The Union home minister P Chindambarm feels Jharkhand has turned into a Naxal epicenter like Chattisgarh and in order to tackle the violent acts of the banned Maoist outfit, the Union government’s has enough strength to fight back. He ruled out the chances of roping in the Army for the purpose.
The home minister held a press conference in the state capital Ranchi on Friday where he said that the Centre was worried about the threat posed by the Naxals to the internal security of the country. The Centre was ready to provide paramilitary force to tackle the situation to all the state governments who were fighting against the Maoists menace.
The Union home minister called a high-level meeting at Raj Bhavan to take stock of the security scenario and steps taken by the state administration to combat the violent activities of the Maoists.
Chiambaram said Centre has been closely monitoring the violent activities of the Maoists in Jharkhand and is ready to extend all possible assistance to wipe out any kind of armed rising in the name of liberation.
The home minister said, “We oppose and reject so called armed struggle for liberation in a democratic republic society. Violence has no place in a democracy. Any outfit, which indulges in violent acts would be dealt with firmly. The Communist Party of India (Maoist) is a banned organization and the government has enough strength to fight back.”
It may be mentioned that till August, 2009, Jharkhand witnessed as many as 250 Naxal incidents in which 130 persons, including 60 security personnel were killed.
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After lapse of several years since the constitution of Jharkhand as a separate state bifurcating Bihar in November, 2000, the state government could frame a surrender policy for Naxalites in February, 2009 to bring the surrendered ultras into the mainstream.
But not a single extremists responded to it and surrendered, save and except the periods of former chief ministers, Babulal Marandi and Arjun Munda when altogether 38 Naxalite rebels had surrendered.