The Hindu : National : Naxalism not single biggest threat: Patil

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Naxalism not single biggest threat: Patil

New Delhi: Naxalism is not the single biggest threat to the country, Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil has said.

“I don’t think so,” Mr. Patil said, in an interview to Karan Thapar’s “Devil’s Advocate” programme on CNN-IBN, to a question whether naxalism was the “single biggest security threat” as was stated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Mr. Patil, while refusing to comment directly on the Prime Minister’s assertion, contended that the scourge could not be termed the single biggest threat as the situation had improved in all States barring Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.

Citing statistics for 2003-2007, Mr. Patil said there was 70 per cent improvement in Andhra Pradesh and in Bihar too the position was better.

“But the two worst affected States are Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand,” he said, adding another State where the problem existed on a large-scale was Orissa.

While in some States there was improvement, in others the situation deteriorated. “But the sum total is not different.”

Mr. Patil said there were various ways of looking at the naxal problem. If one said 10 States were affected, it would mean 30 per cent of the country. If one went by the 130 districts affected, it would mean 25 per cent. But if one took into account the number of police stations, it would give a picture of only three per cent. Some particular kind of statistics would create “fear psychosis.”

The Centre had provided 37,000 paramilitary force personnel and officials for tackling the naxal problem; 17,000 of them had been sent to Chhattisgarh alone.

To a question, he said the Centre would try to build consensus among the political parties before carrying out any constitutional change to get itself special powers to handle naxalism. “The government will not do it unless there is a consensus.”

Asked whether the Centre contemplated constitutional changes to take direct action against naxalites, Mr. Patil said that for deployment of forces in the States, the Constitution had to be amended with a two-thirds majority support in Parliament and backing from half of the State legislatures.

“I don’t think BJP will support it,” he said. — PTI

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