The Union Home Ministry’s decision to issue advertisements in the print media against naxalites is a waste of public money in the days of austerity. There is a strong public opinion against Maoists among the literate. Those who need to be reassured are the vulnerable sections -- people who live in the forests and remote villages.
K.R. Anandagopalan, Bangalore
It is amusing to see the government trying to root out Maoism by launching an ad war. In its early days, the naxal movement was led by educated people. Gradually, the leadership went into the hands of non-intellectuals. Many splinter groups have also been formed. But the naxalites have only become stronger though they have lost many leaders in encounters. The reason is obvious. The results of the development programmes launched by the government are not reaching the people.
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Incidents of brutal killings by naxals are not new to Chhattisgarh. Local newspapers are replete with reports of naxal-related incidents of murder, theft, etc. However, only a few such incidents get national attention. Whenever the State government takes any step against the ultras, there is a hue and cry denouncing the move against such “misguided elements.” The advertisement war by the Centre is a step in the right direction.
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The Union Home Ministry has published the photographs of alleged victims of naxal violence who belong to Chhattisgarh. At least five of them are from the erstwhile Bastar district, where the State has launched the Salwa Judum campaign. Credible reports by civil society organisations have revealed hundreds, if not thousands, of cases of arson, looting, rape and murder by the police in the region. It would be good if the State and the Ministry come clean and take punitive action against officials involved in gruesome violence.
Om Prakash, New Delhi