Nov. 8: The Indian government, perhaps for the first time ever, has said it suspects that neighbouring China, with which it has been sharing a particularly prickly relationship of late, has been supplying small arms to the Maoist insurgents in this country.
Union home secretary G.K. Pillai, speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a conference organised by the South Asian Free Media Association here, said China was a "big" supplier of small arms to the Maoists. He did not clarify, however, whether these arms for Maoists were coming from official agencies in that country.
The home secretary said: "The Chinese are big smugglers... suppliers of small arms. I am sure the Maoists also get them." He had been asked whether the Maoists here had any links with China. The government, he said, had no information on any other Maoist links with China: "I do not think so, except getting arms."
In another indirect attack on China, Mr Pillai noted that when he attended an international arms convention in Vienna, the only four countries which opposed the move to ensure that every arms manufacturer and ordnance factory had a unique number were the US, China, Iran and Pakistan.
Earlier, while addressing the conference, the home secretary said there was the possibility of a dialogue with the Maoists, but only if they abjure violence. Mr Pillai said home minister P. Chidambaram had written to former Lok Sabha Speaker Rabi Ray, saying: "Please start." The government, he said, had got "some reply", and added: "Some dialogue, some process is starting."
He made it clear that the government had not asked the Maoists to lay down arms, and all they had been asked to do was abjure violence. If the Maoists shunned violence, then operations against them would not go on, he said. But he quickly added: "But I know, as of today, the Maoists are not willing to abjure violence under any circumstances whatsoever."
On anti-Maoist operations, Mr Pillai said the strategy would be one wherein "security forces will go to a particular area and clear it. The civil administration will follow."
But if the civil administration is targeted, there will be a reaction."
Mr Pillai pointed out that no insurgent or militant outfit in the country had ever agreed to talks with the government unless it was under pressure. "Why should they come for talks? If I was a militant, if I have arms, my money and extortion is increasing, why should I come for talks? I will come for talks only when I am under pressure. It is a basic principle, nobody will come for talks unless he is under pressure," he said.
Age Correspondent
New Delhi