Marandi calls for a common strategy to combat Naxalism

Vijay Deo Jha RANCHI Friday, July 11, 2008

It seems that the major political parties of the State are coming closer to each other to fight against naxal terror.

Despite political differences Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM) supported NDA's call for State-wide bandh against the murder of Ramesh Singh Munda, JD(U) MLA from Tamar. Besides JVM, All Jharkhand Students' Union (AJSU) also extended its support to the bandh.Marandi, who in the past suffered the brunt of naxal attack and had lost his son in the year 2007, supported NDA called bandh by saying that the political parties must stop eulogising naxal and should speak with the same intensity against them irrespective of their ideological differences.

He expressed his willingness to join hands with other political parties. Similar sentiment was echoed by Sudesh Kumar Mahto, former Home Minister and Silli legislator.

However, in the past during the regime of Marandi, the first Chief Minister, an in-camera meeting of the leaders was convened to create a consensus to speak and adopt a similar line against naxal. The meeting was convened by former Speaker Indersingh Namdhari and the then Chief Secretary, VS Dubey had piloted a project to rein in the naxal groups.

However, consensus soon eluded and the proposals remained restricted to a part of academic discussion. The NDA Government again undertook similar exercise twice during the tenure of Arjun Munda which again failed to impress upon the political class. Despite the fact that the State has completed the trilogy of political murder, the present incumbent better thought not convene another meeting. The murder of Ramesh Singh Munda has revived the debate.

Marandi criticised the lack of all out effort, political differences and the issue not listed in the priority list of Government emboldened them to start killing of political leaders and people alike. Now, the ball is in the court of BJP and other political parties which are expected to show their political broadness.

Although Pashupatinath Singh, State BJP chief, welcomed Marandi's support. The BJP is yet to take a decision. But political differences and lack of direction would sure act as a great stymie. However, Singh welcomed the move and said that the party has taken a serious initiative to create political consensus and took strong actions against naxal when NDA was in power. He said the party had an open mind towards it.

Contrary to it, cutting across the party line most of the MLAs representing naxal infested areas are ready to join hands together if various 'ifs and buts' do not stop their party to see the reason in it. A sitting MLA, on the condition of anonymity, said that anybody could be the next unfortunate fodder of the guns of naxal group but personal vendetta, political differences in some of the extreme cases connection and sympathy with naxals stop them from taking a common ground against naxals.