Phidim, November 23:

The Comprehensive National Peace Treaty with the government notwithstanding, the Maoists have been abducting youths and children from different places in Panchthar. Locals claim they have forced scores of children from Panchthar’s Chowkmagu, Kurumba, Lumphabung and Siwa to go with them saying that they are recruits for the Maoist People’s Liberation Army.

Among the abducted are eighth grader Sushma Rai, 10th grader Binu Ghimire of Lumphabung Lower Secondary school, seventh grader Rina Limbu of Saraswoti Secondary School, Chowkmagu, and Goma Lawati of Kurumba-2. The Maoists went to every house and assured the guardians of a monthly salary of Rs 5,000 to Rs 7,000 for the recruits, adding the recruits would later be included in the national army, Goma’s father Man Kumar Lawati said.

When contacted for comment, the Maoists’ Phidim in-charge Madan claimed some of them were former cadres while the rest came voluntarily.

INSEC representative in Panchthar, Krishna Ojha, said there was no let-up in the Maoists’ abduction of children in Panchthar. Meanwhile, Ojha managed to help 12-year-old Bhuwan Suhang of Yangnam return home.

Suhang was abducted by the Maoists four days ago. He was handed over to Shyam Jawegu, a teacher of Khalangatar Secondary School in Yangnam. In Kavre, Maoists abducted 17-year-old Sujita Adhikari, a student of Chaitanya Multiple Campus, Banepa, violating the peace pact between them and the government the very next day.

Maoists abducted Adhikari, a permanent resident of Pokharichauri VDC-1, Ramche, on Wednesday morning from her rented flat at Ghokechaur, Banepa, where she lives with her brother and sister-in-law. Four Maoist cadres led by cadre Ranjan had taken shelter there on Tuesday and took Sujita along with them the next morning, Sujita’s sister-in-law Samjhana said.

Meanwhile, ANNFSU central member Deepak Gautam urged the Maoists to make public Sujita’s whereabouts. However, district chairman of ANNISU-R DM Lama said a probe into the incident is ony.