http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=The+politics+in+fighting+Maoists&artid=zF0|W0vVBS8=&SectionID=RRQemgLywPI=&MainSectionID=RRQemgLywPI=&SectionName=XQcp6iFoWTvPHj2dDBzTNA==
<http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=The+politics+in+fighting+Maoists&artid=zF0|W0vVBS8=&SectionID=RRQemgLywPI=&MainSectionID=RRQemgLywPI=&SectionName=XQcp6iFoWTvPHj2dDBzTNA==>The politics in fighting Maoists The New Indian Express<http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/searchresult.aspx?AliasName=3GktU4Gh7/FnSqSa|sMCFWMjv9wnuVfq> First Published : 04 Feb 2010 11:32:00 PM IST Last Updated : 04 Feb 2010 12:18:31 AM IST Chidambaram’s anti-Maoist operations have run into roadblocks right from the time the controversial idea was mooted. It isn’t only the civil libertarians who have been uneasy about the possibility of the loss of innocent lives, but also politicians who are not sure about how a possibly brutal police action will affect their political fortunes. Mamata Banerjee is one of those who have not been fully in agreement with the Centre on the drive against the Maoists in the Lalgarh area. She had also warned that if the pro-Maoist writer, Mahashweta Devi, was arrested, Kolkata will ‘burn’. Another objector is Shibu Soren. At first, he expressed opposition to Operation Green Hunt in Jharkhand on the grounds that the scope for negotiations had not been exhausted. He offered to begin the process. Although he changed his mind after a meeting with the Union home minister and apparently under pressure from his coalition partner, the BJP, he has again backtracked. He wants the operation to be put on hold till the forthcoming panchayat polls are over. He does not want the disruptions caused by the police action along with the resultant fear and bloodshed to hurt his party’s prospects. There have also been suggestions that the chief minister hopes to secure the support of some of the Maoist groups for his own party, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, during the elections. As is known, two former Maoists were elected to the Assembly recently on the JMM ticket. Such subterranean links between mainstream politicians and the underground elements, whether in the jungles or urban areas, is an open secret of Indian politics. Soren’s problem is that the BJP is unhappy with his indecisiveness because it hurts the saffron party’s uncompromising image against terrorists. Since the BJP often criticises the Congress for favouring a ‘soft state’, it does not want to be seen ducking the issue in Jharkhand. The party is aware that it has already exposed its flanks by aligning with Soren despite the criminal cases pending against him. If, on top of this, it goes along with him to stall the anti-Maoist drive, then its credibility will be at stake. In the states where the BJP is fully in charge, such as Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, Operation Green Hunt faces no obstacles. The party does not therefore want Jharkhand to become an Achilles heel for it. -- Peace Is Doable -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To post to this group, send an email to greenyo...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to greenyouth+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth?hl=en-GB.
