New Delhi: The government on Thursday said it
is ready to "revisit" issues like land acquisition, structure
of government and tribal rights raised by the Maoists but for
that the Naxals have to abjure violence and come for talks.
"There are genuine concerns which we can`t dismiss.
Issues like land acquisition, tribal rights, structure of
government. They (Maoists) feel that the existing system of
government is not doing enough for the poor. We are ready to
revisit them but they first have to abjure violence," Home
Minister P Chidambaram told a function organised by
UTV-Bloomberg.
He said violence has no place in a democratic country
like India and so the Maoists should abjure bloodshed and come
for talks with the government to solve their problems.
"These problems are solvable," he said.
Chidambaram, however, said 90 per cent of the people
in the country were not affected by the present turmoil.
He said many neighbouring countries, particularly,
Bangladesh, were very cooperative of late and offering help to
deal problems like insurgency in the northeast.
The home minister said India was now better prepared,
than a year ago, to deal with any terror situation and if the
terrorists strike again, its action will be "swift and
decisive".
Chidambaram said every one should understand that India
lives in a neighbourhood which is epicenter of terrorism and
it was adjusting itself to deal with the situation on its own
way.
Referring to the economic situation, the former finance
minister said the country was progressing well despite world
economy facing recession.
"Not a single bank in India collapsed in last one year
whereas at least 100 banks in US had collapsed during that
time," he said.
The Home Minister said the young population of the
country was a great advantage for its economic progress
compared to China, whose population was aging due to its one
child policy.
Our population in young, better, educated, better
skilled, better motivated, mobile and ready to take any
challenge, he said.
"We will be a developed country soon," he said.
Hold unconditional talks with Maoists: Ramadoss
PMK leader S Ramadoss today asked
the Centre to invite top Maoist leaders for unconditional
talks saying the "faulty" land policy of the union and the
state governments has resulted in the spread of Naxalism.
Ramadoss said though he despised the Maoists` armed
struggle, but their "intentions and reasons are just".
Instead of using force to crush them, Centre should
invite top Maoist leaders for unconditional talks "as they
have not come from any other country", he told reporters here.
The land policy of the Centre and some state governments
favoured affluent industrialists, he said.
He alleged that the Centre and some state governments are
driving out tribals from their own lands under the pretext of
industrialisation and development, only to give them to
industrialists.
Bureau Report
