New Delhi: The national advisory council (NAC) headed by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi is likely to draw up an action plan to empower tribals in the 33 districts that are in the grip of Maoists.
“The issue of left-wing extremism has engaged the attention of NAC and we expect that in the coming months an action plan would be worked out,” NAC and planning commission member Narendra Jadhav told DNA.
There is a sense of urgency in working out a plan that shall help tackle the multi-pronged threat of left-wing extremism. Maoists have always derived rationale for violence from the exploitation of tribals and as NAC is primarily engaged with the UPA government’s social development agenda, it is expected to work out a strategy aimed at de-linking left-wing violence from the problems of tribals.
The perception among policy advisers is that there are historic and social factors responsible for the backwardness of tribals.
“Maoists have built their rationale around these factors. There is a need to isolate the problems of tribals from this larger issue of left-wing extremism and provide solutions that empower tribals. We cannot provide a lasting solution without empowering tribals,” Jadhav said.
It is expected that the strategy to be worked out by NAC would be in harmony with the UPA government’s approach that left-wing extremism has to be tackled at two levels simultaneously. The two-pronged strategy combines development and aggressive measures.
The need to empower tribals is also underscored by a realisation that a mere policing solution to the Maoist problem would not last and would be limited to containing violence.
–Agencies–