At The Heart Of It with Shoma Chaudhury - May 29, 2010

[arr729]

I liked your patient nuanced exposition of this matter. Thanks for the efforts to bring these issues to the public. I fully agree that developmental projects must involve locals/tribals and that is one way to restore people's faith in India's democracy. But all too often, human rights activists seem to conflate Naxal violence with tribal rights. As the Supriya Sharma's article "People's opinion on people's struggle" and the references therein show, this is far from the truth.

[ahamainakan1]

sorry you have miss quoted the price of iron ore its not per kg but its per metric ton the price is true.

[skz72]

Well done Shoma !!!

Good to know that there are very few media in India really understand the poor pple.

We are waiting for a full time TV news channel from Tehalka.

Best wishes for all Tehelka team

Subair from Riyadh

[xxxdieselyyy]

I don't get the point of this video. Alienating Maoists support base means compensating Tribals adequately for using their resources instead of just taking their resources at lowest possible cost ala Rs. 0. If we did this, we wouldn't have a Maoist issue anyway. The fact that our economic system doesn't allow us to do this is what caused the Naxal rebellion.

Naxals r asking for an overhaul of our economic system. I don't see any other alternative myself.

[spjose161]

But then what does one do when your 'democracy' comes with guns at you ?? The forest dwellers and adivasis never interfered in any friggin middle class lives...It is we who are interfering in theirs !!!

And people will react violently if they face violence...

Extreme ideologies will cause harm but then why are extreme right ideologies existing legit in several states - They should also be 'democratically' militarily suppressed !!!

[mensoelrey]

Very interesting, insightful, useful. Thank you!

[jayram78]

Thanks tehelka from bring into lime light many important issue that is being pushed under the carpet.

It is indeed heartening to see the issues of poor, tribal people is brought to lime light.

Overall, I agree with your suggestion to bring basic level playing in case of justice, market value and access to resources.

[Dradahiya]

Do not mix two issues here. Maoist are causing more harm to tribal cause by loosing popular sentiments. But we need to separate two things.

1 - Injustice and unfair treatment - fully agree

2 - Use of situation to push extremist left wing ideology -

There is no place for gun culture in a democratic process. Full stop.

If they want to bring justice - take part in democratic process and if they believe that tribals are with them, then they will win and they are free to bring change.

[vishwashantiforall]

@Dradahiya Dear Very well said , I completely agree. Indian Govt should not war with his own people . The Govt should talk on this issue instead of Green hunt.

[mrigankroark]

Mr. P Chidambaram was a Vedanta Lawyer. Why will he ever reconsider the group's massive realty project along the Orissa coast, masqueraded as an educational institution?

Thanks Tehelka. Look forward to more of these edit videos...

[gehoon]

Today the idea of universal justness looks flawed, you cannot make both sides

win. When Singur wins TATA will have to loose. You have to take sides whether you like it or not....

[gehoon]

Shoma, name a capitalist country which has a true GLOBAL "transactional fairness"...Do you really believe that if India becomes "Fair" state like whichever-western-country-you-­like, will it still be a true and honest nation at heart?

Do you really believe that the economic model on which most of the countries in the world are running today is just? How can one expect justice when "profit" is so much ingrained in the system?

[roshan2137]

The long,slow route will take years to settle this problem and will cost so many lives.Legitimate grievances of people should be solved through political solutions.But let's not complicate that with maoist terrorism.violence and massacre of civilians need to be stopped.This is Terrorism.For the terrorist issue, a "Sri lanka Solution" should be imposed,just like how the LTTE was annihilated.

[jvijaukumar]

@roshan2137

[nazneen47]

Hi Shoma! Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I agree with what you've said, that we need to bring about justice. People resort to the gun after being denied the basic things, and when they see the oppressive face of the government. Tehelka deserves praise for dealing with such issues with a sense of fairness that's missing on the TV newschannels. Keep up the good work! As a journalist based in Guwahati, I'm aware of the gun culture and the issues that give birth to it. Well done!

[dipakghosh1]

Tehelka is a know Maoist apologist-at the very onset it equaled Maoists with Govt.

Mamata Banerjee used democratic means to stop Singur. Why not Maoists start taking part in democratic means? Its already known that Jihadi Groups, Islamists and others are funding Maoists, giving arms and letting them create havoc.

God save India from these Johalawalas and Maoists turrorists.

[bobby230372]

Wonderful insight Shoma. Thank You.