G K Pillai, former Union home secretary, on Monday called upon the northeast state governments and non-government organisations to work in tandem to nip the looming Maoists threat over the region in the bud.
Delivering the keynote address at a seminar on 'Sustaining Peace in Northeast India: Changing Dimensions' sponsored by the British Deputy High Commission, Eastern India in collaboration with the Centre for Development and Peace Studies, Pillai said, "The Maoist threat is certainly one that is emerging. The Maoist strategy is to fish in troubled waters and exploit any grievances or even perceived grievances. This has to be tackled politically at the grassroot level. It has to be nipped in the bud with the help of people as only the police can't tackle it alone."
For Rediff Realtime News click here
"The subtle campaign of Maoists to portray themselves as champions of the underdog and protector of the deprived is but a part of their larger campaign to seize political power through armed struggle. The states of the northeast, especially Assam, needs to learn from the experiences of Andhra Pradesh, Chattishgarh, Jharkhand and Orissa and nip