The Centre’s decision to hold talks with the Maoists is wrong. The Maoist violence is on the rise like never before in the country. The recent killings of the police officers and looting of the banks in West Bengal speak volumes of the growing menace of naxalism.
How could the government think of extending an olive branch to the outlawed outfit which thrives on violence as the only means? There is a famous saying that one cannot smile in a battleground.
Home Minister P Chidambaram’s announcement of talks with the Maoists has not only sent out a negative message but also exposed the government’s weakness in the way it is handling the naxal menace.
P Senthil Sarvana Durai, Hyderabad
