India says it's starting a massive operation to root out Maoist rebels across the country. Maoist violence claims hundreds of lives each year and has displaced tens of thousands of civilians.

India is taking a stand against Maoist rebels which have spread across the country.

[Palaniappan Chidambaram, Indian Home Minister]: (English)
"As you know our goal is not to engage in any battle or kill anyone in the community. The goal and objective of this operation is to reassert control of the civil administration over this area, which for many years has been under the control of the Naxalites (Maoists). The civil administration will be allowed to exercise control over this area, to be followed immediately by development. This is the goal of the operation, so the security forces are moving into these areas."

The minister also said that the federal government will provide troops and technology to the states.

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The Home Minister says that the government is open to talks, if the Maoists condemn violence.

[Palaniappan Chidambaram, Indian Home Minister]: (English)
"We have said you suspend violence, we will talk to you on any issue. All the chief ministers have agreed that if they suspend violence, they do not indulge in killings we can talk to them but there is no response. On the contrary they are engaging in random violence."

In 2004, talks between a group of the rebels and the southern state of Andhra Pradesh collapsed after each side accused the other of violating a ceasefire.

The rebels regularly attack government property and railway stations and kill police and local politicians.

Maoist violence - estimated to have caused 600 to 700 deaths a year and displaced 100,000 civilians - has spread to more than 180 of India’s 602 districts and has been called the country’s single biggest internal security threat.