Left wing extremism most formidable challenge: Chidambaram

Left wing extremism was the most "formidable challenge" to governance in the country, home minister P Chidambaram said on Tuesday while stressing that the real hurdle was not restoring peace or development but winning the minds and hearts of villagers.

Left wing extremism was the most "formidable challenge" to governance in the country, home minister P Chidambaram said on Tuesday while stressing that the real hurdle was not restoring peace or development but winning the minds and hearts of villagers.

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More people had been killed in Maoist violence this year than in incidents of terrorism, Chidambaram said at the inaugural session of the 'national workshop on appropriate development strategies for effective implementation of rural development schemes in IAP (integrated action plan) districts'.

The workshop was attended by 60 district collectors from areas hit by left wing extremism.

Rural development minister Jairam Ramesh said there was unanimous view amongst collectors and state governments that blocks and not districts should be the unit under IAP in the 12th Five Year Plan.