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

This is the first of a new and important feature that we are undertaking, a video editorial titled, At The Heart Of It with Shoma Chaudhury.

Shoma Chaudhury talks about how India is facing an escalating civil war situation when it comes to the Naxals and the Maoists, on how everything at the heart of it is an issue of justice and the murkiness of politics, industrialisation and "national interest". She goes on to say, "You have to fight legally and it is only then that people will begin to get alienated from the Maoist movement. We cannot fight this with force. We have to wean away the support base and the only way that we can wean away the support base is if we begin to show that Indian democracy is the better way of life."

Stay tuned for more.

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Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Shoma Chaudhury
• Maoists
• Naxal
• Dantewada
• Bengal
• Violence
• Editorial
• Injustice
• democracy
• Civil war
• communism
• politics
• India
• issue
• Tata
• Nano
• mining
• Iron
• vlog
• Tehelka

[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!

[jvijaukumar]

@roshan2137

[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.

[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.