In a clear message to Maoists, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Wednesday that no sustained economic activity is possible under the shadow of gun in tribal areas where decades of alienation is taking a "dangerous" turn.

He said there has been a "systemic failure" in giving tribals a stake in the modern economic processes and emphasised that the "systematic exploitation and social and economic abuse of our tribal communities can no longer be tolerated."

Addressing a conference of Chief Ministers and State Ministers of Tribal Affairs in New Delhi, Singh said the problems faced by tribals are complex and require sympathetic understanding, factoring in different nuances of tribal life.

"The alienation built over decades is now taking a dangerous turn. We must change our ways of dealing with tribals. We have to win the battle for their hearts," he said.

"It cannot be said that we dealt sensitively with these issues in the past. More could be done and more should be done (for tribals)," he said.

At the same time, he said, "No sustained economic activity is possible under the shadow of gun. Nor have those who claim to speak for the tribals offered an alternate economic path that is viable", an apparent message to Maoists who claim to be champions of the tribals' cause.

Underlining that tribals must be the primary beneficiaries of the development process, the Prime Minister underlined that the cult of violence would only bring greater misery to the people.

He made it clear that "violence cannot be tolerated" and the threat would be countered with determination. Talking about the problems faced by tribals, Singh said administrative machinery in some of such areas is "either weak or virtually non-existent", the "heavy hand of criminal justice system has become a source of harassment and exploitation" and over the years, a large number of cases have been registered against the tribals, "whose traditional rights were not recognised by earlier forest laws".

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