Left-wing extremism terminated in east, says Union Home Minister Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said the left-wing Extremism (LWE) has nearly ended in the region of eastern states — West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, and Odisha — and efforts should continue to ensure that it does not re-emerge.

Shah was in Kolkata to preside over the 25th Eastern Zonal Council meeting which was attended by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav and ministers from Odisha.

Shah said the LWE has been nearly eliminated from the eastern region, and “efforts should be made to sustain this decisive dominance” over the LWE, and it should not re-emerge in the LWE-free states, a government (press information bureau) release stated.

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Shah asked the chief ministers to create the Narco Coordination Centre (NCORD) system at the district level, and regular meetings take place to confront narcotics. The need is to accelerate the campaign against drugs through artificial intelligence, he added.

Shah also told the chief ministers that cultural diversity be highlighted, and places of tourism in the states be shown during the events related to the G20 summit, that are to take place in the states over the next one year.

The meeting that took place in the precincts of Nabanna, Bengal’s secretariat complex with the chief minister and the Union home minister present together, generated substantial curiosity, given Bengal’s current political scenario where the ruling Trinamool and the BJP in Opposition are jostling for voters’ attention with the rural polls scheduled to take place next year.

Besides, there are issues, like the BSF’s jurisdiction along international borders (in Bengal), and citizenship rights, where the state and the Centre have differing opinions.

At the conference, Jharkhand CM Soren pointed out that the abolition of the right of gram sabha in the forest (conservation) rules, 2022, in the use of forest land, is an encroachment on the rights of around 20 crore tribals and of people living in forests.

He asked that the rules should be amended in line with the Forest Rights Act, 2006, a release shared by the CM's office stated.

Soren also raised the issue of outstanding payments to coal companies, the closure of mines no longer in use, and the construction of an airport at Sahebganj, besides other issues.