If we have a bad traffic on roads, who is responsible for that; if a mothers son dies in road accident who is responsible for that; it's corruption, corrupt police department, corrupt system which is responsible for that. If there is no speed control who is responsible for that; what the state government is doing in this regard. If the police department is corrupt and do not investigate a case properly, who is responsible for that. If there is heavy encroachment on national highways and public roads which is also the cause of death in road accident who is responsible for that. If there is big holes on roads who is responsible for that. Are the state governments there to make our life safe or they are there to enjoy the evil power. Who is responsible for the deaths of police men in so-called naxal attacks. Why the hell the state government is not providing them with enough ammunition. Why the state government is not adhering to all the recommendation to lessen the deaths of police men and also to minimize the violation of human rights. Why our government is so weak. Do they think they have purchased the votes with hundred rupee notes.

Violence against our women should be severely punished.

As per our Constitution, the responsibility for maintenance of public order and peace rests with the states. But, in view of the complex and ever changing nature of problems we face, states often need Central assistance in these areas. It is only through a process of continuous and meaningful interaction between the Centre and the states that problems of left-wing extremism, cross-border terrorism and religious fundamentalism can be tackled and tackled effectively. Let me reaffirm today that the Central government stands committed to assisting states in all possible ways in these areas. But, while the Centre can provide resources, guidance and information, the basic task of modernizing state police forces, inducting better equipment, improving the quality of police personnel and strengthening the infrastructure available to them requires the attention of the State Governments. Funds are not a constraint, as the thirteenth Finance Commission has recommended substantial grants and the Central government continues making its contribution to augment the resources of the states. What is needed is a recognition of this problem, focused attention on these issues and a commitment to improving the professionalism and the quality of our police forces. Ultimately, it is a police man on the ground who will deliver results and he has to be equipped and treated well to have the morale and the capacity to deal with the problems of internal security. I hope to see some useful recommendations emerging out of your deliberations on these issues.


Corruption strikes at the roots of good governance. It is an impediment to faster growth. It dilutes, if not negates, our efforts at social inclusion. It dents our international image and it demeans us before our own people. This is a challenge which has to be faced frontally, boldly and quickly. As you might be aware, we have set up a Group of Ministers to look into all measures, legal or administrative, to tackle this menace. Two bills have already been introduced in Parliament relating to judicial accountability and the protection of whistle blowers. Along with legislation, the necessary revamp of administrative practices and procedures needs to be fast-tracked. A systemic response that reduces opportunities for corruption needs to be put in place. It is now well documented that the introduction of competition, greater choice and modern technology can cut down the opportunities for corruption in a very meaningful manner. Delays, another major cause, can be addressed to a large extent by effective decentralization and delegation of power and responsibility. All these issues require your wholehearted attention and I have no doubt that if all of us work together we can bring about vast improvements in governance.

We should also make full use of technology to improve the delivery of our schemes. Technological advances, including broadband connectivity and mobile phones, provide opportunities and tools for better monitoring, improved communication and greater transparency. Unique identification numbers and the extension of the business correspondence model of commercial banks to remote areas should help in prevention of leakages and promote financial inclusion. These are tools and options at your disposal and it is up to you to use them effectively and imaginatively.

The other area is the administration’s response to the special needs and problems of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, minorities, women and other vulnerable groups of our society. Speaking to Chief Ministers three days ago, I had said that it is a shame that atrocities against Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes still continue in our country. I expect all Chief Secretaries to lead their administration in preventing such atrocities and ensuring punishment to the perpetrators when they do occur. I expect a similar sensitive and responsive attitude towards the issue of violence against our women.

Primary role and responsibility to fight Left-wing extremism lay with the state governments

The central government, he said, will assist the states in "every way - including deploying central paramilitary forces, sharing intelligence and funding - for both development schemes and security needs".


"The government is confident that the problem of Left-wing extremism will be met with determination and overcome in the next three years," Chidambaram said at the third meeting of the panel on the Maoist problem.


