The coronavirus has triggered terror in the minds of the otherwise dreaded Naxals in their heartland Chhattisgarh where a number of top ultras have been afflicted with the deadly disease and deserted their ranks to seek better care and treatment in the nearby town and cities.

Driven to despair amid lack of medical facilities in the jungles, panic has gripped the ranks of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) following infection among a number of the commanders and deaths of a number of cadre owing to Covid-19.

While the Naxal leadership has in the past resorted to recruitment of children, the current move symbolises depravity of the worst kind as it is exploitation of children in the midst of a pandemic that has hit the entire humanity to some degree or the other.

Former Director General of Border Security Force, Uttar Pradesh Police and Assam Police, Prakash Singh in a tweet said, “CPI-Maoist are learnt to have recruited nearly 700 schoolchildren aged between 12-18 years during the coronavirus lockdown. A training camp for these schoolchildren was organised in the Abujhmad area of Chhattisgarh for a month.”

The new recruitment is aimed at meeting the loss caused by desertion and despair.

Scrutiny of a number of letters of the Naxal cadres seized during combing operations in the Naxal-hit areas in Chhattisgarh and the State’s triad with Andhra Pradesh and Odisha throws light on the state of mind of the naxals.

According to a letter from a Naxal commander who is referred to as “Didi” by the cadres, her conversation with another commander J Dada revealed that a number of the cadres are struggling with the coronavirus infection in South Bastar, Darbha and West Bastar divisions.

The letter suggests Rupi of South Bastar, commander of Chetna Natya Mandali of Darbha division Hunga besides Devey, Ganga, , Sudru, Munni and Reena met sudden death.

Divisional Naxal commander Rajesh Dada, Suresh and Manoj are critically ill and are being treated in their respective locations with whatever medicines available with them, her letter suggests, giving a broad description of Covid-19 as a disease that spreads quickly and afflicts the seniors more.

Another letter from a comrade VS highlights that a large number of Naxals have fled in different parts of Chhattisgarh and beyond.

According to J Dada’s conversation with Didi, section commanders Budhram and Vimla have also deserted. Two persons attached to the self-styled Central Regional Command (CRC) Company have also deserted the Naxal ranks. All the cadres of Gangalur area have been hit by Covid-19 and Ritesh and Joga of the local formation have fled. From Darbha Division, Nagesh, Sumitra and Anita have left the Party.