Too much talk is floating about how to tackle Maoism in India but the menace persists. Union Development Minister Jairam Ramesh does not think that police action is the remedy. According to him, Maoist insurgency spans more than a dozen states in the country and can be combated in only one way. It is by promoting development activities in the country’s poverty stricken region. The fact is that a single strategy may not stamp out a threat of the dimension that Maoism has acquired in India. There is no denying that Maoism has struck root because of state inaction and the neglect of the affected areas. Economist Joan Robinson once said that neglect of the downtrodden was worse than their exploitation. But Maoist violence cannot be explained away in such simple terms. The rebels are an organised force and have pooled resources through extortion to mobilise fire power.
There is little sense in wasting time over the chicken and egg question as to what comes first—policing or development. Unless violence is rooted out, development cannot come. What is needed is a two-pronged strategy. Security measures have to be tightened up to pave the way for development. The insurgents are destructive, they demolish school buildings and prevent road construction to hamper movement of security forces. The worst victims of such violence are the tribals and they are the people who most need official relief. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has taken a sensible attitude. Conciliate the Maoists while disarming them. It is only then that the tribals can emerge from the dark backyard. The trouble is that there is a streak of ambivalence in such a policy which may put obstacles in the way of the peace process to facilitate the development of Jangalmahal.