No armed forces against Naxals

Prime minister Manmohan Singh said on Sunday that the government would not use the Indian armed forces to combat the Naxalites. Refusing to equate the Naxalites with terrorists, he said, “The government has no reservation about having a dialogue with the Naxalites, provided they are ready to shun the path of violence.”

In the city on Sunday, on a day-long campaign for the October 13 assembly elections, the prime minister answered wide-ranging questions — from Naxalism to cross-border terrorism — during his interaction with the media.

Singh’s statement became significant in the backdrop of Union home minister PC Chidambaram’s proposed strategy of stepping up attacks against the Naxalites through air strikes. It was a clear pointer that the prime minister did not approve of the home ministry policy.

Stressing the government’s resolve to fight the Naxalites tooth-and-nail, Singh said, “We are not going to use the armed forces. But we have other means, like the police and the paramilitary forces, to combat the menace of Naxalism. In a civilised society, we cannot allow any group to engage in extortion and killings. No group can be allowed to take law and order in its hands.”

Conceding that there was a social dimension to the Naxalite problem, he added, “I often say that the growth of Naxalism, particularly in central India, nudges us to take a relook at the sense of alienation among certain sections of the society, especially the tribals.”

Asked about the reported tieups between the Naxalites and extremists from other countries, the prime minister said, “So far, there have only been rumours, no concrete evidence.”