The Hindu : Karnataka News : Dharam Singh defends Govt.'s approach

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 16, 2005

Karnataka

Karnataka

Dharam Singh defends Govt.'s approach

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE, MARCH 15. The Chief Minister, N. Dharam Singh, defended in the Legislative Assembly today the measures taken by the Government to curb naxalite activities in the State, stating that they are on the right lines.

Karnataka has the support of Andhra Pradesh and is in continuous contact with the Government there. It will not allow the naxalite movement to grow in the State.

Well prepared

In his reply to the two-day debate on the law and order situation and naxalite presence in certain areas in the State, the Chief Minister said, "The Government has had to face certain challenges from time to time and we are well prepared. After 14 years in power, the former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated and so was Rajiv Gandhi. Terrorists attacked Parliament when A.B. Vajpayee was the Prime Minister and L.K. Advani the Deputy Prime Minister. These are not attacks against an individual or an institution but against the nation."

Mr. Dharam Singh said, "I am the Chief Minister of the State, and my primary duty is to take care of the interests of the people, and being the Home Minister too, I have to provide proper security cover to the people. These are not matters that can be discussed on political lines. The aim of the Government is to maintain law and order, and the coalition Government in the State has established a benchmark. There has not been a single incident of police firing over the past ten months."

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) held a national meeting near Mangalore recently and the area is known for naxal presence. "After the conference the RSS chief, K.S. Sudarshan, spoke to me and thanked me for the excellent police arrangements."

Discussions

He said the Union Home Minister, Shivraj Patil, has agreed to visit Bangalore and hold discussions with leaders of all political parties on tackling the naxalite menace. "It is a sensitive issue and an inter-State matter. The Government has to tackle the menace with a human face though."

The Chief Minister said the State Government's response to the naxalite activities in the State will be two pronged. It will focus on socio-economic development activities in the areas adjoining the forests of the Western Ghats and the villages along the Karnataka-Andhra Pradesh border. While a Rs. 23-crore package has been finalised to rehabilitate people who have agreed to come out of the Kudremukh forest, similar packages would be evolved to attract tribal people living in forests. In the border areas, the focus will be on providing employment, drinking water and other facilities. Innocent people will be prevented from falling a prey to people with certain "fixed ideologies." The previous Government too had requested the Union Government for a Rs. 60-crore package to rehabilitate the tribal people, and it is expected to be cleared shortly.

`Charges baseless'

Replying to the charge of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that the naxalites had been emboldened by the Government's frequent statements on holding talks with them, Mr. Dharam Singh said it is improper to level such baseless charges. Adequate police personnel have been posted all along the State's border with Andhra Pradesh and in the Malnad areas. Police stations in all those areas have been upgraded and the personnel are being provided with modern firearms. A battalion of the Karnataka State Reserve Police is being raised and the strength of the District Armed Reserve units will be increased. Referring to the demand of some Opposition members to constitute a legislature committee to visit the areas where naxalites have a presence, Mr. Dharam Singh there is no need for it as the Government has already taken appropriate steps. He, however, volunteered to lead an all-party group of legislators to such areas in an effort to convince the local people that the Government will take care of their interests.

Walkout

Dissatisfied with the reply of the Chief Minister, the BJP legislators walked out.

A few others in the Opposition staged a dharna demanding the constitution of a legislature committee.

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