-The Economic Times DANTEWADA: With both the Congress and BJP advocating an intensification of the military campaign against the Naxals, and the UPA government at the Centre even committing more troops to Chhattisgarh, local development in the state could become a casualty in the crossfire. "An outside force is less capable of discriminating between Naxals and villagers," says Vishwa Ranjan, former director general police, Chhattisgarh. Such an intensification will result in greater...

-The Indian Express   Maoists say target was Karma, demand pullout of forces Raipur: Claiming responsibility for Saturday's attack on the Congress convoy in Bastar which claimed 24 lives, the CPI (Maoist) said on Tuesday that the killing of senior party leaders was the "necessary revenge against the UPA's fascist Operation Green Hunt, which is being run in connivance with several state governments". "The primary aim behind this attack was to kill Mahendra Karma...

-The Hindu     The killings of Mahendra Karma and his colleagues call not for retributive violence but for a deeper reflection on the discontent among the tribals of central India and their dispossession In the summer of 2006, I had a long conversation with Mahendra Karma, the Chhattisgarh Congress leader who was killed in a terror attack by the Naxalites last week. I was not alone - with me were five other members...

-CNN-IBN New Delhi: Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh has spoken out strongly against intellectuals who "romanticise Maoists". While admitting there is need for focused development in the tribal areas, he said there is no possibility of a dialogue with Maoists as they don't believe in Indian democracy. "You can have a dialogue with people who want to have a dialogue. Maoists are not here for tribal welfare," Ramesh said. While speaking exclusively...

-The Hindu Raipur: Launching the Congress party's ‘Parivartan Yatra' (March for Change) on Thursday in Bastar, a senior Central Minister, Jairam Ramesh, compared Mahendra Karma, the tribal leader, with a "slow tiger." "Mahendra Karma was called the ‘Bastar Tiger.' But the tiger has slowed down over the years," said the Minister in the presence of Mr. Karma and about two thousand Gond tribals. Sitting on the dais, Mr. Karma's reactions changed...