Provide basic facilities to tribals to tackle naxalism: Seer

Speaking to media persons here on Thursday, he said that he had received a lot of complaints from the tribal families living in the forest areas where naxal activities are active. Though the revenue and forest officials have assured to issue land right certificates, no steps have been taken by the government in this regard.

The naxalites who are active in these areas have taken this dreary attitude of the government to their advantage and are provoking the local tribal youths against the government. Rather than bullets, what is needed today is providing required facilities to the tribal section to prevent naxal menace, he said.

Several tribal families in the deep forest areas still don’t have basic facilities like electricity, water, bridges and proper roads. The government and voluntary service organisations should come forward to fulfil their long standing needs to build confidence and faith over the government efforts and take away from joining the naxals.

If the basic needs of the tribal section living in the interior forests areas were fulfiled, the naxalites activities in these areas would totally come down. Such efforts would, in the long run, definitely bring changes in the minds of youth to turn away from naxalism, he added.

While replying a query on the handbills by the naxalites found yesterday in Sringeri criticising the works of Pejawar seer in the naxal affected areas of Chikmagalur and Shimoga districts, the pontiff said that there was no need for him to get any publicity as he was not contesting any election.

Whenever occasion arose, he had jumped voluntarily into social service as in the case of floods and draught. On the contrary, large number of tribal people who were pleased by his works have expressed that they would come in thousands to support him in his fight against SEZ and thermal plant, the seer said.

Replying to another query, he said that he was ready to act as mediator in the discussions with the naxalites to bring permanent solution to the existing problems. He has also indicated this to the naxal groups active in the Western Ghat region, he said.
The pontiff said that during the current year, he had spent about Rs 15 lakh for providing facilities such as electricity, drinking water and irrigation water facilities in several naxal affected interior villages in Chikmagalur district.

Here majority are tribal community people, scheduled caste and scheduled tribe people besides Muslims, Christians and Jain community people who are living there for a long period. An average of Rs 15 lakh for the welfare activities of tribal and other poor sections living in the naxal affected areas is being spent since last three years, he said.