Differing with Union Home Minister P Chidambaram’s line on fighting Maoists, former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Ajit Jogi on Sunday said he felt that just military action and killing of rebels alone cannot lead to a permanent solution to the vexed Naxalite problem in the country.

“I am not in favour of Home Minister’s line on war against Naxalites. Can we kill the tribals? Even if we wipe out all Naxalites in a military action, they will rise in one form or the other as long as exploitation and disparities in development of backward areas continued to exist,” he said while speaking at a seminar on “Naxalism and Development Issues” here.

Jogi’s observation, apparently questioning the Home Ministry plan to take on Naxalites, came following a statement by Chidambaram that the government has appointed a special military advisor and would convene a meeting of Chief Ministers of Naxal-affected states next month. Besides, Chidambaram had also said that “ For many years we did not properly assess the threat posed by Left-wing extremism. We under-estimated the challenge and in the meanwhile they (Naxalites) extended their influence. Today they (Naxalites) pose a grave challenge ... We are preparing to take on the challenge. Details cannot be disclosed now.”

“I have written a letter to Home Minister P Chidambaram on this issue,” Jogi said, adding that he felt that multi-pronged strategies — not just use of force — were required to tackle the Naxalite problem. The first and foremost need was to tackle the problems on the socio-economic front of the backward areas, understanding the development needs of the tribals and the local population, he said. “We cannot replicate or impose any particular development model in these areas. We have to understand the culture, needs of the local population,” he added.