NEW DELHI: Union home minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday said CPI(Maoist) was in “turmoil” due to growing desertions, absence of fresh recruitment and low morale among its armed cadres, but cautioned that it had the potential of bouncing back with a spectacular attack against soft targets in its stronghold areas.Speaking at a meeting of the parliamentary consultative committee on home affairs here, Singh said the turmoil in the Naxal ranks was evident from “the literature recovered by security forces and interrogation of LWE cadres”. “But, as it typical with the Maoists, the top leadership of LWE (left wing extremism) is trying hard to overcome the situation…The LWE insurgency has shown a remarkable resilience and stamina throughout its historical course and has bounced back on many occasions,” he said adding that the government had therefore decided to commit all resources at its disposal to tackle the problem.
Stating that counter-LWE efforts remained on top of the agenda for interventions by the Centre, the home minister said the Modi regime was pursuing a four-pronged strategy, focused on security-related interventions, development-related interventions, rights and entitlement related interventions and public perception management.
The meeting — attended by MPs from Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, including Sharad Pawar, Jyotiraditya Scindia, K C Tyagi and Mukul Roy — also discussed issues of corruption, atrocities on tribals and women and the status of the constitution of National Tribal Welfare Council.
The home ministry, Singh explained to the MPs, had taken steps to strengthen policing and step up assistance among various central schemes. Besides, the Integrated Action Plan, under which Rs 30 crore each is released annually for worst hit districts, was being continued under the new name “Additional Central Assistance to LWE Affected Districts”.
While also listing other development and entitlement related interventions, the home minister insisted that the success of strategies and tactics on LWE front largely depended on the efficacy of their implementation by the states concerned. “I have no hesitation in saying that there are good performers and mediocre performers,” he said without elaborating.
“It has been the constant endeavour of the ministry of home affairs to bring all the state governments to the same level so that we have a uniform, well-coordinated and synergised response to this problem…We have been reminding the states to improve the outreach of government in remote and underdeveloped areas and bring the fruits of development to the people,” he told the consultative panel meeting.