It was agreed to continue with the two-pronged strategy of development and police action.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has repeatedly described the Maoist problem as the "gravest" security threat India faces.

According to home ministry data, the Leftist rebels have carried out at least 500 attacks, killing nearly 350 people in nine states in the last three months. Chhattisgarh has recorded the highest number of such strikes, parliament was told on Wednesday.

Describing the Maoists, the Home Minister said that, they conduct their business in violation of the laws, they collect rents, but don’t pay taxes and direct that money against the State.

He also stressed that Naxal affected states like Jharkhand, Bihar and Chhattisgarh needed some more time to built, as those states are passing through a very difficult phase.

Expressing unhappiness with the progress of the anti-naxal operations, Chidambaram said that he was not fully satisfied with the results. He admitted that there are some areas where the security forces need to be more active.

Terrorists blow up bus in Dantewada, 50 killed

The attack, which took place at around 16:45 hrs, was seen as yet another violation of Standard Operating Procedures which prohibit policemen and SPOs to travel in civilian vehicles.

The government intended to build a new India through the Panchayats by empowering the villages

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday said challenges posed by Maoists could be countered by empowering the rural poor and marginalised sections through Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs).

“We should pay special attention to ensure that PRIs function effectively in remote and backward areas, which include tribal areas. This will help us in tackling the challenges such as the Maoist menace,” he said inaugurating a conference to celebrate the National Panchayati Raj Day.

Mr. Singh said participation of panchayats in various development programmes was essential as “they understand the local needs.”

“Panchayats not only make direct participation possible for the marginalised section of society in governance, but also play an important role in ensuring transparency and accountability in the functioning of government institutions and officials,” he added.

Describing the day as “historic” for PRIs, he said it was on this day in 1993 that the 73rd Constitutional Amendment was implemented to enable the three-tier panchayats to take responsibility of governance.

“This has made decentralisation (of power) possible up to the grassroots level. The impact of the 73rd amendment is now very clearly visible. It has empowered the common man and poor, and has brought about changes in the power equations in rural India,” he said.

Expressing happiness over the regular conduct of panchayat elections, Mr. Singh said over 28 lakh people have now officially become part of the country’s democracy through about 600 district panchayats, 6,000 intermediate panchayats and 2.3 lakh gram panchayats.

Noting that 33 per cent reservation for women has been implemented in the PRIs, the Prime Minister said it was a matter of pride for the country that today about 10 lakh women work in rural India as elected representatives, which is more than the number of reserved seats.

“With the implementation of the proposed 50 per cent quota for women in PRIs, their number is expected to increase to 14 lakh in these institutions,” he added.

The Prime Minister said apart from the women’s reservation in PRIs, there are arrangements for providing quota for SCs and STs in proportion to their population, while some states have provided reservation to OBCs too.

“The objective of all these measures is to enhance direct participation of weaker sections in governance,” he said.

Mr. Singh said PRIs have been given special importance in the implementation of various government schemes in the 11th Five-Year Plan as they understood the local issues well.

“Our government is aware of the difficulties being faced by Panchayats. It has been our continuous endeavour that basic facilities are provided to PRIs and arrangements for (devolution of) funds, functions and functionaries be made to them,” he said.

“This will help giving a new shape to the services rendered by the Panchayats,” he said.

Noting that the government had under the 13th Finance Commission announced a share to the Panchayats from tax collections, the Prime Minister said this would give PRIs the status of local self-governance units in the real sense.

Expressing the hope that the conference would discuss all the issues, which were inevitable for making PRIs more effective and transparent, he said the recommendations of the meet would be seriously looked into and after examination, the government would take necessary action.

Earlier, Mr. Singh presented awards for Effective Implementation of Panchayats’ Empowerment and Accountability Incentive Scheme to Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Maharashtra and Sikkim.

He also released a two-volume report for 2010 on the status of Panchayati Raj.

Rural Development and Pachayati Raj Minister C.P. Joshi said the government intended to build a new India through the Panchayats by empowering the villages.

