Letters: A lifeline for Naxals

This refers to the report "In Naxal hotbed, PM initiates projects worth Rs 25,000 crore" (May 9). While Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call to the Maoists to lay down their arms and take to the "plough" sounded a politically correct statement, the moot point is whether the home-grown militants will see the positive side of the well-intended homily and heed to it. Since the most backward regions of the country are known to breed Naxalism owing to underdevelopment, Modi's announcement of welfare projects to connect underdeveloped areas such as Bastar with mainstream India is indeed a heart-warming gesture.

Let us hope that a maiden visit by an Indian prime minister to the hotbed of insurgency serves its intended purpose of addressing the menace and the biggest threat to internal security.

R Prabhu Raj Chennai

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