Lalgarh:
On his first visit to Lalgarh after Operation Green Hunt was launched against Maoists in June last year, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on Sunday described as "mixed" the outcome of the joint anti-Maoist operations saying that certain "weaknesses" need to be rectified.
The Home Minister also said that during his discussions with Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee in Kolkata, he stated that the "buck stops" at the Chief Minister's table with regard to the law and order issue.
"The buck must stop on the chief minister's table. If it does not, it's the failure of the state administration," Chidambaram said.
But the Home Minister's plainspeak didn't go down well with the Left.
"He must be more responsible, more realistic rather than being rhetoric and rather than being political. When it comes to Bengal he becomes political; when it comes to Union government then?" CPI leader D Raja said.
Chidambaram also termed the Naxals as "cowards" who are hiding in the forests and slammed them for using tribal group People's Committee against Police Atrocities (PCPA) as a front organisation. The PCPA has called a 24-hour bandh in West Midnapore, Purulia and Bankura districts in protest against the Home Minister's visit to the area.
"Naxals are cowards. Why are they hiding in forests? We have invited them for talks (but) after they abjure violence. If they really want development, if they really want to solve problems of the people, they are welcome to talk. I have said we can talk about anything in the world. (They should) just give up violence," he said.
Expressing concern over the "direct or indirect" support to Naxals by PCPA, he said if they a genuine problem, he was willing to lend his "good offices" for ensuring talks between them and the state government.
He said he has appealed to the villagers not to support the Maoists, which they were doing out of fear.
"I appealed to them not to provide any moral or material support to the Naxalites who can do no development for the people," he said.
Agreeing that the villagers had reasons to be aggrieved due to lack of development, Chidambaram said, "I told them Naxals are killing you and will continue to kill you and they have no place in the society."
He also said that intelligence reports suggested that Naxals were constantly regrouping to carry out low-intensity conflict and that there was a need for constant vigilance in the fight against them.
"No, we are not contemplating military action against Naxals and state police, state armed police and paramilitary forces alone will be deployed to fight the Naxals," he told reporters after an hour-long meeting with top police and administrative officials in Lalgarh.
Chidambaram also said that the anti-Naxal drive was a long-drawn affair in West Bengal and other states including Orissa and Jharkhand and it could take two to three years to defeat the extremists.
Referring to a media report claiming that top Maoist leader Kishenji was hale and hearty, the Home Minister said, "The police have told me that they don't buy the story that Kishenji has given the interview. The police, of course, can do more and find out."
Chidambaram advised all political party leaders to visit Lalgarh and talk to the villagers.
About dealing with the Maoist menace, he said, "It is a mixed record for West Bengal and the situation should improve.
"There have been some gains and some weaknesses in Bengal. The situation in Orissa and Jharkhand will take time and it is a problem," he said.
The situation, however, has improved significantly at Gadchiroli in Maharashtra and in parts of Andhra Pradesh, he said.
Chidambaram's visit is also very symbolic, as just a year ago security forces could not even enter the area. A year on, security forces say they have secured Lalgarh but with Maoists still striking at will, the battle is far from over. (With PTI Input)