The local government of the Indian province of Orissa is allegedly employing minors in a special police force that mainly fights the Maoist Naxalits.

In November 2008 the Orissan government announced its plans to employ over two thousand tribal youths as special police officers (SPO), an auxiliary force. A Human Rights Watch report states that the SPO had been routinely employed alongside para-military police on anti-naxite operations.

The employment of the SPO as a para-military division is contrary to Indian law. Since the Special Police Officers are neither psychologically nor physically trained for military operations, using them for comb searches puts them at a high risk, especially if children are employed. Many children, including some as young as fourteen, are being recruited for dangerous armed operations.

That is said to be the case in the Chhattisgarh state. The Chhattisgarh police claim that it has now removed all children from its ranks, but there are continued allegations that many minors continue to participate in armed operations. Reports are still coming through of children under the age of eighteen, inadequately trained, being deployed in armed operations without adequate protection. “No matter how serious the threat, Orissa should not use children to fight the Naxalites,” said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “Nor should special police officers, intended only for civilian law enforcement, be sent on paramilitary operations for which they have no training and that leave them at risk of Naxalite reprisals.”