So Mr. Chidambaram has sent a letter to the West Bengal government about the "misuse" of the Joint Forces. Oh, really Mr. Home Minister? How come you come out with a public posture when you have acheived part of what this "joint force" wanted to do? Now that you have pushed back the Maoists a little bit, suddenly you feel you do not need any more support? Suddenly the bargaining chip on the shoulder of an ally looks too big to ignore? Now that your government needs shields from what has been called a "radia-active" issue, you bargain away the morale of the people who are pushing back the people who your government categorizes as the number one threat to the Indian union?
I guess that was easy. You calculate that the Left government is anyways going to lose and you won't need any of their administrative support anymore. The bargain doesn't seem too heavy, does it?
Would you, pray, also bargain away the justification for having Central Forces in all other Maoist dominated areas? Or, would you now criminalize Salwa Judum? Come on, dear Minister, you who have supped with the Judum now have problems with villagers arming themselves to do what your forces should have done in the first place? Or do you still think that the State Government is responsible for all the mess and will send more stern letters asking for "development" in the region and placate your ally?
Please do remember Mr. Home Minister, the Union of India is not being harmed by villagers arming themselves against the Maoists. If you sincerely believe so, then please take away the Central Forces you so kindly lent. Then let the word go out to the Maoists and separatists that they can continue with their plan if they can gain the sympathies of one of your allies by promising to work against the Left government in West Bengal. It is easy for your ally to bargain away the concept of unity of India to acheive some legitimate political goals. What the country needs to see is the compromises you make to secure the support of that ally and the unbearable lightness of your bargaining away a bulwark, small but nevertheless a bulwark, against the forces who want to break up India.
Great work, indeed!
