Describing the Maoists as the "sons of the soil", the former prime minister expressed his regretted that theyma have taken up the path of violence to vent their grievances.
Former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda today identified the alleged encroachment of tribal land in the name of industrial development among key reasons for the people taking up arms to fight for their rights.
"There has been a significant rise in tribal land being taken away by the industrial houses in the name of development though corruption in implementation of tribal welfare schemes have driven the locals to take up arms to fight for their rights," he said at a function here.
"Those people (tribals) have taken up arms under the umbrella of the Naxal outfits to fight for their rights," Gowda said and cited an apparent corollary between the land acquisition for industrialisation in tribal areas and increased Maoist activities.
Describing the Maoists as the "sons of the soil", he regretted that these people have taken up the path of violence to vent their grievances.
The JD-S chief also trashed the growth rate figure released by the government from time to time to substantiate economic development and said the fact remained that rich were getting richer day by day and the poor were becoming poorer.
"The growth rate cannot be the right formula to judge whether all sections of the society have been benefitting from the fruits of development," he said, adding no matter what was the development index the rich people will become richer and the poor poorer.
Gowda blamed both Congress and BJP for pursuing identical socio-economic agendas to create a chasm in society between rich and poor.
He also sought to pass the buck on Congress and BJP for general public becoming disillusioned with political class due to their similar socio-economic agendas and said these two parties have set out to make a bipolar political system in the country given their understanding on a number of bills in the Parliament.
"The Congress and BJP are the two sides of the same coin, the former prime minister said and appealed to all splinter groups of the then 'Janata Parivar' to come together to give a befitting reply to these two parties.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}