Chhattisgarh CM promises to hold dialogue with stakeholders to end Naxalism

Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], Dec 19 (ANI): Newly-elected Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh Bhupesh Baghel has promised to hold a dialogue on Naxalism with various stakeholders including journalists, intellectuals and soldiers posted in the affected areas in the state, since it is a socio-political-economic issue and a long-term solution is needed.
In an exclusive interview to ANI on Wednesday, Baghel criticised the previous Raman Singh-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, asserting that its policy of solving the Naxalism issue with guns has failed.
"Naxals have been launching a spate of attacks in the state due to which tribals were killed and soldiers were martyred. We lost journalists and we also lost many politicians from our party during the last 15 years of Raman Singh government. Their policy that this problem can be solved using guns has failed. This is a political, social and economic issue," Baghel elaborated.
He added: "Now what is the solution to this problem? We will need to speak to the people who are living in those areas. We will need to speak to journalists, intellectuals and the soldiers fighting in those regions. We will have to find a solution after discussing it with all stakeholders," he added.
Backing Congress president Rahul Gandhi's remark on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on waiving farm loans, Baghel chided the Prime Minister for ignoring debt-ridden farmers and waiving off Rs 3 lakh crore for his 10-15 big industrialist friends, instead.
Earlier on Tuesday, Gandhi said that he will not let Prime Minister Modi sleep until the farmers' loans are waived off.
"We will not let Prime Minister Modi sleep till he waives off loans of farmers, all opposition parties will unitedly demand this. Till now, the Prime Minister has not waived off a single rupee of farmers," the Gandhi scion had said stepping up his attack on the Prime Minister.
In response, Baghel said: "The people are in distress. Farmers are in debt and are committing suicide. If Narendra Modi can waive Rs 3 lakh crore for his 10-15 big industrialist friends, then why not waive off farm loans for farmers? It is our responsibility to raise this issue. Farm loans have to be waived."
Underlining that his government is people-friendly, Baghel said: "Congress president had announced agricultural loan waiver. We do not see that this would be applicable to either small farmers or rich farmers. Farmer is a farmer. Everyone's farm loans would be waived off. We are a government for all, be it farmers, labourers, Adivasis, traders and common people."
Commenting on the outsourcing of jobs, the Chhattisgarh Chief Minister informed that the process started by the Raman Singh-led government would be stopped by the Congress government soon.
Baghel went on to say that the main aim of the Congress government in the state would be to keep on fighting for the rights of the people and take decisions for the welfare of the people. (ANI)