Indian president asks Maoists to abandon violence, join mainstream

Indian President Pratibha Patil appealed Saturday to Maoist rebels to abandon violence and join national efforts for development in her address to the nation on the eve of Independence Day. "The proponents of extreme ideologies and the followers of left wing extremism must abandon their path of violence. I call on them to join national efforts for growth and development," Patil said in her televised address.
Over a third of India's 626 administrative districts are affected by a Maoist insurgency. More than 4,500 people, including civilians, security personnel and rebels, have been killed in the violence since 2005, according to the South Asia Terrorism Portal website. The rebels claim they are fighting for the rights of tribal people and the landless and operate in some of India's poorest regions. Patil said protracted development efforts would be required in Maoist-affected areas and she was hopeful that civil society would come forward to move the left wing extremists to the mainstream.