Centre gets SERIOUS about tackling Naxals

The central government will hold an all-party meeting this week to finalise a strategy to resolve the Maoist problem decisively in the wake of the audacious attack in Bastar that killed 27 people, including three prominent Congress leaders.

A decision in this regard was taken at the meeting of the United Progressive Alliance Coordination Committee at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's residence, which was attended by Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar, National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah and Indian Union Muslim League chief E Ahamed.

The refrain in the ruling Congress is that since all parties by and large share a common view on fighting the Naxals, a joint response can be decided to tackle the menace.

Terming the Chhattisgarh incident as "an attack on the very foundations of democracy and the entire political system," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath said it was necessary to hold an all-party meeting.

"Because it's an attack on the system, an attack on the very foundations of democracy, it needs to be addressed. This incident affects our democracy and our Parliamentary norms. Hence a discussion with all is needed so that a strategy can be formed to resolve this problem for ever," he said.

The minister said that detailed discussions were held in the UPA Coordination Committee over the situation in the wake of the recent Maoist attack in Chhattisgarh.

"It was decided to have an all-party meeting on a day which is convenient to most parties. Serious concern was expressed over the attack on Congress leaders and various political leaders are being contacted. An all-party meeting will be held. The attack in Chhattisgarh was an attack really on our democratic system and all political parties must be involved and engaged in the further course of action and the strategy to be evolved," he said.

Nath said the all-party meeting will be held after the June 5 meeting of chief ministers of Naxal-hit states in Delhi.

The Bastar attack was also discussed in the Congress Core Group meeting on Saturday.  Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde had briefed the apex decision making body about the incident and actions taken thereafter.

Maoists had ambushed a convoy of Congress leaders in Chhattisgarh's Bastar district on May 25, killing 27 people including Pradesh Congress Committee chief Nand Kumar Patel, his son Dinesh, senior Congress leader Mahendra Karma and former Member of Legislative Assembly Uday Mudaliyar.

Replying to questions on whether an incident of Naxal attack required this level of meeting, Nath said, "It's not a mere a Naxal attack. I do not think we should minimise it. We cannot minimise what has happened in Chhattisgarh."

Asked what strategy was discussed in the UPA meet, the minister said that no strategy would be formed until the government talked to all parties.

"There is no strategy which is being formed until we talk to all political parties. A formal all-party meeting will be called. We have to fix the date with the political parties. The home minister is having a meeting with chief ministers of the Naxal-affected states in the next two-three days. After that, we will hold an all-party meeting and engage and move forward on what should be done," Nath said.