Why Maoist captivity doesn’t deter Alex Paul Menon

The usual post-kidnap interviews contain a lot of drama, pulsating action and intrigue. But when Alex Paul Menon - who was recently abducted by Maoists in Chattisgarh and released later - speaks, it is a refreshingly different language. A language of development and reconciliation. The 32-year old district collector of Sukma, despite the hardship of serving the far-flung outback of a poor state and the trauma of the 12-day custody to armed men who shot dead his guards, is all energy and enthusiasm when he spoke to The Hindu on Saturday. [caption id=“attachment_315247” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Alex Paul Menon. PTI”]  [/caption] His plans show that he is still raring to go as a public servant, and that socio-economic development is perhaps the best weapon against insurgency and radical ideologies. “We are not trying to fight the Maoists but only attempting to bring some development in very remote, inaccessible areas,” he says. He talks about education, public health, water supply, farming, income generation and the rightful use of forest land. In the interview, Menon also says that the Maoists are hardly aware of the development projects that are going on in their backyard, a failing that needs to be addressed by the state and central governments. He describes several innovative projects, most of which are in fact government funded schemes and their innovative adaptations in his district. For instance, the “forest rights patta” and the “Indira Awas Yojana” have benefitted several thousand families in terms of farming and housing. Additionally the “total convergence plan” that integrates with NREGS various development activities in areas such as transport, farming, water and income generation under the central and state schemes offers considerable relief to the people. Menon also shares some interesting insights into the lives of the tribals - the poor quality of food they eat, the poor quality of rice they get etc. Read the full interview in The Hindu, here.