The Hindu : Karnataka News : Sindhia defends decision to hold talks with naxals

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Sep 15, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka

Sindhia defends decision to hold talks with naxals

By Our Special Correspondent

Dramatist C.G. Krishnaswamy (right), the Minister for Industries, P.G.R. Sindhia (centre), and the Karkala MLA, Sunil Kumar, at a seminar on `The naxalite problem' in Bangalore on Tuesday. — Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy

BANGALORE, SEPT. 14. Diverse views were expressed on the rise of naxalite activities in the Kudremukh National Park area of the State with the Industries Minister, P.G.R. Sindhia, defending the Government's decision to hold talks with the People's War.

The Minister, who was participating in a seminar on "The naxalite problem," organised by the Bangalore Reporters' Guild, spoke against considering the naxalite problem as a law and order one. The Government did not believe in the theory of retribution while dealing with what was a social problem. It was far fetched to think that use of State power and violence could end the naxalite problem, he said. Mr. Sindhia said that it was natural that the tribal people, who were living in abject poverty, were being influenced by the naxalites. Three Government departments had a crucial role in ameliorating the condition of the tribals — Revenue, Forest and Social Welfare.

`Naxalites relocating'

The BJP MLA from Karkala, Sunil Kumar, hit out at the naxalities and said that after the Andhra Pradesh Government struck at them in a big way, they were attempting to relocate themselves in Karnataka. The Kudremukh naxalites, whose number was a mere 13, were terrorising the local people. They were indulging in extortion of money from the villagers and were not concerned about the welfare of the people.

Mr. Kumar said that the Government should not be taken in by the claim that the naxalites were espousing the cause of the tribal people. While the Government should help the tribal people, it should deal firmly with the naxalities.

About the killing of two women naxalites by the police last year, Mr. Kumar said that the law enforcement authority could not be expected to remain silent when they were fired upon. He noted that the Government itself had given the option to the tribal people living in the Kudremukh National Park area to continue to live there or move out. A false propaganda was being carried on that they were being thrown out of the forests.

`Exploited'

The former president of the State Nataka Academy and professor of Economics, C.G. Krishnaswamy, traced the history of the naxalite movement in the country from the mid-1960s. It came to the fore in 1967 when the Communist Party of India (Marxist) became the major constituent of the United Front Government which came to power in West Bengal (the Bangla Congress leader Ajoy Mukherjee was the Chief Minister with the CPI(M) leader, Jyoti Basu, Deputy Chief Minister). The tribal people in the Kudremukh National Park area as elsewhere, who eked out a livelihood by tapping forest produce, were being exploited by traders. Prof. Krishnaswamy also said that the tribal people living in the forest areas were an exploited and backward lot.

Unfortunately, the Government's welfare measures were helping only those groups that had managed to receive the Scheduled Tribe tag.

The President of the Guild, A.M. Suresh, said that the naxalite problem should be tackled before the movement spread in the State.

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