The Hindu Business Line : Tackling extremists

On Friday two newspaper reports indicated clearly that the Centre is taking the Naxalite threat seriously and contemplating long-term measures to tackle it.

Some may argue that too much attention given to the problem may, in fact, have the effect of increasing publicity about the movement, which is what the extremists want. Maybe, but the central fact still remains, that the Naxalite menace is growing and, given the huge rural hinterland, it may become uncontrollable by the civil security forces if allowed to grow unchecked.

Such a development cannot be in the republic's interest and should be nipped in the bud, even if it means greater publicity to the Naxalite activities. The first of the two reports dealt with the sanctioning of more funds by the Centre (for another five years) for "security-related expenditure" to the 76 Naxalite-affected districts in nine States. The importance attached to the problem can be gauged from the fact that while Rs 140 crore was allotted for the programme during the past five years, this time Rs 40 crore has been set aside just for the first year of the new five-year period.

Clearly, more money means more resources.. But the efficiency of the programme will depend greatly on the way the extra resources are used, which is a human problem — a matter of organisation, coordination, methods, etc.

Further, the Naxalite problem cannot be tackled effectively if the larger rural development issue is not. Here comes the second report, which says that the Centre is considering setting up a new cadre of bureaucrats — the District Panchayat Administrative Service — which will be responsible for village-level development programmes. The Naxalites — and similar movements — will not be happy with the two developments, the best things to have happened in the battle to contain ideology-based extremism.

Ranabir Ray Choudhury

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