The newly-appointed minister of tribal affairs V Kishore Chandra Deo strongly opposed the deplo-yment of the Indian Army in the Maoist-affected states of Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. “I personally feel the Army is meant to fight the enemy, not to fight your own people. If and where there is a question of law and order it must be dealt with appropriately,” said the minister who is himself a tribal from Andhra Pradesh and who is known for his strong views on the subject.
Extremely critical of the government’s move to deploy an Army brigade in the Maoist-dominated area of Chhattisgarh, he said, “I am not one of those who believe that this (the problem of Naxalism) can be solved merely by unleashing military forces or by having military bases in these regions. It is a socio-economic problem and should be dealt with politically.”
The 72 brigade recently moved to Narayanpur in Chhattisgarh with the Army maintaining this has been done strictly for training purposes.
Nor was the minister in favour of drone attacks which had reportedly been considered at one time by the ministry of home affairs. “I do not support drone attacks. This is not the answer. Development is the answer. This (violence) is closely connected to the apprehension of the tribals that they will be ousted and thrown away due to the acquisition of their land for the purpose of mining and other industrial activities.”
He emphasised the need for the formulation of a national mineral and mining policy which would prepare guidelines regarding “industries and other ventures that could be contemplated in these vulnerable areas.”
The minister also said he strongly supported the need for a policy to ban the export of iron ore. “We cannot be allowed to fritter away our resources which are our national wealth,” he said.
He also said no clearance should be given to the projects till such time as the rights of forest dwellers had been settled by the ministry.
His ministry, he believed, would play a proactive role in enforcing the Forest Rights Act and ensuring that there is no violation of tribal rights. He also believes there should be a transparent system in place to ensure proper compensation in all the cases.
Asked about his view on tribals’ protest against the proposed Jindal Thermal Power Plant in Chhattisgarh, he replied, “Certain hydrological studies must be conducted to ensure that water is available first for the people and then only for industry.”
He strongly condemned the handcuffing of activist Ramesh Aggarwal when he was in hospital. Mr Aggarwal had played the role of a whistleblower bringing to the attention of the ministry of environment and forests the alleged infringements of forest land by the Jindal thermal power plant in Chhattisgarh. “I am not aware of this case but if it has happened, I strongly condemn it,” he said.