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Journalism of Courage
The naxal situation in the country was discussed by the Cabinet Committee on Security in the backdrop of beheading of a kidnapped police inspector in Jharkhand.
The meeting,chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh,took stock of the situation with regard to naxalism and ways to deal with the problem,official sources said.
The meeting did not discuss whether or not the IAF should be given permission to fire on Maoists,with sources saying the matter was still pending with the Defence Ministry.
The Defence Ministry wants armed forces to have limited role and not get involved in fight against naxals,arguing that they are not trained to fight their own people.
The government has been talking about the need for using both development and maintenance of law and order to deal with the menace which continues uncontrolled in several parts of the country.
The naxals have been carrying out attacks at will in various states,including Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. They beheaded an inspector in Jharkhand,a week after kidnapping him.
Talking tough,Home Minister P Chidambaram yesterday said the security forces will engage the Maoists till they abjure violence and the air force will take steps to protect itself from any Naxal attacks.
“As long as the CPI (Maoists) believes in an armed liberation struggle,we have no option but to ask our security forces to engage them,we will arrest them,we will apprehend them,” he said.
He said the government did not consider the Naxalite confrontation as a war. “We do not wage a war against our own people.”
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