The CPI (Maoist) leadership has of late effected a radical structural change in the outfit by drafting more and more women cadre in combat roles besides ensuring their fast rise in the rebel hierarchy, intelligence sources said on Monday. The sea change in the organisational structure has been brought on strategic point of view to transform it from a male-dominated outfit to women-centric one, a senior police officer quoting intelligence reports told this newspaper here.
“In 2008, Maoists’ top hierarchy comprised barely 25 per cent women. The women representation in Maoist top hierarchy has now grown by leap and bounds to a staggering 60 per cent. This clearly indicates that the CPI (Maoist) is heading towards a women-dominated radical force in coming days”, the police officer said requesting anonymity. Intelligence reports have revealed that the trend of male Maoists leading combat units has been reversed of late with women leaders currently heading several platoons and companies of People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) as wells as many area committees and divisional committees of CPI (Maoist). The recent appointments Sujata as head of Dandakaranya state military committee, Niti as head of South Bastar divisional committee and Madhavi as West Bastar divisional committee are a case in point.
“Earlier, women cadres’ roles used to be confined to assist their male counterparts in their respective units. Now, the female cadres have been drafted in combat roles. Last year’s Naxal ambush on Congress convoy at Jiram Ghati in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar district in which 27 Congressmen were killed was a testimony to it. Women rebels were found to have been outnumbered male rebels in the combat group”, he added. Women cadres have also been given significant places in lower rung positions.
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