WB's LWE problem not serious as Odisha, Jharkhand Chattisgarh
PTI | 11:01 PM,Jan 25,2012Kolkata, Jan 25 (PTI) The Maoist problem in West Bengal is not as serious as those of Odisha, Jharkhand and Chattisgarh, but there is no room for complacency, Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh said today. "The problem is not as serious in West Bengal as in Jharkhand, Odisha of Chattisgarh. There is no liberated zone of the Maoists in West Bengal," Ramesh told a press conference after a visit to three districts, including the Maoist-hit ones of Bankura and Purulia. Stating that 18 districts in Odisha, 17 in Jharkhand and 10 in Chattisgarh were very badly affected, he said, "West Bengal is not in that category. So the LWE problem here is not so disturbing. But since Purulia is in a trijunction, it is vulnerable. So we cannot relax." Agreeing with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's view that Maoism was the biggest challenge to the country's internal security, he said a three-pronged approach of political activation, a sensitive and tribal-friendly development strategy and proper deployment of security forces to facilitate political activation and developmental activity, was needed to surmount the problem. Warning against political exclusionism, he said all parties in the Maoist areas must be given space so that such activities take place on a day-to-day basis. "We cannot substitute one form of tyranny with another form of tyranny." Pointing out that the country's development was not tribal friendly, he said, "our forest administration is anti- tribal and our mining policy and our land acquisition policy is anti-tribal. It is no wonder that all tribal areas of India today are in a state of discontent."
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