Maoism a ‘fashionable trend’ in universities: WB Governor

Voicing concern over spreading influence of Naxals, West Bengal Governor M.K. Narayanan on Friday said Maoism has become a “fashionable trend” in universities in different states.

Mr. Narayanan also said Maoists were getting an “upper hand” in people’s mind because of encouragement from civil society.

“Maoism has become a fashionable trend in different states including West Bengal and students in different universities are getting attracted,” he said.

Holding that Maoists were a serious problem to internal security, the former National Security Adviser said, “a decade ago Maoists were present in five or six states, but it has spread to over 15 or 16 states with West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra being the worst affected.”

Stating that 2009 and 2010 were worst years because of a number of deaths due to Maoist insurgency, Mr. Narayanan said, “the Maoists are targeting mass casualty with new operational techniques, so only strengthening of security will not solve the problem.

“We need to take a comprehensive, encompassing, political, economical and security approach to reach a satisfactory solution to the Maoist problem.”