New Delhi, Aug 14 (IANS): The Lok Sabha Tuesday condemned the Maoist violence and described the menace as a national problem. The parliamentarians appealed to the Left-wing extremists to shun violence and join the national mainstream.

Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) member Basudeb Acharia initiated the debate on increase in Maoist activities in the country and said it has to be tackled jointly by the central and the state governments.

He urged the government to push land reforms in the tribal areas, where 90 percent of the people are poor, in order to deal with the issue in the long run.

"This is a national problem," Acharia said.

Congress member Bhakta Charan Das appealed to the Maoists to join the national mainstream and work towards the betterment of the poor tribals.

He said the government must fully implement the Forests Rights Act, so the tribals are empowered and their exploitation by vested interests reduced.

"There are no easy solutions to the problem," he said.

Bharatiya Janata Party member Saroj Pande felt nobody should play politics over the corpses.

"Death, be it that of a policeman or a tribal, is painful," she said.

Biju Janata Dal member Bhartruhari Mahtab said the government should push development in tribal areas as Maoism thrives on the lack of it.