Naxalism not terrorism, result of failing state: Govindacharya

Raising questions on the government's policy on tackling Naxalism, Hindutva ideologue K N Govindacharya on Thursday said violence by the ultra-Leftists was "no terrorism" but a result of a "failing state".

Raising questions on the government's policy on tackling Naxalism, Hindutva ideologue K N Govindacharya on Thursday said violence by the ultra-Leftists was "no terrorism" but a result of a "failing state".

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The former BJP leader alleged that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Home Minister P Chidambaram and members of National Security Council were "solely responsible for the massacre of 76 security personnel in Dantewada recently.

"This act of ambush is no terrorism, it must be understood that of the nearly 1,000 locals who were involved in the ambush, most of them were common poor citizens of the locality," Govindacharya told reporters here.

Attributing the failure of the state and political system for the rise of Naxal movement, he said, "the constitutionally acknowledged system of state is not helping the common man. It is perceived to be working for the privileged few at the cost of deprived masses.

"This kind of socio-economic orientation of the state is strengthening the Naxal movement," he said.

"The outlook towards development must transcend the age-old stereotype parameters of development like GDP and growth rate. Policies for development must be based on people's ownership and decentralisation of governance," he said.

Govindacharya, the patron of the Rashtriya Swabhiman Aandolan (RSA), said the electoral victory of candidates in several Naxal-infested states was the result of an "undeclared coalition" with the ultras for mutual benefits. "For about last 40 years, Naxalites have used the petty partisan politics prevailing in the country," he said. Asking Naxalites to abjure violence, he said they should understand that incidents like the Dantewada tragedy will only invite "crass state violence" rather than social transformation conducive to Maoist ideology.