Former Maoist Meghnath Paswan in police custody in Rohtas. Picture by Sanjay Choudhary

Patna, Oct. 20: Alarmed over its declining strength in Rohtas-Kaimur region because of the migration of the workforce in the age group of 16-30 years, Maoists mounted pressure on Kaimur plateau residents for including a child from each family in their organisation.

The startling fact came to light during the interrogation of Meghnath Paswan and Chhotelal Chero, who surrendered before Rohtas police with sophisticated armsunder the state government’s rehabilitation policy for the Naxalites a couple of months ago.

The two hardcore Maoists said youths migrated to Punjab, Haryana, Bengal and Delhi in search of job, causing shortage of fighters in the organisation. The rebels claimed that only 50 Naxalites were operating in the Rohtas-Kaimur region, which shares its border with UP in the west, Jharkhand in the south and Chhattisgarh in the south-west.

The desertion of Kameshwar Baitha, who was later elected as a Member of Parliament from Jharkhand’s Palamu, is another factor behind the dwindling strength of the Maoists in the region. The tribals, who earlier firmly stood behind the organisation, have been distancing themselves from the Naxalites, they added.

Paswan (35), a resident of Nawadih Khurd, said the organisation functioned on the pattern of the army. A platoon with 30 members is equipped with all sorts of arms. “As a platoon is equipped with sophisticated arms and its members are well trained, it engages cops in encounters and at times ambush them,” said a police officer, quoting Paswan as saying. The recruitment for the platoon is done on the pattern of the army. “After selection, the cadres are sent for rigorous training,” he said.

Paswan said another group — LGS (guerrillas) — has 11 members. It has been assigned to keep tabs on the policemen and the members of the rival faction. Then comes the company, each having strength of 100 trained cadres. “The company is summoned when platoons fail to accomplice the task,” Paswan told the interrogators.

The cops present during the interrogation of the Maoists were taken aback when they learnt that the police of Sonebhadra district in Uttar Pradesh had met them in Dabua forest on the borders of Bihar and UP.

“The UP police tried to persuade us to surrender. But we had faith in the leadership of Baban Thakur and on his (Thakur’s) persuasion we surrendered before the Rohtas police,” Paswan said.

Thakur, the secretary of Kaimuranchal Vikas Morcha, said five Maoists — Sunil Ram, Binod Singh, Guddu Singh, Ajay Singh and Nawal Singh — surrendered before the UP police. Chero (22), a resident Yadunathpur, was a victim of some landlords. He joined the banned organisation out of frustration.