U.S. has said terrorists continue to recruit children to fight in Jammu and Kashmir (File)
Washington:
A US State Department report on human trafficking in India indicated that terrorist groups continue to recruit and use children from the age of 14 in direct hostilities in Jammu and Kashmir.
The State Department’s 2020 Congress-mandated Human Trafficking Report 2020 released by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday noted that Maoist groups, particularly in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, had also forcibly recruited children aged 12 years old to handle weapons and improvised explosive devices. (IED), and in some cases, be human shields.
According to the report, India made significant efforts to end human trafficking in 2019, but did not fully meet the minimum standards.
“Non-state armed groups have continued to recruit and use children from the age of 14 in direct hostilities against the government of Jammu and Kashmir,” the report said.
“Maoist groups, particularly in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, have forcibly recruited children as young as 12 to manipulate weapons and improvised explosive devices, and in some cases to be human shields,” said the report. .
“Several women and girls formerly associated with Maoist groups reported that sexual violence, including revealing practices of sexual slavery, was a practice in some Maoist camps. Naxalite non-state groups continued to recruit and use systematically child soldiers, “he added.
