Maoist problem: PC calls CMs of three States for a meeting

Following two attacks within a week by Maoists taking a heavy toll of lives, Home Minister P Chidambaram has written to Chief Ministers of Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal inviting them for a meeting in Delhi to be assured that they are “on the same page” with the Centre before the launch of inter-state operations against the Naxals.

In letters written to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Jharkhand Chief Minister Shibhu Soren, both of whom skipped a meeting in Kolkata on Feb 9, and to their West Bengal counterpart Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, Chidambaram has said that the Central government has reached some “tentative conclusions” on tackling the menace.

“You will kindly appreciate that before the tentative conclusions are translated into decisions and implemented, it is necessary to be assured that the Governments of both West Bengal and Jharkhand fully endorse the plan,” he said in his letter to Bhattacharjee.

West Bengal witnessed the worst attack by Maoists from Jharkhand on a police camp (Eastern Frontier Rifles) at Silda in West Midnapore early this week in which 24 jawans were killed. In the other attack during the week, Maoists killed 11 villagers in Kodasi Phulwaria village in Jamui District in Bihar.

For the BJP, which took a tough stand on Naxalism in its National Council meeting in Indore and is a partner in the governments in Bihar and Jharkhand, it is an acid test --whether it will enforce a tough line or would toe the perceived “soft line” by the dominant partners in the two states.

In Jharkhand too, the naxalites are on the rampage. A few days ago they kidnapped a revenue official who was released yesterday after extracting a price from the state government and got released some Maoists.

- Asian Tribune -