The spineless Congress government at the Centre and the fractured “coalition” government in Karnataka, which is still fighting over ministerial berths, is steadfastly ignoring the Naxal problem, which has (seemingly) suddenly spurted. If you ignore it, it will go away: this seems to be the attitude of the secular parties. Chief Minister Dharam Singh’s initial expression of bravado in announcing the dispatch of the STF to the Western Ghats to curb the Naxals has been exposed for what it is, not to say, has shed light on his true character: a highly malleable person who’ll do anything to retain power.

It is certainly cause for alarm what with the increasing Naxalite presence in the Western Ghats; they couldn’t have chosen a better place. Dense jungles provide perfect cover for their armed struggle. Now, with the Congress in power both at the Centre and in the state, they couldn’t have asked for a better deal: the Chief Minister, no less, defends and protects them. Intelligence reports have noted with concern that the Naxalites have sway over 13 states in India, prominently in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, some pockets of UP, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Orissa, and now Karnataka, a state to which such violent activity was hitherto foreign.

It is not difficult to trace the cause for Dharam Singh’s retraction: Madam’s orders. In turn, Madam and the Coterie are on their knees before the Left loonies: don’t touch our brethren, comes the Left order, and the Congress obeys. First it was Andhra where governance is just a farce and the Chief Minister is an infamous factionalist. He panders to terrorists, and sets them free albeit indirectly. Not to be left behind, Dharam Singh follows suit.

The Left no longer needs to adopt “democratic methods” to bring about a revolution. Their Naxal bedpartners are doing the dirty work, on the lines of Mao’s strategy: encircle the cities by first capturing the countryside using violence.