Baijla (Jamui), March 26: A bagful of promises — monetary help, free education for children and a better life — making up the government rehabilitation programme allegedly unfulfilled, a section of former Maoists are toying with the idea of rejoining the rebel groups.
Reaping benefit from the situation, the Maoists have started recruiting the former members. Police and Intelligence Bureau (IB) officers said the district administration’s lackadaisical attitude towards implementing the surrender policy gave the rebels an opportunity to increase their strength.
Narayan Yadav (45), a former Maoist and a resident of Baijla Taripar village in Jhajha block, who surrendered on February 2, 2007, feels helpless. An old case under sections 27 and 27A of the Arms Act has been pending against Narayan in the Jamui additional district judge-III’s court. Fearing the worst from the judgment the court is slated to pronounce on March 27, Narayan said: “If the court punishes me for the act which I never committed, I would either commit suicide or return to the rebel camps. I would not like to be in prison. I joined the rebels in 2005 but when I came to know about the rehabilitation policy, I surrendered.”
Devanti Devi, Narayan’s wife, said her son, Arun (18) lost the opportunity to complete his studies for want of money and had to go to Haryana to work.
“We received a one-time payment of Rs 10,000 from the government policy instead of Rs 2 lakh (as loan of which only Rs 50,000 had to be repaid in 15 years), which was previously announced. The surrender policy also promised free education to our children and livelihood opportunities, but we got nothing,” she said.
Over 12 former Maoists who surrendered in 2007 have decided to rejoin the rebel camps after being disappointed.
Inspector-general of police of Bhagalpur range A.K. Ambedkar said: “Since the police are not supposed to deal with the post-surrender benefit matters, we are facing problems.”
A senior IB officer said: “We have reported that many former rebels have decided to return to Naxalism after feeling betrayed by the government post-surrender.”
