Former Union Minister and senior Tribal leader Arvind Netam said that Bastar royal family is very important and the current situation demanded it to join active politics. But then, it is also a crucial time for royal scion Kamal Chandra Bhanj Deo, who joined Bharatiya Janata Party recently, to prove his worth.
On the basis of his vast experience regarding the Bastar royal family importance among tribal folk, Natam said that as a member of royal family Kamal Chandra Bhanj Deo was able to expressing views with freedom, but the same would not be possible for him now as a responsible member of Bharatiya Janata Party. In a changed scenario, how he is able to make himself adept to the situation in the days to come would be worthwhile to see, he added.
Terming the statement of former Police Superintendent of Dantewada S R P Kalluri given before the judicial panel during seventh hearing of Tadmetla massacre in which he allegedly told the judge that there was hardly any Government hold worth the name in major part of the South Bastar region as Maoists were calling the shots, Netam asked whether the senior cop had informed the State Government about such a grave situation and if he had, then what steps the State Government took to control the situation. This needs to be thoroughly inquired as without having the truth, Kalluri should not have told the judge about such a grave situation, he added.
Netam said that personally he was of the view that political initiative was needed for solving the vexed Maoist insurgency problem plaguing Bastar. Since initiatives taken for solving insurgency problem till now were either administrative or police action, the Union Government should come forward to take solid step in this direction, like the North-East region, as on the State Government level it was not possible, he added.