Chidambaram: Maoists pose formidable challenge

New Delhi: Left-wing extremism is the most "formidable challenge" to governance, Home Minister P. Chidambaram said yesterday while stressing that the real hurdle was not restoring peace or development but winning the minds and hearts of villagers.

Speaking at the inaugural session of the ‘National workshop on appropriate development strategies for effective implementation of rural development schemes in IAP (integrated action plan) districts', Chidambaram said more people had been killed in Maoist violence this year than in incidents of terrorism.

According to the minister, 26 civilians had been killed in the first eight months of this year in incidents of terrorism, 46 in insurgency-related incidents in the northeast and 27 in violence in Jammu and Kashmir — the corresponding figure for civilians killed in left-wing extremism violence was 297.

He said 109 security personnel had been killed in Maoist violence this year while 50 had been killed in insurgency-related incidents in the northeast and violence in Jammu and Kashmir.

"The numbers tell their own story. The most formidable challenge to governance is left-wing extremism," Chidambaram said. He said left-wing extremism was driven by brutal ideology and its goal was to overthrow established parliamentary democracy and replace it with dictatorship of the proletariat. Chidambaram said the government could talk to Maoists but they should come to the table.

"I can understand your anxiety. Burden of governance cannot shift from the state to central government. Centre can only help provide funds, forces and broad guidelines," he told the district collectors.

The minister said he had been told by the Planning Commission that none of the projects under IAP had been targeted by Maoists.

The battle was not for restoring peace or complementing development but winning the "minds and hearts of villagers", he said.

The minister said state governments can do a lot to bridge the "trust deficit" in Maoist-hit areas and suggested chief ministers and ministers spend more time in these areas and allocate more resources.