Advantage Maoists as UPA confused by Jairam's line

Jairam Ramesh pushed for a softer line against the Maoists as against P Chidambaram's hardline stance, leading to confusion in the UPA and the Maoists retaliated in the hardest possible way, reports Sheela Bhatt

Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh had a talk with Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday about security related, developmental and the political situation on Ground Zero in Chhattisgarh’s tribal area where several state Congress leaders were killed in one of the most horrific attacks by the Maoists.

Ramesh has also written a letter narrating the political realities and offered suggestions on how to move forward from the current crisis.

A source in the ministry said that Ramesh has highlighted to Sonia Gandhi how the Bharatiya Janata Party has won all assembly seats except one in the area. After the massacre by Maoists, the Congress leadership in Sukma region will have to take extra security precautions and will have to continue to lay emphasis on development of the region.

The venom shown by the Maoists against the Congress has rattled the party. Many senior Congress leaders are shell-shocked by the tales of violence against their colleagues in the tribal state coming out of the jungles of Darbha. The government has a lot to answer to the party for the absolute failure of its ‘Maoist’ policy.

Congressmen, who secretly admire Chief Minister Raman Singh’s tough stance against Maoists, are of the opinion that their party’s policy is as confused as it was against Sri Lanka during Rajiv Gandhi’s time. It suffered from a Hamlet-like situation. To be firm or not to be firm against Maoists was the confusion.

The United Progressive Alliance government could not decide whether or not to adopt a hardline approach, as envisaged by then Home Minister P Chidambaram, against tribal radicals as the Congress did in Punjab against the Khalistanis.

But the party got completely confused as other option was put forward by Ramesh and supported by Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi. Ultimately it ended in confusion and at the appropriate time, the Maoists retaliated the hardest possible way.

Ramesh has lots to explain now on the policy and it is expected that Wednesday’s letter to his party boss has some forward looking ideas.