By IANS,
Kolkata : The All India Forward Bloc (AIFB), a prominent partner in West Bengal’s ruling Left Front, Thursday said laws like the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) alone would not help in tackling the Maoist rebels, only development work can.
“Development of the underdeveloped regions and people is the only appropriate answer to the Maoist menace. Mass movements should be mobilised under the leadership of Left forces to counter the Maoists,” AIFB national general secretary Debabrata Biswas said in an interview to IANS.
“We are against the UAPA as it will not help to counter the Maoist violence,” he said.
However, the AIFB leader justified the Left Front government’s use of the UAPA.
“We were dead against the UAPA being implemented in West Bengal. But as the central government has made it a law and we are part of the federal structure of the Indian constitution we had to implement the law.”
Biswas, in the city to attend the AIFB party congress that begins Thursday, said the root cause of the Maoist violence lay in poverty, underdevelopment, unemployment and general indifference towards the tribals.
“The Maoists are exploiting the poverty of the poor people and the ‘adivasis’ (tribals). The Maoists should leave the path of violence,” he iterated.
Biswas said the Left leaders should tour the Maoist-affected areas and districts.
“They should talk to the people and take care of their grievances and work for the development of the region. If we have done something wrong on our part we should accept it,” Biswas said.