Merely by deploying forces no ruler has so far been able to quell unrest. The latest tragic incident in Sukma, where 25 members of Central Reserve Police had died in an ambush by the Maoist forces, serves a stern reminder to this fact. Thus to stop the Maoist menace in the country, the Centre has to walk extra mile beyond deploying more forces and adopting a strong-arm tactics.
The said problem is not a law and order problem. Finding a solution to this problem through the prism of law and order is impossible. The Maoist problem is socio-economic in nature. So, socio-economic improvement of the people living in the Maoist infested areas of the country is the pre condition for restoration of peace. Otherwise, more such incidents will take place. Killings and destructions will continue unabated. Plight of the people will keep on increasing. Solution to this problem will continue to elude us.
There is nothing new in what the present day rulers uttered after this tragic incident. We are hearing all these words for long. But rarely words have been translated in to deeds. Lack of initiative has virtually made our security personnel ‘sitting ducks.’ As a result, Maoist are coming and killing our soldiers at will. As no movement can survive without popular support, the best way to wipe out any movement from its root is to win the hearts of the people. It’s a pity that so far no such efforts were made. This is why so far we are only combating the Maoist menace. In the 50th year of Naxalbari agitation, we are yet to start the process of curing the disease.
Cure not combat is the key to wipe out the menace. But it appears that we are not interested in cure. It is evident from the fact that the road, which is being constructed to connect the people living in remote areas with the cities, is not completed on time. The delay is simply perplexing. Infrastructure is the key to socio-economic development of any region. How could that be neglected? Authorities concerned should not only explain the reasons, but also be punished, if their answer is not satisfactory. Mere lip service for better infrastructure will serve no purpose. People concerned for development of infrastructure should be made accountable. In case of Sukma, authorities should be squarely blamed for the loss of 25 valuable lives, as they exposed the security personnel to the Maoists. Always looking for an opportunity to strike, the Maoists were very much aware at what time the security personnel leave the camps and when do they return and where these personnel take rest. After collecting all such important information about the security personnel, the outlawed organisation made the deadly attack. It could have been easily avoided if we had finished the project on time. In that case, the Maoist didn’t have enough time to prepare themselves for such a fierce attack. This is the lesson of Sukma. If we learn the lesson properly, the Maoist menace will be cured. Otherwise for years we will have to keep on combating this menace.
