New Delhi: Admitting that the government had "not achieved much success" in containing left wing extremism, which he described as the "gravest internal security threat", Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Tuesday also maintained that infiltration through various routes was going up.
Addressing state police chiefs on the second day of their three-day conclave, Manmohan Singh at the outset pointed to the increasing influence of Maoist rebels in vast swathes of India. According to Home Minister P. Chidambaram, they had presence in 17 states and were responsible for 90 percent of the violence in the country.
"I have consistently held that left wing extremism is, perhaps, the gravest internal security threat we face. We have not achieved as much success as we would have liked in containing it. It is a matter of concern that despite our efforts, the level of violence in the affected states continues to rise," the Prime Minister said.
"As I have stated before, dealing with left wing extremism requires a nuanced strategy -- it cannot be treated simply as a law and order problem. Despite its sanguinary nature, the movement manages to retain the support of a section of the tribals and the poorest of the poor in many areas. It has influence among sizeable sections of civil society, the intelligentsia and the youth.
"It still retains a certain elan. All this adds to the complexity of the problem. I expect you to keep this in mind as you devise newer and better strategies to deal with the problem."
A day earlier, Chidambaram had said that last year alone there were a 1,591 incidents of Maoist violence resulting in 721 killings; this year until August there had been 1,405 incidents, resulting in 580 deaths spread over 11 states.
While maintaining that levels of violence had come down appreciably in Jammu and Kashmir and was at its lowest level since the beginning of insurgency in the late 1980s, the prime minister said there were other worrying signs.
"But there are certain developments that are worrisome. Infiltration across the Line of Control and also via other routes such as Nepal, Bangladesh and the sea is going up. Encounters with armed militants have become more frequent in recent weeks and months," he said.
"Secessionist and militant groups within the state are again attempting to make common cause with outside elements and have embarked on a series of protest movements. The intention apparently is to create an impression of widespread turmoil in the state. We must not allow such a situation to develop. It is imperative that these efforts are contained and checked."
The situation in the northeastern parts of the country, the prime minister warned, was far from comfortable.
"In two of the states, Manipur and Assam, current levels of violence give us cause for concern. In addition, extortion and intimidation have become a menace across most of the states in the region. It should be possible, I believe, to bring about a substantial improvement in the situation if there can be better security management," he said.
The Prime Minister also called upon the police chiefs of the seven northeastern states to achieve higher levels of professionalism from the forces they commanded.
"Firm but compassionate handling of law and order matters can certainly bring about substantial improvement in the prevailing state of affairs."
Chidambaram had pointed to the large scale diversion of development funds to militants, giving them easy access to critical resources and helping them recruit new cadres as well as procure arms.
IANS
