PC admits setback in J&K, tackling Maoists

NEW DELHI: Even as home minister P Chidambaram claimed on Wednesday that the last 21 months (since 26/11) were remarkably terror-free, but for a single attack in Pune, he admitted that the government had failed to break the vicious cycle of protests in J&K on since June and also suffered setbacks this year in the war against Red terror.

Mr Chidambaram, who was addressing the DGP/IGP conference here, however, sounded optimistic about an early turn-around in the J&K situation. “It is my hope that, in the next few days, we would be able to find that elusive ‘starting point’ from where we could reach out to the protesters, reassure them of their rights and dignity, restore peace and order, redeem the promises made, and re-start the process of dialogue that will lead to a solution,” he said adding that the Centre had already offered talks with all J&K political parties and groups.

Even as the minister asserted that the situation in the Valley was not yet normal, he shared heartening statistics on J&K’s incoming tourist traffic. “Amidst serious disturbances, 457,324 yatris completed the Amarnath Yatra, exceeding the number of 392,000 yatris last year. So far, 516,970 tourists have visited J&K, and that number also exceeds the 355,960 tourists of last year,” he noted.

Mr Chidambaram said it was the government’s policy of zero tolerance to cross-border terrorism that had ensured 21 terror-free months following his take-over (not taking into account the large number of force casualties suffered since April while fighting Red terror in Tadmetla, Gadchiroli, Sealdah and Chingavaram). “We initiated a number of steps to build capacity, augment intelligence, raise special forces, acquire modern equipment, impart better training and take counter-terrorism measures. As a result, save for one incident, the last 21 months have been remarkably free of any terrorist attack,” he claimed even while acknowledging the attack on the German Bakery in Pune as a blot.

Careful not to sound too complacent, Mr Chidambaram cautioned that the lull on the terror front in no way indicated that the threat of terrorism had gone away. “I wish to caution you that there is no let up in the attempts to infiltrate militants into India. There is no let up in the attempts to radicalise young men and women in India,” he warned the police chiefs.

On the Naxal situation, Mr Chidambaram said it were the state governments who must be in the forefront of fighting Left-wing extremism. “As far as I know, all state governments are committed to the two-pronged strategy of development and police action. In November 2009, we persuaded the States to adopt a co-ordinated strategy...we made it clear that it would take several years before we were able to contain the CPI (Maoist),” he said.

He also highlighted that 192 innocent civilians had been killed by the Naxalites under the pretext of their being “police informers.” Taking an indirect pot-shot at bleeding heart liberals speaking up for the Naxalites, Mr Chidambaram asked if there was anybody who shared the grief of their (victims of Maoist violence) families or spoke up against their killings. “We have called upon the CPI(Maoist) to abjure violence and come for talks...I regret to say that there has been no direct and credible response to our offer of talks,” the minister told the police chiefs.