“Nasbandi (vasectomy)” is a very common word in Maoist lexicon. Cadres who wish to get married are forced to undergo the procedure on the directive of senior CPI (Maoist) leaders.
A former Maoist insurgent from Telangana was instructed to undergo the procedure before he got married. Years later, after he laid down his arms and surrendered, he underwent a second surgery to reverse the procedure, eventually becoming a father to a boy.
He was not the only one. Many who lay down their arms and enter the mainstream similarly choose to reverse the procedure to start a family.
The practice of ‘nasbandi’ is so widespread that its impact was conveyed to Union Home Minister Amit Shah during an interaction with surrendered Maoist cadres here on Sunday.
“When I was a member of the CPI (Maoist), I had to go for ‘nasbandi’. But after I gave up arms and joined the mainstream, I underwent another operation so that I could become a father. After the second operation, I became the father of a baby boy,” the former Maoist from Telangana said while interacting with Shah.
The perception among members of the proscribed outfit is that childcare will prove a distraction and their movement suffer. There is also apprehension that cadres who get married might turn their backs on the movement.
As a result, vasectomy is compulsory for any cadre that gets married.