We must thank and congratulate the JNU fact finding team for their revealing insights. This is, indeed the correct picture. I can vouch for it as can many others who like me have seen this process in various parts of India - especially the uplands of Central India. I have seen it happen in Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, West Bengal. As long as the development model (including mining, manufacturing industry, forest extraction, petrochemical-intensive agriculture) continues to marginalize local communities, especially indigenous peoples, we can expect people to hit back. That is normal. Want a quick fix to the 'maoist problem'? Break down the Narmada dam. Get Vedanta out. Protect the Niyamgiri hill. Get Tata out of Dhamra. Stop Uranium extraction in Jadugoda. If you want new industry, develop and sell the abandoned industrial properties in South Bombay, the suburbs of Kolkata. And only when you've undone the damage done (at all stages, from colonial administration, through plan driven state socialist industrialization to the neoliberal development of today) can you reasonably and ethically expect the people not to hit back. Arnab Sen
We hear and read daily about atrocities and havoc caused by Maoists and Naxalites in Jharkhand and West Bengal. They have been harassing and exploiting poor villagers mainly in tribal areas and killing security personals from time to time and have virtually created no go areas in parts of Jharhand and West Bengal.It appears that they are flourishing in the areas which have been neglected and very little if any development in the fields of general education,health care, job opportunities and sustainable livelihood has taken place in 63 years of Independence.These people are vanrable and are easily persuaded to join Maoists and Naxalites with the hope of getting some security and source of livelihood from them.The governments need to try to get back the good will and confidence by offering them real help in all aspects of their life and livelihood and provide them with the aminities of modern India. Dhuni I'm looking for some stats for two of the biggest symptoms of deeper underlying problems in Jharkhand. Number of young, tribal girls and women from Jharkhand, who go to the cities easy year to work as domestic help (servants) / get into sex trade. Number of young men who are sympathetic to or are Naxals. Thanks, Rashmi Ekka We must emphatically oppose and say no to this massive industrial development method which takes away fertile land, forest land and water resource from the rural population. How to mobilise mass protests against this unwanted tresspassing is the work of the hour and perhaps you can suggest Today itself there was a news item in Prabhat Khabar that employment is not getting created in Jharkhand because no land is being made available to large Corporations for setting up their units in Jharkhand. This is a total myth that a paper like Prabhat Khabar should not have published since we all know that large industrial employments do not create jobs but reduce future jobs in pursuance of the goddess of productivity. Behind every high-rise and multiplex is the wail of the downtrodden crying out for justice. Prem P. Verma Jharkhand Alternative Development Forum
