Former Maoist leaders speak to Indian home minister about forceful ‘vasectomy’ on cadres

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday (Dec 15) met the former Maoists who informed him about how the cadres are forced to undergo vasectomy by their leaders if they wish to get married.

“It is mandatory for Naxal cadres to have ‘nasbandi’ (vasectomy) if they want to get married. The leaders don’t want any member being involved emotionally with his offspring,” said Markam Dula, who is a surrendered Naxal from Sukma district of the Indian state of Chhattisgarh, while speaking to PTI.

Vasectomy is a surgical procedure in which the supply of sperm to the semen is stopped in the males, making it a permanent birth control solution.

A former female Maoist from Malkangiri, Odisha, informed Shah that she had got married to a fellow cadre who had undergone a vasectomy.

Eventually, her husband got killed in a police encounter and she decided to surrender, said the woman.

Meanwhile, another former Maoist from Telangana remembered how he had gotten his vasectomy done and then got it reversed after he entered the mainstream.

“When I was a member of the CPI (Maoist), I had to go for ‘nasbandi’. But after I gave up arms and joined the mainstream, I underwent another operation so that I could become a father. After the second operation, I became the father of a boy,” he said.

Minister Amit Shah also met a group of former Maoists at an event in Jagdalpur city of the Indian state of Chhattisgarh on Sunday (Dec 15).

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Around 30 surrendered Naxals and insurgents, who belonged to six Indian states –  Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Assam – attended the event.

Shah said he was “immensely satisfied” to see that young people realised the “futility of violence” and decided to lay down arms. He further appealed to remaining Naxals to “give up arms and join the mainstream.”

“Your rehabilitation is our responsibility. The Centre has formulated a rehabilitation policy for surrendered militants and Naxals, including those injured in violence,” he stated.

(With inputs from agencies)