Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday declared that India is Naxal free, as he said that the root-cause of Naxalism was not not the demand of development, but it was an ideology that was embraced by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to win the presidential elections. However, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government worked continuously to end Naxalism, Shah said, recounting the work done in the past 12 years.
Speaking in the Lok Sabha during a debate on 'India's decisive fight against Naxalism', Shah said Maoism is about to end in India, while also paying tribute to the civilians and the security personnel, who lost their lives due to red terror. Shah claimed Naxalism or Maoism is not related to development, but only to grab power using arms. This ideology was spread among the Adivasis to grab power, he said.
"Today, Naxalism has been almost eradicated from Bastar," Shah said. "The people of Bastar were left behind precisely because the shadow of 'Red Terror' loomed over the region; that is why development failed to reach them. Today, that shadow has been lifted, and Bastar is now on the path of development."
Shah says taking up arms not solution
The union home minister said the Constitution has provisions for injustice that people might face, but taking up arms is not the solution. He further said that those advocating Naxalism should know that people who take up arms will have to pay a price. The Modi government will hold those accountable who will take up arms, Shah asserted.
Continuing his attack on Congress, Shah said the grand old party didn't allow the implementation of schemes that benefited the tribals because it disturbed their ideology's illicit rule. "Out of the 75 years since independence, power remained in your (Congress) hands for 60 years. Why, then, have the tribal communities remained deprived of development to this day?" he said.
"It is only now, with the arrival of Narendra Modi, that actual development is taking place. For sixty years, you failed to provide them with homes or access to clean water; you built no schools for them; you prevented mobile towers and banking facilities from reaching their areas, and yet, now you are the ones demanding accountability?" Shah added.
Shah slams Oppn for comparing Bhagat Singh, Birsa Munda with Naxalites
In his remarks, Shah also criticised the opposition for comparing Bhagat Singh and Birsa Munda with the Naxalites. Wondering how can someone compare Bhagat Singh and Birsa Munda with the Naxalites who had taken up arms to slaughter innocent people, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader said the opposition must rise above narrow politics while addressing such important issues.
The Naxalites never considered Bhagat Singh, Subhas Chandra Bose, Tilka Manjhi or Birsa Munda as their ideals, but only idealised Mao, the union home minister said. He even alleged that the Communist Party was formed to back China, saying they are the Maoists of today.
Crediting the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and tribal communities, Shah said Naxalism is taking its last breath. He said the Modi government will never hold talks will those who have taken up arms, and are killing the innocent, including women and children. "This is our government's policy: talks will be held only with those who lay down their arms; those who use bullets will be answered with bullets," he said.
