Naxal pullout: All’s not lost, says Patil

‘‘The situation will improve, there is nothing to worry,’’ Patil said, adding that dialogue was a ‘‘better option to deal with the problem’’.

‘‘Dialogues have succeeded in past and efforts should be made to make them successful here as well.’’

He, however, added that if talks failed, the state had to ‘‘do its duty’’.

Patil refused to be drawn into the long-term impact of the breakdown in talks, but said the Centre had given the Andhra Government the full authority to deal with the issue.

‘‘We would like them (states) to hold talks, but if they decide to act, they have the Centre’s full support.’’ People on the ground ‘‘know best’’ and it would be ‘‘incorrect on our part to draw any conclusions or make assessments at every juncture’’, Patil said.

Stressing that the Naxal problem was a ‘‘national issue’’, the minister said it should not be ‘‘politicised’’.

Patil also rubbished suggestions that the peace initiative was a ploy by the Naxals to gain time to regroup. ‘‘The same applies for the state government, they too could have organised themselves better,’’ he said.