India to reinforce anti-rebel plan

NEW DELHI: India’s home minister says the government will step up a two-pronged strategy to counter threats posed by Maoist guerrillas.Home Minister P. Chidambaram says the government will increase development programs in some 60 districts worst hit by violence while intensifying police action against the rebels. He told reporters that the number of deaths from rebel attacks has declined from a year earlier but the level of violence is still unacceptable.The rebels are inspired by Chinese revolutionary leader Mao Zedong. They have fought the government in parts of India for more than four decades, demanding land and jobs for landless farmers and the poor. – Arabnews