Bardhan disapproves ban on Naxal outfits in Orissa

Bhubaneswar, Jun 21 (UNI) CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan today disapproved the Orissa government's decision to ban CPI(Maoist) and its seven frontal organisations, saying such a step will be counterproductive.

Mr Bardhan held the Naveen Patnaik government responsible for the growth of Left wing ultra activities in the state and described him as the originator, creator and driving force for naxalism in the state.

The CPI leader said when late Biju Patnaik was the Chief Minister, the naxalite activities were confined to only two to three districts but under the rule of the Naveen Patnaik government it had spread to as many as 17 districts as confessed by the government.

He said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik must know where was the problem, adding just a ban would not solve the issue. The banning of Naxal outfits and thinking thereby that it would write of naxal menace was living in fools paradise, the CPI leader remarked.

The Chief Minister himself invited the leaders of various naxalite outfits for a discussion but some of these leaders were arrested on their return, Mr Bardhan said and asked '' What sort of politics is this. '' Stating that the naxal issue as a socio economic problem, the CPI General Secretary said extreme neglect, continuous displacement and atrocities on the tribals were the factors that attributed to naxalism, which should be dealt with effectively.

Mr Bardhan opposed the Salwa Judum in Chhatishgarh, saying it was a tactic to make the tribals fighting with the tribals and warned that such a concept would ultimately lead to a civil war.

He said he had written a letter to the Prime Minister, requesting him to stop the Salawa Judum which had already claimed 300 lives in Chattishgarh alone during the last six months. The concept started by the Congress had been now hijacked by the BJP in Chhatishgarh.

Mr Bardhan was critical of the deploying the Naga and Mizo battalion to fight against the Naxalites in basta region of Chhatishgarh.

UNI DP SJC RN 1759