Rehabilitation of minor female Maoist cadre promised

KOLKATA - The police Tuesday said it will make arrangements for the rehabilitation and education of Sukurmani Soren alias Lakshmi, who was recently rescued after being recruited in the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) ranks eight months ago in West Bengal.

“Arrangements are being made for her rehabilitation, including education, vocational training and health care. One reputed NGO has been contacted in this regard,” Bankura Police Superintendent Pranav Kumar told reporters in Bankura, some 175 km from here.

“Sukurmani, who hails from Bagdubi village, was lured away from her house March 10 by a boy Chhotu, who handed her over to Maoists’ Ranibandh squad members,” he added.

After she was rescued, she gave a tragic account of her involvement with the Maoists, the district police chief said.

“She confessed that on petty promises like repair of her house, sufficient food, new sets of clothes, she was made to join the Maoist ranks,” said Kumar.

She also revealed that she was made to undergo physical exercises, do sentry duty with arms in Maoist camps as well as during Maoist strikes and even carried “challenger” land mines on her shoulder during their movement.

“Disillusioned and unable to bear the hardships anymore, she tried several times to leave the squad and requested senior squad members to let her go. However, she was not allowed to leave and was even threatened.

“She had a narrow escape when a bullet whizzed past just inches over her head during an encounter with the police Nov 8. In the melee that followed, she fled and managed to escape from the clutches of the Maoists,” Kumar added.

“We had intelligence inputs that some members of the Ranibandh squad including an underage lady member had fled after the encounter. Later during subsequent search operations, security personnel managed to rescue Sukurmani with the help of her parents,” said the district police chief.