Violence has no future, peace does, says Narendra Modi in Maoist hotbed Dantewada

Dantewada: Condemning Maoist insurgency in Chhattisgarh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said only the plough on our shoulders could bring development, not guns.

Modi assured the state that the Centre was committed to fight Naxals.

“Do not get disappointed. Even Naxal activities will be fought. I am sure that humanity exists in people who indulge in such activities and they will change. There is no future in violence. If there is a future, it is in peace. It is a plough on the shoulders that can bring development, not guns,” he said.

Earlier in the day, Naxals went on rampage in several parts of Chhattisgarh's Bastar region, damaging rail tracks on Kirandul-Visakhapatnam route and blocking roads, as a part of their bandh call opposing Modi's visit to the state, police said.

Naxals removed fish-plates of railway track between Kakloor-Kumarsakhla villages under Kodenar police station limits in Bastar district late last night, a senior police official said.

Addressing the rally in Dantewada, Modi hailed the ‘Jan Dhan Yogna’ and said it was aimed at benefiting poor in the region.

“Jan Dhan Yojana is a way to empower each individual and bring him at par with the country's mainstream. The fruits of development must reach the poorest of the poor.

This is probably the first time in Bastar's history that projects worth Rs 24,000 crore have been signed in just one hour,” he said.

He added that employment was key to independent growth of families in the area.

“No parent wants their child to go far only to live in slums in cities. That's why it is the government's responsibility to bring development to everyone. The Bastar region has had coal. It has also had people, as it has had governments. And, it has also had unemployment,” Modi said.

The Prime Minister said that even developed nations are laying emphasis on skill development for growth.

“At present, you send iron out and get steel from outside. This has to stop. We will make steel from the iron ore here,” he said.