Maoists freeze development efforts, step up violence spiral in Chhattisgarh

Narayanpur/Raipur, July 11 (ANI): Acting with brazen impunity, Maoists continue to spread their reign of violence and fear by imposing shutdowns and killing innocents across Chhattisgarh, bringing development efforts initiated by the central government to a virtual standstill.

The Maoists fear that construction of roads and development will loosen their hold over the tribals. Despite stringent measures taken by the authorities in curbing the violence, Maoists have stepped up their attacks on democratic institutions on the pretext of 'fighting for the rights of the oppressed.'

Expressing concern over the growing Maoist clout in interior areas of Chhattisgarh, senior journalist, Sujit Kumar, said the rebels are active in ten of the state's 18 districts, one of them rich in diamonds.

"Presently, Maoist violence is at an all-time high in Chhattisgarh. It is at its zenith. Out of the state's 18 districts, at least ten are in complete control of the ultras. Moreover, the interiors of Raipur district, which is considered a hub of diamonds, is under complete control of Maoists. There is no security force presence there," said Kumar.

Aiming to formulate ways to resolve the issue, several analysts and security experts have suggested a two-way strategy to combat the menace, by promoting development in the affected areas while simultaneously boosting presence of security forces to thwart the ultras.

It is expected that the efforts would ensure that vulnerable tribal and rural populace are not influenced by the Maoist propaganda that the state is working 'against their interests.'

However, although the plans announced by the government are ambitious, their implementation remains weak and poor in several states.

Sujit Kumar feels that the biggest casualty in the ongoing deadlock between the government and the Maoists is development.

"How can development take place till authorities and officials enter the Maoist dominated hubs? It is virtually impossible for the authorities to construct roads, open up schools or provide adequate health facilities in Maoist strongholds. How can inclusive development policies and programs reach people in areas where democratic machinery and principles are non-existent? The biggest fallout of the Maoist insurgency is development," said Kumar.

Senior journalist Anil Vibhakar asserted that the Maoists were not interested in welfare of the masses, but only in gaining political power through an armed uprising.

"Dialogue can and must be conducted with the Maoists to resolve the matter. But the Maoists are not concerned with issues of the people. Their sole objective is to increase their clout and influence across the country," said Vibhakar.

Meanwhile, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh has indicated that the state Government had decided to employ local people in government jobs.

"The common complaint of people in certain Maoist dominated areas is that officials do not stay there for long, and during their respective postings, these officials strive to get transferred to the cities and the state headquarters. So today, our cabinet has taken an important decision to ensure that the third and fourth grade workers of district offices are selected and deployed from local areas itself. They would be selected at the district level itself," said Singh. (ANI)