Kolkata, Feb. 9: In a clear message to the Maoists, the Centre on Tuesday announced that the operation against them would continue if they did not give up violence. A comprehensive inter-state joint operation (Operation Green Hunt), involving West Bengal,

 Jharkhand and Orissa, would soon be launched with the objective of reclaiming in six months areas currently dominated by Naxals.

This decision was made at a meeting chaired by Union home minister P. Chidambaram with the chief ministers and senior officials of West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa and Jharkhand at the Writers’ Buildings. However, only two of the four chief ministers were present — Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee of West Bengal and Mr Naveen Patnaik of Orissa.

After the meeting, Mr Chidambaram said, "We have discussed inter-state operations between Bengal and Jharkhand and Bengal and Orissa. Decisions have been taken. These decisions will be implemented when I get back to Delhi."

Sources said all four states reached a consensus on launching a comprehensive inter-state joint operation soon and for this reason were seeking more Central forces. "The Jharkhand government has admitted that they are not equipped with the proper infrastructure to tackle the Maoist menace. The four states, however, promised the Union home minister they would work with better coordination among themselves," sources added. The Bengal government has asked the Centre for helicopters for rescue operations and an unmanned aircraft for surveillance of Maoists-affected areas.

Mr Chidambaram also made it clear that the Centre was ready to hold talks with the Maoists if they halted violence. "My appeal to all the Naxals on behalf of all the chief ministers who participated in the conference two days ago (in New Delhi) on behalf of Naxal-affected states, is, if you abjure violence, that is, if you call a halt to violence, we are not asking you to do anything more, if you halt the violence, we are prepared to talk to you on any matter," he urged.

However, he added that past appeals had been spurned. "Therefore we are obliged to continue the operation. As long as the Naxals indulge in violence, this operation will continue," Mr Chidambaram warned.

He noted that the states have made significant progress in intra-state operations against the Maoists. "Progress is slow but steady and I am confident that further progress will be made in the next six months. I think we will continue the operation in a measured, calibrated, careful and controlled manner to reclaim the areas now being dominated by Naxals. Once the civil administration is firmly re-established, the chief ministers have assured us that they will rush in with developmental programmes," Mr Chidambaram elaborated.

He refuted allegations by various NGOs that there had been carnage during operations against the Maoists. "We have made very clear that the purpose of this operation is not to kill anyone. They are our own people. We care for them. Our objective is to re-establish civil administration where the Naxalites now dominate," the minister added.

When asked about Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar’s contention that the Maoist problem could not be solved by use of force, he said, "Nobody says that use of force alone can solve the problem. But in order to put an end to violence, and in order to re-establish civil administration, it is just necessary to use force. Our troops do not fire unless fired upon."

Kaushik Pradhan