Sometimes politicians face uncomfortable questions in the most casual circumstances. At the launch of the book “Lal Lakeer” on Wednesday, former Union Minister Jairam Ramesh and CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury found themselves fielding tough questions that touched upon issues such as state-sponsored vigilantism that led to alleged human rights violations in Bastar and Dantewada districts of Chhattisgarh.
A fictional account written by a reputed TV journalist Hridyesh Joshi, Lal Lakeer is a love story set in insurgency-hit Chhattisgarh. The book portrays a microcosm where the State and the insurgents end up ruining the lives of disadvantaged people.
‘Many shortcomings’Mr. Ramesh was asked what could be done to reverse the culture of vigilantism that was introduced by the previous Congress-led government in Chhattisgarh. “The Forest Ministry has a big role to play in that mess,” he answered. “Shortcomings are many — good officers don’t want to serve in such places, good cops don’t want to be posted there.”
Mr. Ramesh added that Maoism was an administrative problem, a conclusion Mr. Yechury disagreed with.
Mr. Yechury said Maoism could be dealt only politically. Had the Congress not allowed private companies to exploit the resources in tribal areas, the Maoist insurgency would have lost its steam, he said. “Until you go to this root, how would you find a solution?” he said.
However, RSS ideologue Rakesh Sinha took a dig at the Congress and CPI(M), saying both parties were to blame for alienating those tribals who had joined the Maoist ranks. “It’s important to tackle Maoist violence through proper democratic frameworks,” Mr.Sinha said.
