Maoism - Why?

Nuanced central approach to Maoists
SUJAN DUTTA

New Delhi, Oct. 20: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is today understood to have called for a more calibrated strategy in the offensive against the Maoists, and the Centre indicated that it was seeking to distinguish its security-centric approach to insurgents who demanded secession and those (like the Maoists) who did not.

The Centre has re-emphasised that it was open to dialogue with the Maoists if they surrender arms.

“As far as I can see, the only hurdle to holding talks with the CPI (Maoist) is the violence that stalks the areas in which they operate. I may draw your attention to the recent statements made by their leaders, especially Shri Muppala Laxman Rao (Ganapathy) and Shri Mallojula Koteshwar Rao (Kishenji), justifying violence and armed struggle,” Union home minister P. Chidambaram, the architect of the offensive against the Maoists, has written to former Lok Saba Speaker Rabi Ray.

Ganapathy is the general secretary of the CPI (Maoist) and Kishenji a member of its politburo.

Repeating his belief that the Maoists are the “gravest threat to internal security”, the Prime Minister is understood to have told a combined commanders’ conference of the armed forces in which top cabinet ministers were also present that the government should nuance its strategy against the Maoists.

A senior officer who was present at the conference — that was closed to the media — read from his notes and said the Prime Minister called for a “holistic approach” with “an agenda for inclusive growth”. The official release of the excerpts of the Prime Minister’s speech does not contain these words.

The call for a “holistic approach” contrasts with the home ministry’s repeated assertions over the past few weeks that a development agenda in Maoist-influenced areas cannot be pursued till the zones were cleared of the militants. Last week, Rahul Gandhi said Maoism thrived in areas where government could not deliver.

Chidambaram, who also addressed the conference, said the government believed that the Maoists should be treated differently “because unlike other insurgencies, they are not demanding secession”, said the officer.

Chidambaram said it should be possible for the Maoists to join the “mainstream political process” if they gave up arms — a statement he has made in the past but emphasised today at the security meeting.

Chidambaram followed up this line by releasing a copy of a letter to the former Lok Sabha Speaker in which he wrote: “The Government of India believes that all political parties and all shades of political opinion can find space and opportunity to work in a democratic system to advance the causes that are dear to them. The CPI (Maoist) can be no exception. It is in this view that we have declared that the CPI (Maoist) should abjure violence and talk to the governments concerned — both at the Central and at the State levels — on any issue that affects the people.”

Chidambaram wrote to Ray because the former MP from Orissa was one of the signatories in an appeal from an outfit named the Citizens’ Initiative for Peace that feared that the real issues — of food, shelter and forest rights — would get obscured in the face of a military offensive by the Centre against the Maoists.

In a separate statement, the Union home ministry claimed it has information that Maoists in South Chhattisgarh have been forcibly recruiting children. “The above information reveals the real face of Naxalites, who not only kill children but also put them in great danger by recruiting them in their armed squads to carry out their violent activities,” a statement said.

While I sympathize with the families of the two sub-inspectors and the bank employee who has been killed by the Maoist at Lalgarh, I cannot help but feel that the policemen had brought the tragedy on themselves.
The police are the front face of the politicians who have been looting the people. They are the unfortunate people who have to protect these criminal politicians although they may not want to do so and hence face the poor people's wrath.
On the one hand we have people drawing salaries of over crores per month and on the other hand people do not get even Rs 20/- per day for a full meal.
Over 40 crore of our population do not earn even Rs 300/- per month and yet government employees get wage increases of Rs 50000/- per month through Pay Commission Awards.
How can you stop the breeding of Maoist when such inequities exist?
What is surprising is that it has taken so long for the people to rise. I suppose this has suddenly come out in the open because of opening up the economy so that the rich people can loot as they want. The disparity has become more aggravated.
Unless the government sets its house in order by eliminating corruption, removing the nexus between politician, police and criminals and control the runaway salary increases granted to its employees by printing notes, the Maoist problem is going to increase not decrease.
If the government thinks by killing Maoist they can control them they are mistaken.
If one Maoist is killed a hundred will be born.
Go to the roots of the problem instead of the result the problem has created.