Maoists' strategy stalling development: Somnath

Criticising “intellectuals” who are sympathetic to the Maoist cause, the former Lok Sabha Speaker, Somnath Chatterjee, said on Sunday that though the Left-wing extremists resorted to violence citing lack of development, the very methods they used were stalling development initiatives.

“Certain intellectuals sympathise with the Maoists, saying there is no development in those areas… How will development come to those parts when all development initiatives are thwarted,” he said at an Independence Day function organised by the Bengal National Chamber of Commerce here.

“What change will result from these attempts at obstructing the process of development,” Mr. Chatterjee asked, a reference to the Trinamool Congress' demand for “change.”

Mr. Chatterjee said the increasing incidents of political violence in the State was a national issue, but was not being dealt with because of partisan attitudes. “Divisive politics has become so prominent that even on an issue of political violence, we [political parties] cannot sit together for discussions.”

Mr. Chatterjee referred to several other issues, including farmer suicides, price rise, land acquisition for industrial development, and even the neutrality of the media that sacrificed “national perspective” in the “interest of individual parties.”

The nation, he said, was “passing through a phase of intense political conflict and confrontational politics.”

“On the issue of land acquisition for industry there has never been any discussion that is free of party politics,” Mr. Chatterjee said.