The National Commission for Women (NCW) is investigating allegations of rape and sexual exploitation of women at Salwa Judum camps in Dantewara. Hundreds of tribals are lodged in these camps to counter the violence unleashed by Naxalites in southern Chhattisgarh.

Sources said an NCW team, comprising Malini Bhattacharya and Manju Hembrum, recently visited Dantewara as well as some prisons in the state for investigations. Bhattacharya said the team spent two days at the largest anti-Naxal camp in Dantewara and spoke to the women inmates. “We verified the reports from several independent sources,” she said. However, Bhattacharya refused to elaborate, saying the final report would be out on December 19.

The NCW had taken cognizance of reports prepared by several NGOs and women’s initiatives about the largescale exploitation and sexual subjugation of women in Salwa Judum camps. Sources said the reports had pointed out several cases of rape, disappearance and torture.

The reports had blamed armed members of the Salwa Judum and army troops guarding the camps for raping women at gunpoint. Since the women were living in the camps under protection of these very forces they had no chance to speak out.

The Salwa Judum was essentially launched as a peoples’ movement to counter Naxalite violence, bringing nearly 40,000 villagers to protected camps in Dantewara. Last year, one of these camps, located south of Bastar, had been attacked by Naxalites, who killed nearly 50 tribals.

Sources said the NCW team also looked into the treatment of tribal women lodged in Jagdalpur for allegedly helping Naxalites. The Commission is likely to report on the conditions prevailing in the camps as well as recruitment of women as special police officers.