<p>“We welcome the public statement of Sonia Gandhi that the extreme neglect of the tribal areas is at the root of the present crisis in those regions.<br /><br />“We hope that this appreciation of the need to go deeper into the question would lead to initiatives for immediate cessation of hostilities and dialogue so that the process of people-oriented development can be made feasible,” they said in a statement.<br /><br />Besides Iyer and Roy, the statement was signed by Justice P B Sawant, writer Mahasweta Devi, historian Romila Thapar and prominent lawyer Prashant Bhushan among others. <br />“The rise of Naxalism is a reflection of the need for our development initiatives to reach the grassroots, especially in our most backward districts,” Gandhi said in the latest issue of party journal “Congress Sandesh”.</p>
<p>“We welcome the public statement of Sonia Gandhi that the extreme neglect of the tribal areas is at the root of the present crisis in those regions.<br /><br />“We hope that this appreciation of the need to go deeper into the question would lead to initiatives for immediate cessation of hostilities and dialogue so that the process of people-oriented development can be made feasible,” they said in a statement.<br /><br />Besides Iyer and Roy, the statement was signed by Justice P B Sawant, writer Mahasweta Devi, historian Romila Thapar and prominent lawyer Prashant Bhushan among others. <br />“The rise of Naxalism is a reflection of the need for our development initiatives to reach the grassroots, especially in our most backward districts,” Gandhi said in the latest issue of party journal “Congress Sandesh”.</p>