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Understand the complexity of Maoist menace

The Maoist menace has not mushroomed in a day. The nagging question is: what were the states concerned and the Centre doing all along? Did we have to wait till Dantewada to take stock and think of effective steps?

Granted that India has a large and largely porous border with half a dozen countries, not all of them friendly. Why were our security and intelligence services unable to detect and stop the illegal entry of arms, ammunition and explosives in significant quantities?

Since we are quite certain that the security apparatus employed so far is well-versed in guerrilla warfare, should we not involve the Army at least in providing tactical skills and leadership?

Mining interests have grabbed the land of the tribals. Why were the state governments silent spectators to such appropriation or did they have a hand in giving licences without reckoning the social cost?

NAVJEEVAN KHOSLA, Panchkula

II

Before evolving the strategy the government has to understand some basic facts of Maoist insurgency. Maoist terrorism is essentially a rural phenomenon and is a totally indigenous.

India has failed to develop the tribal areas, which has created large pockets of alienation and they have become the breeding ground of Maoist terrorism. The governments concerned have to take note of the genuine grievances of the tribals and deal with them in a sympathetic manner. There has to be a system for a prompt enquiry into all allegations of excesses.

The capabilities of the security agencies deployed for countering Maoists also have to be different. The emphasis has to be on greater mobility in the rural areas and greater protection from landmines used extensively by Maoists. The failure to develop road infrastructure in the rural areas has facilitated the spread of Maoist terrorism.

RAJIV ARORA, Ferozepur City

III

After badly burning its fingers in the deadly Dantewada ambush on Tuesday, the Home Minister P Chidamabaram has accepted full responsibility for the massacre: “the buck stops at my desk.’’ No doubt the compensation announced by the government is fair and will give some solace to the deceased family members.

BIDYUT KUMAR CHATTERJEE, Faridabad

IV

It was shocking that we lost a large number of our uniformed personnel in Dantewada.. Unless, we work on the genesis of the problem, it will continue to exist. As it is a domestic menace, the best way is to chalk out contingency plans to develop these areas at a rapid speed. Indiscriminate Army offensive could quell the movement, but will result in thousands of innocent deaths.

BM SINGH, Amritsar

Troubled cop

Ashok Kumar Yadav’s middle “In troubled waters” (April 5) was interesting. After reading the piece the mighty cop is bound to shriek. But even his shrillest shriek is likely to fall on deaf ears in accordance with the inexorable divine law of retribution. Let the mighty of the world pause and ponder.

TARA CHAND, Ambota (Una)

Hockey’s downfall Harjap Singh Aujla’s article “Fall from grace” (March 26) was thought-provoking. The writer has aptly enumerated the causes of India’s downfall in hockey. Undoubtedly, astroturf has been India’s bane ever since its advent and use in the 1976 Olympics. Adhocism too has played havoc with our national game. It has not been promoted the way it is done in Holland and Germany. Players are not selected on merit. Coaches are frequently changed and sacked and the heads at the top rarely roll. To stem the rot, result-oriented officials should run the affairs of hockey. Coaches should be given a free hand to produce the desired results. National hockey championships for senior, junior and sub-junior players should be held regularly. Players should be given their rightful dues. Since astroturf has come to stay, it should be installed at all those places where the game is still played passionately. Only then can the good old days return. TARSEM S. BUMRAH, Batala