Mr. Joshi said time had come for another Constitutional Amendment to empower the rural people by making devolution of power to PRIs mandatory.

He said there was need to bring changes at the grassroots level by setting Human Development Index standards and pointed out that NREGA had given opportunity to the rural poor to improve their economic and social status.

The government, he said, would soon launch a National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) for socio-economic development in rural India.

Pachayati Raj Secretary A.N.P. Sinha urged the Prime Minister to increase the plan allocation for the ministry, which had not been done for the last three years.

He said a meeting of the newly constituted National Advisory Council (NAC) under UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi should be convened to discuss a road map for PRIs.

State governments had a greater responsibility and role in tackling Maoists than the Centre

Union home minister P Chidambaram on Saturday reiterated his stand that state governments had a greater responsibility and role in tackling Maoists than the Centre. At a press meet here, he said the Centre's role, according to the mandate given to the ministry of home affairs, was to provide paramilitary forces to state governments to help them carry out anti-Maoist operations, to regain control over areas (dominated by Naxalites), to restore civic administration and to restart developmental activities.

Ex-Armymen may be training Maoists, says home secy

Talking about the ongoing joint, inter-state operations to weed out Maoists and re-establish the control of the administration in Maoist-hit areas, Mr Pillai said it was a long haul and seven to eight years may be needed to gain full control.

Speaking at the Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis here, Mr. Pillai said the Maoists did their homework before launching attacks and their approach was that of a well-trained army — surveying the place, making notes and studying every aspect.


According to the home secretary, Maoists are using administrative vacuum and under-development to establish their hold over large tracts of land across states. Their estimated income, he said, is a whopping Rs 1,400 crore.

The most difficult element in dealing with naxalites was lack of trained policemen.

Intellectual support to Maoists made the task of tackling them “very difficult” as it confused people, Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram said here on Friday.
The most difficult element in dealing with naxalites was lack of trained policemen. It was followed by intellectual and material support. The Maoists seduced the media as they unleashed false charges in courts and pulled all strings to activate their frontal organisations, including the unsuspecting non-government organisations, to widen their circle of influence for support.
“But don’t forget the bottom line — the CPI(Maoists) believe in armed liberation struggle. “Accept it or reject it. There can be no half-way approach. Most people still think there could be a compromise or some kind of median approach. This is immature and foolish,” he said.

Mr. Chidambaram said the government was following a policy on naxalites but it would take some time for the results to become visible, and in the meantime they would continue to try every trick in the bag to garner support, he said at an interaction with the Indian Women’s Press Corps on Friday.

He admitted that the situation on the naxalite front was bad. “This is expected because as long as we did not engage them, they were happy and expanding. They will continue to expand unless we challenge them.”
Denying that any operation was being carried out under the name of “Operation Green Hunt” in Chhattisgarh, he said the Centre was just assisting the States in reclaiming the areas under Maoists control. “This is a careful, controlled and calibrated move with no carnage or collateral damage.”
The Minister admitted that there were police excesses in certain areas of Maoist dominance. He said, “I will hold the State government accountable if they commit excesses.”
There was need to take control of Maoist areas, establish a civil administration and ensure development. “The troops have been told you don’t fire till you are fired upon. The objective is only to reach the areas.”
Explaining his offer of talks to Maoists if they abjured violence, he said he did not ask them to lay down arms or disband their organisation. “I said give up violence for 72 hours, give me 72 hours to consult everyone and respond to your giving up violence and we will find a way out.”

Terrorists kill 12 tribals in Bihar

I would like to hear the voices of condemnation of those who have, erroneously, extended intellectual and material support to the CPI-Maoist.

The forces consist of CRPF and small detachments of BSF, ITBP, BSF and IRB. It was also revealed after a series of attacks by the Naxalites that the jawans deployed there did not undergo even a rudimentary course on counter-insurgency strategy and tactics.

