The Prime Minister is now heading a meeting to which he has called the chief ministers of seven states that bear the brunt of Naxalism. The chief ministers of Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Bihar; the governor of Jharkhand and the health minister of West Bengal are deliberating on an effective way to counter the Naxal movement. Ever since dozens of policemen were gunned down and a major train accident was caused by naxalites, there is an ongoing debate about the best way to deal with Naxal menace.

Those supporting the Naxal cause do not want the Centre to send in more police personnel to these areas. They highlight the fact the poor tribals who are fighting the government have borne the brunt of police brutality over the decades and will further get entrenched in violence resistance if the government should send in more forces. Instead, they emphasise the need for economic development in these regions to win over the tribals.

On the other hand, there are people who ask for a stronger response from the government to silence naxal violence. Thousands of policemen have lost their lives over the past decade. In 2009 Naxals targeted 362 telephone towers, many school buildings, roads, and culverts. Forty thousand square kilometers of India is now under Naxal control. Most of it is thick jungles and difficult terrain. The Naxal cadres do not respect state boundaries. They commit a crime in one state and then cross over to another state thus rendering the efforts of one state’s police force ineffective in their hunt to nab them. The state police forces or even the Central police forces.

There are people who feel that the armed forces must be sent in. If the Naxalites can declare war against India, why can’t India declare war against the Naxalites? The ‘poor’ tribals are not alone in their ‘struggle’ for justice and equity. They have wilfully accepted the ideology of the Maoists and have taken up arms to fight India. Some may contend that they were forced into a violent path by the atrocities committed by the Indian governments and police forces. Yet, they are responsible for choosing the war path. The tribals could have chosen a peaceful resistance against the brutality or injustices at the hands of government forces.

The Maoists have political aspirations and the tribals are pawns in their hands. They dream of dismantling India’s ‘pseudo-democracy’ to set up a radical communist state. If the Prime Minister indeed stand by what he said about naxals – them being the gravest internal security threat that India faces – then, he should match it with an equivalent action.

The Indian government does not seem to have a desire to see a quick end to the naxal menace. Therefore, it has always been relying on the two-pronged strategy of effective policing and economic develoment. Both efforts are yet to see any degree of success.

India’s plight can be compared to that of a cancer patient. The cancer of naxalism is growing silently. The true extent of its spread is unknown. Who would have expected it grow and cover 40,000 square kilometers? If the Centre and state governments wish to yield to leftist thinkers and writers and will continue to handle radical communists with kid-gloves, the situation will soon become worse. The cancer of naxalism has to be fought on a war footing. Any one who loves India will have no mercy for on those who declare war on the country. And yet, our patriots are so indecisive about dealing a death-blow to this cancer that we feel that they do not wish to see it gone.

The moment Naxalism is compared to cancer, supporters of naxalism will point out the danger of using this metaphor. They smell danger and say that the government or others are using the language of annihilation or genocide. If naxals choose the path of annihilating soldiers and police personnel, why shouldn’t an elected government think of neutralising the threat they pose?

India needs results. As a country, we are appalled that our political masters have tolerated naxalism thus far and let it grow to such mammoth proportion. The government should serve an ultimatum to all naxals in this country and then declare an all-out war. Or else, this country will bleed for years to come. A proper decision can save this country from prolonged bleeding and loss of lives and resources.