Misinterpretation(or gross distortion) of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s Aligarh statement on Maoists is excellent example of agendise journalism.

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi was in Uttar Pradesh’s Aligarh city to address the students of Mangalayatan university on Thursday.

In the course of talks with the students when an issue of youths involved in Maoism came to discussion, Mr. Modi said, “we would have to convince our own people that violence can not provide solution of the problems. Killing the innocent people would not solve the problems. Putting down the weapons, and initiating the talks(by the rebels) under constitution’s limitations is the only way out for solution.”

The video of this statement is presented above.

Now the correct interpretation of Modi’s statement is this: “”we would have to convince our own people(the youths) that violence(by Maoists) can not provide solution of the problems(the basic problems). Killing the innocent people(by the Maoists) would not solve the problems(the development related basic problems). Putting down the weapons(by the rebels), and initiating the talks(by the rebels with the government) under constitution’s limitations is the only way out for solution(of basic problems in tribal areas).”

But the interesting thing is that, the media almost interpreted this statement as this: “we would have to convince our own people(the government) that violence can not provide solution to the (Maoist)problems. Killing the innocent people(by our security forces) would not solve the (Maoism) problems. Putting down the weapons(by our security jawans) and initiating the talks(by the government with the rebels) under constitution’s limitations is the only way out for solution(of Maoism problem).

So this is how the media misinterprets. Such misinterpretation was first felt on the Indian Express website through a news agency report. And then there were many takers of this version. Etv Uttar Pradesh discussed the topic in detail for five to seven minutes, bashing Modi for his vision of tackling Maoism “different than the party’s stand” in 2.00 pm news bulletin. However Etv Gujarati presented the correct version. The TV9 channel and many others joined the band wagon of misinterpretation without understanding or checking the context of Mr. Modi’s statement.

Clarification by government of Gujarat

In a question-answer session at an Aligarh university function today, a student asked Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Narendrabhai Modi as to what is his message to the youth for those who had adopted violence in the name of Maoism.

Shri Modi’s answer was that violent path had not succeeded in any part of the world. He had said that the youth should shun the path of violence and try to solve their problems through dialogue within the limits of Constitution.

A Government of Gujarat spokesperson said that nobody had asked Shri Narendra Modi as to what the governments should do, nor was there any answer from Shri Modi. And, yet, certain media deliberately put words in his mouth just to create controversy. In such a situation, however, Shri Modi believes that no government should ever bow down before violence. Sternest action should be taken against people bent on killing innocent citizens and that such violent activities should be uprooted.

The spokesperson said that Shri Modi does not have any dilemma over the issue as he holds a clear view that Central Government or a State Government should take sternest steps against Naxal violence.

Modi at Mangalayatan University in Aligarh on Thursday morning