Southern States - Andhra Pradesh   

Police alone cannot curb naxals: rights activist

By Our Staff Reporter

GUNTUR DEC. 8. "The burgeoning naxalite movement is, indeed, a law and order problem. The civil administration is shirking its responsibility. It is unfortunate that only police machinery is entrusted with the task of bearing the entire burden of curbing the naxalite activity and blamed for the growth of the movement,'' says the convener of Human Rights Forum (HRF), B. Chandrasekhar. While the naxalites have gained popular support in the last five to six years by distributing temple lands and reserve forest land, the civil administration does not seem to have given any thought to do "justice, that is being talked about by the left wing extremists,'' he points out. The landless poor have happily accepted the "rule of the naxalites'' as they got to own land for the first time in their lives.

Talking to The Hindu here on Sunday, Mr. Chandrasekhar said the existing law, when observed from the socio-economic frame of reference, was not able to cater to the needs of the oppressed classes and downtrodden sections. So much so, the naxalites are challenging the social order in the State which is "oppressive towards the subaltern sections in the society.'' While the naxalites were of the view that they were striving to replace the existing system with "more egalitarian social order,'' he said the present system in whose defence the Government was using its civil and armed wings was responsible for the growth of naxalism.

Mr. Chandrasekhar, however, pointed out that many might disagree with the claims of naxalites and the means they adopt to achieve their goals. There were many socio-economic, political and cultural dimensions involved in the issue, he said. He found fault with the "selfish'' political leadership which was trying to safeguard the interests of a few rich upper caste people. The HRF leader expressed concern over the State embracing the policies of "good governance'' in which welfare had a minimal or no role.

Stating that it could not be construed as a police-naxalite war, Mr. Chandrasekhar said that neither sociologists nor political scientists nor psychologists were engaged in dealing with the naxalite issue.

He felt the naxalites of the PW were more localised than ever before and hierarchical control seemed to have faded. Though the Indian State did not allow anyone to carry out sovereign functions, it was under siege by supra-national bodies like the United Nations Organisation and World Trade Organisation at the macro level and its authority was challenged by movements like Left wing extremism at the micro level, he said.

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