Mumbai, October 07: Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday urged the Naxals to lay down arms and come to the negotiation table for the speedier resolution of their problems.
“The Naxal problem has grown in the past ten years, both in its area of influence and its capacity for violent actions. However, we are now confronting it and in the process suffering casualties. Our security forces have also inflicted casualties on them. All they need to do is lay down arms and get engaged in talks for a lasting solution of the problems of the people they ‘claim’ to represent,” the Home Minister said.
Coming down heavily on the CPI-Maoists, Chidambaram said, “They claim to be representing the poor people, the tribal people; but the government also claims to be representing the same people, so the best way forward is to abjure violence and show willingness for talks.”
He also made it clear that the government does not view the confrontation with the Naxalites as a war.
“The Naxalite leaders and cadres are Indian citizens. No government of a civilized country will wage war against its own people. All that we ask for is that the Naxalites should abjure violence.”
“If they represent the poor or the tribal people of a State, certainly the Government of that State would be willing to talk to them on their demands and listen to their genuine grievances. I hope that leaders of civil society would prevail upon Naxalites to abjure violence and participate in democracy,” he added.
On state elections
Meanwhile, Chidambaram also lauded the government of Maharashtra for its contribution in the economic development of the country in the last few decades and measures that it had taken towards the security of state.
Taking a page from his previous stint as Finance and Commerce Minister, he complimented Maharashtra for contributing immensely towards the economic growth of the country.
Refusing to answer a question on comparison between the performances of the Union and State governments, Chidambaram said that it’s not possible to compare the two as the Centre’s economic performance is an aggregate of state financials.
“You cannot have 9% growth at the Centre when states are growing at 3%,” he emphasised. In this context he lauded Maharashtra for not just being a revenue surplus state but also one of the most connected with the Union government.
Chidambaram took a dig at West Bengal and Orissa for lagging behind due to their remaining disconnected with overall central policies.
Post 26/11, PC said that he took over the charge of the Home Minister in December, 2008 and he was happy at the measures taken by the state government for enhancing the security of its citizens particularly in the country’s commercial hub Mumbai.
He said he had no doubt that the Congress-NCP government would return to power with a clear majority.
—Agencies