Chidambaram calls three chief ministers over Maoist violence

NEW DELHI - Home Minister P. Chidambaram has written to chief ministers of Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal inviting them to a meeting here following the recent spurt in Maoist violence.

In his letter, the home minister said the government had reached tentative conclusions to combat Left wing extremism and wanted all state governments to endorse the government’s plan for an inter-state operation against the rebels, officials said Saturday.

Ministry officials pointed out that the letter was an outcome of two daring attacks staged by the rebels this week.

In West Bengal, over 100 Maoist rebels overran a Eastern Frontier Rifles camp in West Midnapore district Monday, killing 24 troopers. In another attack Wednesday night, Maoists killed 11 villagers in Kodasi Phulwaria village in Jamui District of Bihar.

Sources said Chidambaram wanted to be reassured that the chief ministers of Jharkhand and Bihar endorse the plans presented by the government.

On Friday, the home minister admitted that finding trained and well-equipped security forces in states is the most difficult challenge in tackling the Maoists, who had created a parallel administration in many districts in the country.

“The most difficult element is trained, well-equipped state police force to take on the challenge of the Maoists. The situation on the Naxal (Maoist) front is worse. For, we did not engage them (earlier) and they will continue to expand unless we challenge them,” Chidambaram told reporters in an interaction at the Indian Women’s Press Corps.

In Chidambaram’s reckoning, security forces needed to regain control over Maoist-controlled areas first and the state governments should then rush with developmental measures.