The home minister emphasised that every attack by the left-wing extremists exposed the true nature and character of the outfit. “Their goal is to seize power. Their weapon is violence. No organisation or group in a democratic republic has the right to take to violence to overpower the established legal authority. Unfortunately, this simple truth has escaped a number of well-meaning organisations that find ‘legitimacy’ in the armed liberation struggle carried on by the CPI-Maoist,” he said.
Detailing the violence caused by the Maoist rebels during the three-day shutdown Feb 7-9, Chidambaram said their main targets of attack were railway property and there were a total of 11 incidents in Bihar, Jharkhand and Orissa. “Tracks were blown up, railway stations were attacked, bombs were placed on railway property and railway officials were assaulted,” he said.
“I would like to hear the voices of condemnation of those who have, erroneously, extended intellectual and material support to the CPI-Maoist. It is only if the whole country rejects the preposterous theses of the CPI-Maoist and condemns the so-called ‘armed liberation struggle’ that we can put an end to the menace of Naxalism (Maoism) and bring development and progress to the people in the conflict zones.”

Terrorists killed 24 security personnel in West Bengal

And the most surprising thing is that the perpetrators will never be brought to justice……………..

And the disgusting thing is that such incidents are going to happen again. We never learn from experience. The people of this country are blind. If security personnel could not secure themselves from such terrorists (who are citizens of India) then who will protect common men. People do live in fear in India.

 

Show sensitivity to tribals while fighting against Maoists, Chidambaram tells CRPF

Kadarpur (Haryana) With security forces preparing to launch a multi-state coordinated offensive against Naxals, Home Minister P Chidambaram today said they need to ensure that the poor and tribals do not suffer in the fight against Maoist violence.
“While you should be firm, decisive and unrelenting in dealing with those who indulge in violence, you should show a great degree of sensitivity, patience and maturity to the poor people, especially the tribals,” Chidambaram said.
He was speaking at the 70th Raising Day celebrations of the Central Reserve Police Force that would be at the forefront of the anti-Naxal operation.
Noting that the people of the country have the constitutional right to choose their leaders, he said, “As custodians of the constitution we have moral, ethical and legal responsibility to ensure that the writ of the constitution runs through the length and breadth of the country.”
“The biggest challenge before you (CRPF personnel) is how well and successful you are able to reach out the tribal and the poor people and the marginalised,” the minister said, adding the forces have to convince such people of their rights as a legitimate citizen of the country.

Ideas are always welcome--------not baseless criticism

If the the government has ran out of ideas, it is always welcome to ideas. How many ideas were given by the opposition in past six years to tackle Naxalism! Who is the Satyagrahi here? Naxals!

'Delayed medical attention hurt forces morale'

You send them in, you can't bring them out," says a senior officer. "Morale of the police is in the boots. A policeman is beheaded and 17 killed yesterday, but are there any tears shed for the police? Not one human rights organisation has condemned the killings. Police life is dirt cheap.

18 policemen killed in shootout with Naxals

Naxals loot banks, kidnap and extort to raise money

There is no place for violence or so-called armed struggle for liberation in a republican, democratic form of government.

“Left-wing extremism is the gravest challenge to our way of life, our republic and our democracy,” he said of the banned CPI (Maoist).
“Our policy on left-wing extremism is very clear. There is no place for violence or so-called armed struggle for liberation in a republican, democratic form of government.
“They believe in armed liberation struggle. We reject that argument. So long any one indulges in violence, the State has to oppose and fight the group,” he said.
He said the Centre had made it clear at the recent Chief Ministers’ Conference in New Delhi that the so-called armed liberation struggle was unacceptable, and the police would act against it.
Earlier, Mr. Chidambaram said in Raipur that the Centre was committed to fighting naxalism and would provide all help to the Chhattisgarh government to eradicate the extremists.

Lack of media outcry against naxalite violence criticised

“Despite the fact that naxalites have been carrying out the worst atrocities, there is very little public outcry. When Kopad Ghandy is arrested, we see intellectuals are protecting him. But when tribals are killed by the Maoists, the intellectuals and NGOs [are silent.]”

Naxalism (terrorism) is the gravest internal security threat we face