People dont understand Salwa Judum… is it wrong to fight Naxal terror?

Other than the Naxal menace,lack of infrastructure and development is one of the basic problems in Chhattisgarh,where more than 45 per cent of the people live below the poverty line (BPL). Among the schemes that have been chalked out to benefit the poor are subsidised rice,agricultural loans at a 3 per cent rate of interest,free power of up to 5 Hp for irrigation pumps and a bonus of Rs 270 per quintal – the highest in the country- on paddy procured on support price.

•The subsidised rice scheme and bonus to farmers on paddy procurement alone will incur an annual expenditure of about Rs 1,500 crore. How will the government fund such schemes?

We will make provisions for all these schemes in next years Budget. We will also adopt innovative measures for resource mobilisation.

•More than half the 18 districts in Chhattisgarh are affected by Naxalism. How does the government plan to deal with the situation?

Naxalism is a national problem affecting more than 30 crore people spread over many states. The Centre and the states facing this challenge have already geared up to tackle the problem through multi-pronged strategies. But Bastar is the only region where the local people themselves have stood up against the Naxalites (Salwa Judum). The Punjab problem was solved after the people turned against the militants. Bastar tribals showed the way and this will also happen in other states. Creating awareness among the people and development will also lead to a solution.

•For about 18 months or so,there have been no known Salwa Judum rallies or public meetings. Has Salwa Judum lost its momentum,or has it simply gone underground?

People are yet to understand Salwa Judum. It is not an agitation,dharna or demonstration but a non-violent movement against Naxal violence. It is not a spontaneous movement of the people,who were driven to desperation by more than three decades of bloodshed.

The so-called intellectuals opposing Salwa Judum cant comprehend it. Is it wrong to fight against Naxal terror? Naxals butcher innocent people,blow up school buildings. When the tribals rise in protest,there are highly educated people who cry foul over it.

Their perceptions will change only if they visit Bastar and understand the sufferings of the tribals. We are not worried about such criticism. Its the state governments responsibility to give security to the tribals for the peace movement.

•What about complaints of human rights violations by Salwa Judum activists and fake encounters in Bastar? A controversy is still raging over a recent encounter in a South Bastar village in which 17 people,including women,were killed.

An inquiry has been ordered into the November 9 encounter following the allegations. We have also initiated action on the cases pointed out by the Human Rights Commission. But though we will always investigate such complaints,some attempts are being made to tarnish the states image,using the excuse of human rights violations. Unfortunately,when Naxalites kill civilians and security personnel and uproot power lines,no one talks about the rights of these victims.

•What steps are being taken to fulfil the agenda of development of Naxal areas,particularly in Bastar?

MoUs had already been signed with Tata Steel,Essar Group and the National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) in our last tenure for setting up steel plants in Bastar. Now we are looking to ensure that these projects are implemented on time. Similar development initiatives have also been proposed in Naxalite-infested Sarguja region.