The Union Home Minister, Mr P. Chidambaram, on Wednesday said the Centre was open to talks with Maoists provided they “suspend violence.” In terms of violence, Left Wing Extremism (LWE) posed a greater security concern than terrorism, he said.
“We are not asking Naxalites to surrender, lay down arms or disband PLA. Neither are we asking them to give up their ideologies. We are just asking them to suspend violence and come for talks,” Mr Chidambaram said.
He was speaking at an interactive session organised by the Bharat Chamber of Commerce here today.
According to the Minister, ten times more lives are lost in LWE attacks than in terrorism. The two planks to deal with the problem of extremism are development (of affected areas) and law and order, he said.
Development work
Referring to development work, Mr. Chidambaram said that a sum of approximately Rs. 3,300 crore has been allotted to carry out such work in 60 LWE affected districts across the country. Around 62,000 projects have been taken up in LWE areas with 80 per cent of such work being completed by December this year. The remaining 20 per cent will be completed by February 2012, he said.
“Wherever development can take place, it should take place with the help of security forces. Where it is not possible, security forces should go and regain control of the region,” he said.
Internal Security
According to Mr. Chidambaram, the country faces multiple internal security challenges with infiltration in Jammu & Kashmir, Naxalism in central India, insurgency in Northeast and threat of terror. Emphasising on the need to tackle threats arising out of terrorism, Mr. Chidambaram said that the country's vulnerability to terror attacks rose because of its “proximity to the epicentre.”
The Centre, he said, is building capacities to tackle these challenges.
Recruitment of police personnel and IPS officers apart; it would also put in place a “security structure” that includes intelligence, investigation and counter- terrorism.