Mamatas turn

President Pratibha Patils address to both Houses of Parliament at the start of the Budget Session reassured that the senseless violence perpetrated by Maoists will be tackled with added vigour. Not that the Union home ministrys resolve was in doubt. But that said,there is still crucial and unfinished business. After the initial months of Operation Green Hunt,there lie states in the eye of the offensive that are doubtful and hesitant. There are politicians and parties unwilling to desist from exploiting the Maoists for local electoral points. It is their resolve that is questionable.

On the ground,a coordinated operation on this scale cannot succeed by half measures and the one-step-up,two-steps-back approach of states like Jharkhand. On the political front,giving space to Maoists through equivocal words and opportunistic moves,such as the Trinamools,is suicidal. It is necessary to warn mainstream political figures that they cannot get away by using Maoists for political mileage. Of this,Mamata Banerjee,who is part of the UPA coalition and positions herself as West Bengals chief minister-in-waiting,should take note. Ambivalence on Naxalism severely jeopardises life and liberty. That was on display during the seizure of the Rajdhani in West Midnapore last October,when,as Union railways minister,she failed to address the severity of the Maoist menace. She continues to give evidence of her inability to come to terms with reality as she routinely confuses all by her flip-flop on Maoists. Nor are her MPs blameless Lok Sabha member Kabir Suman has gone on record protesting at Green Hunt and insisting that the Trinamool should have opposed it. That,of course,goes even against the partys line but Banerjee has to put her house in order. As a constituent of the ruling alliance at the Centre,the Trinamool and its chief must behave responsibly.

The Centres task is unenviable. It must fully get on board reluctant states and UPA members on the inadmissibility of the Maoist modus operandi and ideology even as it coordinates the joint operations,hoping that states will ensure theres no potential Silda lurking anywhere. The state has a duty to protect citizens. It must be allowed to do that duty. The object lesson in how not to treat Maoists is the West Bengal government which,after years of being in denial,now finds itself at sea. That is pretty close a warning for Mamata Banerjee,one that her cabinet colleagues must keep alerting her to.