How long does it take for a somnolent government to respond to one of the gravest internal security threats facing the country? As long as the proverbial 'Halley's comet' appearance, if one goes by the Indian government's response to the Naxalite threat. One-third of India's districts, even some in the 'mainstream' belts of central and north-central India, have been deemed to have a significant extremist presence (Planning Commission of India's Expert group report that can be accessed here). Coming on the heels of numerous high-profile clandestine attacks and abductions, the Maoists have struck again, brazenly kidnapping another hard-working, young, district collector. Alex Paul Menon's only fault might have been that he was trying to connect with his constituents, something that certainly does not go down well with the Utopian dream of all-equating naxalite ideology.
The question worth probing here is why were there no concrete steps taken to protect valuable assets like District collectors, or an MLA, who still languishes in the grip of the naxalites even as they have released two foreign tourists who were abducted along with him! Is it not understood in the higher offices of 7 Race Course Road that the cancer is now spreading faster than one could have expected, and corrective measures are now desperately wanton in the east-central parts of India? There was a furore not so long ago about misgivings in the MNREGA employment scheme that could lead to dismantling of the entire process. In the tribal areas of Bastar, such schemes are absolute nonsense. If the security of the presiding officer of the district is not guaranteed, how can a poor tribal even dare to take benefit from an ailing central government scheme? With each abduction, Maoists are accomplishing two objectives at the same time, striking fear in the hearts of the district authorities, and increasing their clout over their strongholds.
What can be done to curb this menace, if not stop it altogether, has already been demonstrated earlier, in a state ruled by the same Congress that is now gripped in a policy paralysis. Andhra Pradesh's ex-CM, the Late Rajasekhara Reddy, deployed specially-trained and highly-equipped forces to wipe out the naxalite threat endemic in Andhra Pradesh, pushing them all the way into Chhatisgarh. Therefore, it is not impossible to extract some measure of revenge from these extremist groups. All proponents of the 'Naxalites are disgruntled citizens of India' theory would be well-served to recall the civil war that left Sri Lanka is an all-out civil war was borne out of similar sentiments. It is time to act, not to sit around and wait for the next abduction.
Satyameva Jayate!
