Tribal affairs minister calls Salwa Judum a 'sinful strategy'

Tribal affairs minister V Kishore Chandra Deo today dubbed anti-Maoist militia Salwa Judum as a "sinful strategy", bringing to the fore apparent differences in Congress over the approach to Maoists who last week wiped out party leadership in Chhattisgarh in a deadly attack.

Tribal affairs minister V Kishore Chandra Deo on Thursday dubbed anti-Maoist militia Salwa Judum as a "sinful strategy", bringing to the fore apparent differences in Congress over the approach to Maoists who last week wiped out party leadership in Chhattisgarh in a deadly attack.

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Deo warned that the nation would witness "worse consequences" if the naxalite issue is treated as a mere law and order problem, just days after his colleague Union rural development minister Jairam Ramesh termed the Maoists as "terrorists" after the May 25 bloodbath.

The people "worst affected" by the Salwa Judum, founded by Mahendra Karma, Congress leader who was killed in the attack, were innocent tribals, who were "sandwiched" between security forces and Maoists and "this shadow is still chasing us", the minister said.

Deo, himself a tribal, cautioned against deploying army to counter the naxals.

"Air power and military are meant to fight the enemy and not your own citizens... How do you differentiate a Maoist?... It will create a civil war like situation," he said insisting that the naxal issue was basically a socio-economic problem.

Asked whether Salwa Judum was a faulty or a failed strategy, he remarked it was a "sinful" strategy.

When P Chidambaram was home minister, senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh had opposed any strategy treating the naxal problem as a law and order issue.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul had also talked about focusing on development in the tribal areas.

The minister said Salwa Judum brought innocent tribals out of their homestead, deprived them of their livelihood resources and kept them in captive camps almost "like refugees and prisoners".

"Security forces even failed to provide them proper security. Ultimately they were gun fodder for extremists and security forces. Apex court had to intervene and stop it saying enough is enough. This shadow is still chasing us," Deo said.

When reminded that Mahendra Karma is hailed as a national hero by some for the Salwa Judum movement against the Maoists, Deo said that he has been opposing the movement for long and former chief minister of Chhattisgarh Ajit Jogi was also an opponent so also Charandas Mahant when he was the PCC Chief.

Deo's refrain was that the government should ensure on a "war footing" building of roads, dwellings, drinking water and education facilities along with basic medical care in the tribal areas.