“Being Neutral is Our Biggest Crime” - Global Coalition to Protect ...

I have seen SPOs younger than me in the camp. I cannot tell you the
exact number because they are on duty in different places at different
times but there will easily be at least 10 such SPOs [in the camp]. 384
In December 2007 a surrendered Naxalite who now works with the police confirmed
that underage SPOs continued to work with the police. 385 A teacher from
Bhairamgarh claimed that he recognized school dropouts from his area who were
serving as SPOs even in December 2007:
[I]n Bhairamgarh, about 15 to 20 children dropped out of high school
[after class 8 in 2005] to become SPOs—both boys and girls. I live in
Bhairamgarh and many of these children also stay there. Now they are
all SPOs. Their entire schooling has been ruined—they can never go
back to school because they have discontinued education for over two
years. 386
Children interviewed by Human Rights Watch also claimed that they knew school
dropouts who were enlisted as SPOs. 387 A student in eighth standard said she had
friends who were serving as SPOs even in December 2007: “I know a girl [name
withheld] who was studying in seventh standard with me. She stopped studying and
became an SPO. She is still an SPO.” 388
A villager from Sankanpalli described seeing children among the police that visited
his village:
384 Human Rights Watch interviews with Poosam Kanya (pseudonym), former resident of Errabore camp, December 5, 2007;
Vasanti Kumar (pseudonym), IDP from Pandiguda, location withheld, December 6, 2007.
385 Human Rights Watch interview with Tarrem Kosa (pseudonym), former Naxalite, others details withheld.
386 Human Rights Watch interview with T-1 (who chose to remain anonymous), government teacher in Bijapur, location
withheld, December 14, 2007.
387 Human Rights Watch interviews with teenage boy (who chose to remain anonymous), IDP from Basaguda, village K2,
Khammam district, December 2, 2007; Vasanti Kumar (pseudonym), IDP from Pandiguda, location withheld, December 6, 2007;
V6 (who chose to remain anonymous), camp resident, Jayanagar (Nayapara) camp, December 13, 2007.
388 Human Rights Watch interview with V6 (who chose to remain anonymous), December 13, 2007; Kaskul Naiyya
(pseudonym), IDP from Nayapara, village K3, Khammam district, December 2, 2007.
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