New Delhi:
In the midst of the debate in Congress over the right approach to deal with Naxalism, party president Sonia Gandhi has issued the final word.
"While we must address acts of terror decisively, we have to address the root causes of Naxalism. The rise of Naxalism is a reflection of the need for our development initiatives to reach the grassroots, especially in our backward tribal districts," Sonia Gandhi said in the latest issue of party journal Congress Sandesh.
The Congress president's remarks would perhaps put an end to the debate within the party on how to handle the Naxal problem.
Last month, senior party leader Digvijay Singh sprung a surprise by openly questioning Home Minister P Chidambaram's approach of treating Naxalism as a law and order issue.
The Congress distanced itself from Singh's remarks, but the cracks within were there for everyone to see. Now, the party claims there's no divergence of opinion.
"There is no difference in approach. Just a few days back, the Home Minister while speaking at a CII function asked private companies to come forward and help. Digvijay Singh, Chidambaram and Madam are taking the same approach," Congress spokesperson Shakeel Ahmed said.
Sonia Gandhi also pointed out that targeted development schemes for the most backward districts is an effective way to deal with the Naxal menace - a suggestion that found immediate acceptance from political rivals.
"The menace of Naxalism certainly has to be rebutted for the law of the land to prevail and also the socio-economic development in the areas where they have an interest," Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said.
States like West Bengal have even created a special fund for Naxal hits areas of Purulia and Midnapore where the focus is on providing employment under schemes like the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA). But the biggest challenge for any state government is: How do they implement welfare schemes where Maoist writ runs large?
"While we must address acts of terror decisively, we have to address the root causes of Naxalism. The rise of Naxalism is a reflection of the need for our development initiatives to reach the grassroots, especially in our backward tribal districts," Sonia Gandhi said in the latest issue of party journal Congress Sandesh.
The Congress president's remarks would perhaps put an end to the debate within the party on how to handle the Naxal problem.
Last month, senior party leader Digvijay Singh sprung a surprise by openly questioning Home Minister P Chidambaram's approach of treating Naxalism as a law and order issue.
The Congress distanced itself from Singh's remarks, but the cracks within were there for everyone to see. Now, the party claims there's no divergence of opinion.
"There is no difference in approach. Just a few days back, the Home Minister while speaking at a CII function asked private companies to come forward and help. Digvijay Singh, Chidambaram and Madam are taking the same approach," Congress spokesperson Shakeel Ahmed said.
Sonia Gandhi also pointed out that targeted development schemes for the most backward districts is an effective way to deal with the Naxal menace - a suggestion that found immediate acceptance from political rivals.
"The menace of Naxalism certainly has to be rebutted for the law of the land to prevail and also the socio-economic development in the areas where they have an interest," Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said.
States like West Bengal have even created a special fund for Naxal hits areas of Purulia and Midnapore where the focus is on providing employment under schemes like the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA). But the biggest challenge for any state government is: How do they implement welfare schemes where Maoist writ runs large?
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