Raipur: The abduction came barely 12 hours before Mr Modi’s visit to the district headquarters town of Dantewada in south Bastar, where he addressed a public meeting besides attending several other programmes. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh clarified that the Maoists only took away five-six villagers who had been engaged in the construction of a bridge in the nearby area and that the other villagers followed them to negotiate their release with the Maoists.
The Maoists have been opposing the construction of the bridge because they fear it would facilitate increased mobility for security forces during operations against them. Addressing a public meeting at the Dantewada high school ground, Mr Modi appealed to the rebels to stop killing of people “for humanity’s sake”. “You will realise what sin you have committed, if you once visit the children orphaned by Naxal violence. You brought misery to the life of the children by killing their parents or kin,” Mr Modi said.
“Shun the gun for two to five days and spend some moments with the children whose parents you have killed. There will be a change in your hearts when you see their misery and the trauma following the loss of their parents,” Mr Modi urged the rebels.
He said violence has no future, but peace does. He hoped that the bloodshed and killings would stop in Bastar soon. “Only a plough on the shoulders, and not guns, can bring development. And this will bring everyone into the mainstream of the country. There is no future for violence. The future is only of peaceful mean,” he added.
