Maoists warn MFIs in AP against harassing women

Contending that the state government had failed to act  against the coercion of micro finance companies on rural women, the CPI (Maoists) have  warned the MFI operators in the state to stay away from villages and stop their collection drive or face dire consequences, including attack on their offices and personnel.

Last week, Maoist top gun and official spokesperson of  North Telangana special zonal committee Jagan issued a threat to all MFIs to immediately wind up their offices in the hinterland. “Stop harassing poor women,” he had said.

On Friday, Sudhakar, CPI(M) secretary, KKW (Karimnagar-Khammam-Warangal), in a communication to press reiterated the warning. He alleged that agents and representatives of MFIs are humiliating rural women and their family members resulting in suicides.

The Maoist leader alleged that the political clout enjoyed by these companies helped them operate indiscriminately in total violations of even the recent state ordinance.

Terming the ordinance as a “sham,” Sudhakar said the agents are continuing to collect loan installments from women forcibly.

He added that despite making prompt repayments, the MFIs targeted women from the weaker sections, made vulnerable by their fear of social stigma. “MFIs emotionally blackmailed the women folk in rural areas in their exploitation gamble,” he said.