Rishi Baral

Pokhara, December 31:

Fifteen-year-old Ganesh BK, who was forcibly recruited by his Maoist sister when he went to meet her during Tihar for Bhai Tika, has fled their captivity and sought refuge in a security camp. Ganesh, from Ramdi VDC-1, Pyuthan, was “recruited” by his sister, 20-year-old Parbati BK, a resident of Dang, last November 14. He escaped from the Maoists’ captivity on December 28 and sought refuge in the Bhaluwang security camp of Dang. Ganesh alleged that his sister and her husband both are with the Maoists. He even said that his sister is part and parcel of the Maoists’ extortion department.

Ganesh has been seriously injured in his head. Two of his fingers also are pulverised after the Maoists beat him when he refused to carry bodies of killed Maoists. The Maoist district in-charge, Namuna Thakuri, and district leader, Sushil Kumar, caned him in the legs and other Maoist cadres hit him in his head with stones, Ganesh said. He is now being treated in the Royal Nepalese Army’s west regional divisional headquarters where he was brought before journalists today.

“I was trained to fire a pistol and hurl grenades in the 21 days’ training,” Ganesh said. He added that the Maoists gave him training in Hasipur of Dang and that their training centre is located there. He added that the Maoists fed him beef and rice, and pork curry to boot.

He also disclosed that the Maoists suffered a significant loss in the clash in Lamidmar of Arghakanchi earlier this month. Of the 400 Maoist militias engaged in the assault over 100 were killed, Ganesh said. The Maoists led by Pasang fled after realizing they would not be able to withstand the security forces, he said. The Maoists also suffered a big loss in the Mathura Khola assault. Since some time, the Maoists have changed their strategic plans, Ganesh said. RNA divisional commander at the west regional divisional headquarters, Prakash Bahadur Basnet, said the Maoists’ Mangalsen Brigade is stationed at Arghakhanchi and that security forces are attempting to encircle them. The security forces also played an audio cassette recording of Baburam Bhattarai addressing the central command training camp held in Rukum Rolpa.

The forces seized the cassette from Purkot’s Sautamare a month-and-a-half ago.