Heeding Centre's advice, West Bengal today agreed to implement the ban on Maoists notwithstanding reservations voiced by the CPI-Marxists and the Left Front in the state.
"This (the ban) is applicable for the entire country, all states and we have accepted it. But how to implement it is the government's business," Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee told reporters in the state capital after a cabinet meeting.
As the West Bengal government dithered over banning the Maoists, the Centre on Monday proscribed it as a terror outfit. Shortly after the ban, the CPI-M general secretary Prakash Karat said that proscription may not work because such outfits may re-emerge with a different name. The state Left Front had also taken a similar line.
Over the weekend, Home Minister P Chidambaram had advised the Chief Minister that the State government should ban the Maoists.
Chidambaram had said on Monday the fresh ban was to avoid any ambiguity following the merger of CPI-ML (People's War Group) with the Marxist Coordination Committee. "It was always a terrorist organisation," he had added.
Bhattacharjee said that during his discussions with Chidambaram in Delhi, he had come to know the Centre was initiating the measure.
He added the Maoists could be tackled through a slew of initiatives along with administrative measures.
Bhattacharjee said the ban had become necessary as the PWG and the MCC had merged to form the CPI(Maoist).
"We have to ensure socio-economic development of areas where they (Maoists) are active, isolate them politically and initiate administrative measures against them," he added.
Noting that the Centre had been insisting on states raising their own forces to combat terrorism and also Maoists, he said his government would raise a new combat force to counter terrorist activities.
The Kolkata Police would be entrusted with this task, while the strength of existing forces would be increased and their training updated, Bhattacharjee, who holds the Home (Police) portfolio, added.
Left Front chairman Biman Bose too had voiced his reservations over Centre's decision saying such outfits which follow "misguided politics" cannot be countered by banning them.
The move to tag CPI-Maoist is mainly aimed at drying the sources of funds and curbing the support for its activities from a section of people.
Referring to West Midnapore district's underdevelopment which led to the Maoists increasing their sphere of influence there, he added, "whatever development had been done was not adequate and the district needs more development." Lack of development was only one cause, he said.
The state government set up a taskforce on socio-economic development in tribal areas a year ago and it has been working effectively, the chief minister said.
