After freeing Saranda of Maoists,a pitch for tribal hearts and minds

In the first tangible demonstration of the government’s strategy of a concerted,multipronged engagement with Naxalism,Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh has now written to Chidambaram,suggesting a follow-up action plan of development to wean the 36,500 tribal people in these villages away from the Naxals.

“I have taken this Saranda project as a challenge and as a way of demonstrating how development and security can and should go hand-in-hand,” Jairam has written,seeking Chidambaram’s support for his plan.

Jairam has told Chidambaram that he would send a team of officials administering rural development schemes to Saranda to identify local challenges and fine-tune the action plan to meet the aspirations of the tribal population.

In a lecture delivered in Delhi yesterday,the rural development minister echoed the views of Chidambaram on the connection between Naxals and the tribal population.

“The Naxals are exploiting the tribals. The tribals themselves want peace,not war. The Naxals are using the tribal areas and issues for their tactical purposes. The terrain and the forests suit them for guerilla warfare. They have spread their terror and ensured that developmental activities are obstructed. The tribal cause,which the naxals espouse,is only a mask to further their own agenda,” Jairam said.

The minister’s Saranda plan envisages setting up 10 integrated development centres at “strategic locations” in the forest. Ten specific action points have been identified,on which the government intends to deliver in the shortest possible time — about two months.

The identified tasks — to be carried out through “special camps” in these 10 centres — include issuing of BPL ration cards; disbursement of pensions to the elderly,widows and disabled; building 5,000 ‘cluster’ homes under Indira Awas Yojana; granting forest pattas to tribals; and providing solar lanterns,bicycles,transistors and musical and sports equipment. NREGS works are intended to be taken up on a priority basis.

Another set of 10 projects have been identified for implementation within 6-12 months. These include drinking water supply,electrification,watershed management and skill development projects; vehicles for transportation,mobile health units,and small bridges,etc.