New Delhi: Describing Naxals as "a part of
our society", Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today warned
that "enforcement action alone" would lead to "wider
alienation" of such elements and pressed for an integrated
approach to deal with the problem.
He criticised the Planning Commission`s integrated
action plan for development of Naxal-affected areas, saying it
covered only 35 of the 83 such districts and the rest would
remain backward, thus hampering efforts to solve the problem.
Addressing a meeting of Naxal-affected states convened
by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh here, Kumar attacked the
central government, saying it was not providing adequate
support to his state for tackling Naxalism.
He said Left-wing extremism could be tackled through
sustained development but this needs the Centre`s supportive
approach to states like Bihar.
"It cannot be disputed that intensive all-round
development is the final solution for the Left-wing extremism
problem," he underlined.
"Naxal elements are a part of our society even though
they have been misled into following the path of violence," he
said at the meeting attended by Home Minister P Chidambaram
besides Chief Ministers and some senior ministers of eight
states.
Kumar pressed for an "integrated approach" to deal with
the problem and said "Enforcement action alone leads to wider
alienation, making heroes out of the leaders of the extremist
organisations and leads to only symptomatic treatment, leaving
the underlined disease to reappear in a more virulent form."
On Planning Commission`s integrated action plan for
carrying out developmental work in 35 Naxal-affected
districts, he said, "It is recognised that there are 83
Left-wing extremism affected districts all over India. It is
not clear as to why only 35 districts have been selected" for
integrated development.
"As the remaining 48 districts will continue to remain
backward, the problem cannot be solved by leaving the majority
of the districts uncovered," Kumar said.
The Chief Minister complained that despite concerns
expressed by his government over the Naxal situation and
demands for more Central Paramilitary Forces (CPMF), his state
has "not received the requisite support from the Central
government."
PTI
