The gruesome, cold-blooded murder of Jharkhand police inspector Francis Induwar by Maoists is condemnable. The dastardly act is a grim pointer to the entrenchment of naxalites across the country. There is absolutely no place for violence and extremism in a democracy. That Induwar is the 339th policeman to be killed in naxal violence since January 2003 calls for a more effective co-ordination between the Centre and the State governments in rooting out the naxalite menace.
B. Suresh Kumar,
Coimbatore
Our security personnel stake their lives to capture and eliminate criminals. They put in tremendous efforts to enforce law and order, as a result of which they live in constant threat virtually without any support from anywhere.
On the other hand, the captured criminals, including terrorists, are kept safe and healthy in our jails. Very few are punished. We are reluctant to act even after the judiciary sentences some of them to death. Are we not making a mockery of democracy by taking more pains to support and sustain criminals than those who fight to eliminate them? The reluctance to punish the guilty has eroded people’s faith in the criminal justice system.
P. Bhuvanachandran,
Aluva
By their barbaric act, Maoists have outdone even jihadi terrorists. The Maoist insurgency can no longer be seen as a socio-economic problem. The way the naxalites destroy the infrastructure built through taxpayers’ money is ample evidence that they are not prepared to join the democratic mainstream. It is time the government took effective and time-bound action to eliminate the menace.
J. Anantha Padmanabhan,
Srirangam
If Maoists are fighting only a just battle against social and economic deprivation, as advocated by rights activists and sympathisers of naxalites, how is the killing of Induwar justified?
It is clear that the naxalites are not fighting for the downtrodden. A vast majority of the Maoist cadre is brainwashed by a small minority of the so-called commanders. Rather than entering into a dialogue with these elements, the government should take stern measures to liquidate them.
M.D. Ravikanth,
Chennai
When a naxalite, wanted in a number of cases, is arrested by the police, Maoists, self-styled rights activists and many other groups condemn the arrest, demand judicial custody for the arrested, and remind the authorities of his rights. But they maintain a stoic silence when police officers are killed by Maoists.
M.V. Ramana Murthy,
Secunderabad
As a true liberal and democratic state, India provides space for every ideology to flourish provided the means to achieve the goals are democratic. If Maoists are really fighting for people’s rights, what prevents them from forming a legitimate political party and contesting elections?
The government should not be held hostage to outlawed groups like the Maoists. It should strive to curb the menace posed by them.
Ashish Chadha,
Secunderabad
It is important to go to the root cause of Maoist unrest. The intellectuals supporting the naxalites, politicians running the government and sitting in the Opposition, and bureaucrats implementing the welfare schemes should rise above their selfishness to address the problem of naxalism. Poverty and unemployment leading to frustration should be eradicated.
Akhileshwari Gaonkar,
Mangalore
