Thaindian News

New Delhi, July 15 (IANS) The problem of Left extremism in India is no less important than fundamentalism and communalism, Congress general secretary and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Digvijay Singh said.

“The problem is more socio-economic and should be dealt in that order,” Digvijay Singh said here Thursday at the launch of the book “Hello, Bastar” about Maoist insurgency in Chhattisgarh.

“There is no need for a review petition at the Supreme Court for judgment on Salwa Judum,” he said, referring to the recent apex Court ruling against the recruitment of poverty-stricken youths in Salwa Judum, the state-sponsored civilian militia against Maoists in Chhattisgarh.

Criticising the Salwa Judum, Digvijay Singh said: “Salwa Judum came into existence because of some conflicts between tribal families and Left-wing extremists.”

“It was a badly handled cell,” he said.

Digvijay Singh said Chhattisgarh tribals would like nothing more than the freedom to lead their lives peacefully.

The Congress veteran, who has dealt with Maoist insurgency during his 10-year tenure as the chief minister, said the bulk of the problem in Chhattisgarh stemmed from the “lack of control over natural resources by forest dwellers”.

“The rights of the forest dwellers had been taken away by the British before independence. Forest dwellers had always depended on their wealth. But even after 1947, we have seen exploitation of forest wealth, which led to deforestation of forest resources. Forest dwellers must be given full rights over forest produce,” he said.

The government had given them rights over minor forest produce but did not give them rights to timber and bamboo, Digvijay Singh said.

“If rights to bamboo and timber are transferred to forest dwellers, they will be able to control the forest much better than any other agencies,” he added.

He recommended elimination of contractors involved in the trade of forest produce and “making the forest dwellers participate in forest management” to effectively control the Maoist terror.

He said: “If implemented properly, the Provisions of Panchayats Extension to Scheduled Areas (PESA) Act of 1996 could be the answer to solving the issue of extremism in the country.”

The PESA Act of 1996 seeks to protect tribal rights in Scheduled Areas (areas needing special protection). Under this act, tribals are involved in local self-governance. It was adopted by several states like Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Karnataka, Orissa and Kerala, affected by extremism.

“It was a hurriedly drafted law and there were several gaps in the law itself,” he said.