Jogi favours political process to solve Maoist problem

Raipur, July 31: Senior Congress leader and former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Ajit Jogi today hailed the Communist Party of India (Marxist) 'initiative' to solve the Nepal imbroglio saying a similar political process was required to defuse the Naxalite menace in the country.

Lauding the role of Marxist leader Sitaram Yechuri in finding ''a solution'' to the Nepal crisis, Mr Jogi said senior interlocutors, having contacts with Maoists, could play an important role for initiating political dialogue with the Naxalites.

Stressing that multi-pronged strategy was required to tackle the Naxalite problem, the former chief minister said on the law and order front, security forces would have to take on the Naxalites indulging in violence. ''Tribals should not be pitted against the tribals, who constitute majority of the naxal support base''.

Mr Jogi said efforts have to be stepped up for socio-economic development in the naxalite infested areas to erase unemployment.

''If the tribals are suitably employed, the problem will die its own death'', he said adding simultaneously a political dialogue and process should begin.

Referring to 'Salwa Judum', the ongoing anti-naxalite movement in tribal Bastar region, he reiterated his demand to stop the campaign in the wake of killings of innocent tribals. ''We are not opposed to the movement but we decry the killings of scores of innocent tribals in the process,'' he added.

Though official figures about the number of deaths during the last one year was between 250 and 300, he said independent inquiry panels have reported that atleast 15,000 people were not present in their native villages in South Bastar. Many of them have migrated to neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and Maharashtra while nearly 1000 of them could have been killed, he claimed.

He said nearly 8,000 people have fled to neighbouring Andhra Pradesh where they are living under pathetic conditions.

Mr Jogi accused the BJP government in Chhattisgarh of having failed to protect the lives and property of scores of tribals, who, he said, were caught in the crossfire in Bastar.

Terming the BJP government as ''anti-tribal'', Mr Jogi said the party which had come to power on the support of this section of the society had betrayed them by not fulfilling the promises made to them during the elections.

He said the resignation of senior tribal leader and state BJP President Shiv Pratap Singh from the post of Vice-Chairman of Sarguja and Northern Tribal Area Development Authority was a clear indication of the brewing discontentment within the ranks of the ruling party of the state.

UNI