Terrorists tag on Maoists
Source: The Sangai Express / Press Trust of India
New Delhi, May 28 2013:
Describing Maoists who killed several Congress leaders in Chhattisgarh four days ago as terrorists, senior Union minister Jairam Ramesh today expressed the hope that the "deliberate and meticulouslyplanned carnage" would be a turning point in the battle against them.
Maoists should not be "romanticised" as they are terrorists because they spread terror, the Minister for Rural Development told NDTV in an interview about Saturday's attack in which 27 people, including Chhattisgarh Congress President and some other party leaders, were killed.
Ramesh, who has generally been against hardline approach towards Maoists, lashed out at them, saying they had no faith in Constitution, democracy or democratic institutions.
Theirs was not ideology-based Maoism but it was based on extortion.
At the same time, he said there cannot be any going back on the government's strategy which recognised centrality of security and police operations but also of political engagement.
There had to be development programmes to address issues of tribal development.