Stop blaming states, CPI-M tells Chidambaram
By IANSWednesday, April 7, 2010
NEW DELHI - The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Wednesday flayed Home Minister P. Chidambaram for criticising state governments over Maoist violence and said the central government was to blame for the displacement of tribal people due to rampart mining.
Condemning the massacre of 76 security personnel in Chhattisgarh Tuesday, the CPI-M said the attack “is a reminder that no state government can singly tackle the violence perpetrated by the Maoists.
“(As) Maoists are conducting their major armed operations in seven states, it becomes the responsibility of the central government to ensure a coordinated response and for providing adequate assistance through the central police forces.
“Regrettably, the home minister has been prone to throw the responsibility on to the state governments and to blame them for the consequences of the Maoist depredations.
“Such an approach should be given up and proper coordination between the centre and the states concerned should be established.”
It pointed out that Maoists were concentrating in areas of tribal habitation in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh where “large tracts of land are being handed over to foreign and Indian companies for mining operations.
“Instead of adopting measures for the socio-economic development of such regions, the policies of the central government are harming the interests of the tribal people.
“The displacement of the tribal people and the loss of their livelihood and habitats are a direct result of the policy of the central government to indiscriminately throw open all these areas for mining operations, legal and illegal. This must be put a stop to immediately.”
