversified in Maoists because that's what they preach.

Using that to make a point is rather stupid!

 

[Srinivas]

The peasant movement in Andhra Pradesh just after India’s independence was a precursor to the rise of Maoist thought. And it was an attack on tribal man in the Naxalbari village of West Bengal in 1967 that sparked the violent extremist left-wing movement.The Maoists today has changed a lot ,now they get "foreign" help to carry out the terrorism in the red corridors of India.
But then too i cant deny the fact that Indian govt.hasn't done much to improve the condition of the poor tribal ppl who live in the red corridor (or beyond) except for deploying army jawans there.
I am not surprised if woman have joined this outfit,the reasons as stated in the article could range from atrocities against women to their poor living conditions.And i am sure Maoists use them because a woman Maoists has lesser chances of being suspected as compared to the men.

Maoist movement is because of backwardness of certain areas in India, This movement spread across the terrain which is less developed and exploited for its resources by the few elite.

 

[anjaneyashruti]

In earlier times we used to call them 'dacoits' ....today we call them maoist.

Reality is these are people who have nothing to loose and nothing to live for. No hope, no opportunities.

Things change only when they have something to live for. A child, a job, a house, a social status, a religion etc. As long as congress govt. continues to destroy any hope and opportunity, anger, hate and killings will never end.

Peace comes from Justice.

 

[Levina]

Maoist movement is because of backwardness of certain areas in India, This movement spread across the terrain which is less developed and exploited for its resources by the few elite.

True....it started from there but now more or less functions as a terrorist outfit,recruiting ppl and training them.But the so called Maoists and government have never made an attempt to improve the life of a poor peasant in these backward areas.So moaists have deviated from their original cause.Now they threaten their own ppl.
But still my heart goes out to the women in these areas,they dont have much option.For their own security they have to join the moaists,because the government officials are predating on them.Its saddening.

 

[[Bregs]]

Maoist problem is the failure of state govts to deliver at the grass root level in rural areas and exploitation of these villagers by landlords too

 

[Android]

Maoist ideology is to transform capitalism towards socialism... I fully support this cause, here Maoists were judged only by the views of politicians & media power houses. But these medias never asked a cadre why he/she joined the movement. Always it's published that these many peoples killed by maoists, their intention is not kill the innocents, what to do?? while destroying a poisonous tree/forest some birds nest will burn, that's unavoidable dharma, showing hesitation is only adharma.

we have seen our Democratic govts, let people starve and die, for the shake of their own benefits(Corruption), There is no big difference b/w our Democratic govts and Maoists... Ideology of Maoism is far better, i believe it's better(Personal view)....

Do you really want something like Cultural Revolution or Great Leap Forward happening in India??? How can you say Maoists fight for rights of poor when poor peasants, government labours, tribal, crpf jawans etc are the biggest victims of their crimes they have hardly effected any major politicians or industrialists whom they claim to be against. This robin hood figure conferred to them by some liberal leftist is completely wrong. And blaming The Democratically elected leaders is nonsense its we the people who are to be blamed for continuously electing them. As long as people continue to vote on the basis of caste and religion and electing some morons again and again we can only blame our self and not the democratic system for its inefficiency and failures.