Pregnant Maoist leader abandoned by Naxal organisation for 'violating' rules, delivers baby-girl

Sunita got pregnant and insisted on having a baby while being engaged with Maoist organisation where family life is prohibited and rebels can’t nurture the hope of experiencing parenthood.
For representational purposes. (File | AP)
For representational purposes. (File | AP)

RAIPUR: Sunita alias Hungi Kattam (24), a woman Naxal leader apparently paid the price of going against the guidelines of the outlawed CPI (Maoist) where personal needs of cadres are sacrificed in the interest of the party.

Sunita got pregnant and insisted to have a baby while being engaged with the Maoist organisation where the family life is totally prohibited and the rebels can’t nurture the hope of experiencing parenthood.

“She was with the Maoist organisation since 2014 and was deserted by them around two weeks ago in a remote forest village where she was traced from a thatched mud house by the forces which were out on operation. She surrendered before the police with her underweight five-day-old infant whose condition remains critical”, the Kanker superintendent of police B L Dhruv told the Express.

Both the mother and the daughter have been admitted by the Kanker police in the district hospital. “As Sunita had surrendered, the police will do whatever possible to get her back into the mainstream life as per the government’s relief and rehabilitation policy”, the SP added. She was given the initial incentive amount of Rs 10000.

Originally a resident of Timmapuram village in strife-torn Sukma district, she was earlier working with the Naxal organisation in south Bastar as Basaguda (Dantewada) Local Operating Squad (LOS) member for two years and in 2016 shifted to Kanker as Kuyemari area LOS member. LOS of Naxal cadre carries an award of Rs 1 lakh.

Sunita, who speaks only regional tribal dialect Gondi, told the police that she was disowned by the organisation and left in a village where she delivered a baby. As the health conditions of both the mother and infant are not well, the police didn’t pursue an in-depth inquiry from her, Dhruv said. She was involved in the encounter with the security forces in March 2018 when the assistant commandant of BSF and a constable were killed at Tadoki forested terrain.

According to the Guerrilla warfare expert Brigadier (retired) B K Ponwar the Maoist organisation considers raising children as a problem with the “ Naxal movement”.

The rule book of the Naxals accessed by the New Indian Express explicitly suggests how the upbringing of children by the cadres is cited as against the proliferating of the Maoist organisation. “Thinking about children, future is major issue so those associated with the revolutionary movement must keep away from bearing a child. Women get weak and their participation in strengthening the party is reduced”, the Naxal rule-book elucidated.

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