Maoists have constituted 'Baal Action Teams' to deploy school children in different capacities in their attempt to regroup the child cadres and boost their perceived military strength.
BAT, a specialised school children unit of Naxal which has started operating in Bastar region from past several months, would also help the Baal Sanghams (children associations) and Chhatra Sanghams (student associations), that are already functional in LWE areas, intelligence sources said.
"Naxals have been recruiting and using children in different capacities since the inception of the movement...It exposes children to risk of injury and death," Additional Director General of Police (Anti-Naxal Ops) R K Vij told PTI.
"Bal Sanghams and Chhatra Sangham were active for the past several years in the region. They use them as informers, messengers and even as shields during military operations," Vij said. He did not rule out the possibility of change in nomenclature of the children cadres.
"We are continuously generating awareness among tribals in the region and by several means, like education and vocational trainings trying to prevent the youths from joining the movement," the ADG added.
A senior Intelligence Bureau official said that four months back security forces received documents in Kondagaon, Bastar and Narayanpur districts of south Chhattisgarh, which revealed that Maoists were organising 'Baal Action Teams' to gather intelligence and to expand propaganda.
