Talk to Maoists else Dantewada will repeat: Mahasweta Devi

New Delhi, Apr 15 (UNI) Strongly reacting to the recent Dantewada massacre, eminent writer and Magsaysay award winner Mahasweta Devi today said such incidents would continue to happen if the government does not talk with Maoists.

''The government, especially the country's Prime Minister, should go and talk with the tribals. If he does not do so, more and more tribals would turn into Maoists creating more menace,'' she said.

She asserted that she was against any violence and killings and so did not want such massacres to happen again.

The rebels had killed 75 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troopers and a Chhattisgarh policeman in Dantewada district in Chhattisgarh in the worst ever attack by the Maoists.

Expressing her concern to the community, she said, ''Government is selling India, its states, its soil, its water inch by inch to the corporates under Special Economic Zones (SEZ). This is the greater menace which should be stopped immediately.''

While talking to UNI, she reiterated that condition of tribals in India was really bad, in fact worse beyond imagination. ''Wherever there are mineral rich lands, tribals are evicted from there and lands are sold to big corporates. Our government is bad to have been doing so with the weaker sections,'' she said.

The condition was similar everywhere in the country, be it Orissa, West Bengal, Jharkhand or Chhattisgarh, she added.

The social activist was in the Capital today to receive Manavata Vikas Award for her commitment towards the society. She was presented with a gold medal, a citation and a cheque of Rs 5 lakh as part of the award, instituted by Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM).

''Whatever money I get in such awards or from anywhere else, it all goes to the tribals. It is worth only if is used for their welfare,'' she said.
----------------------------------------------