NEW DELHI, Apr 2: The Maoists have reportedly agreed to hold peace talks with the centre and the state governments if their condition of temporary ceasefire by the security forces was accepted.
The offer has come as the Chhattisgarh government has intensified operations in Maoists stronghold areas in the state in the last few months. In response to its offer for conditional peace talks, the Chhattisgarh government said it was ready for any peace talks but it must be unconditional
The offer was reportedly made in a press release attributed to the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) and released on March 28 in Telangana. Its central committee stated that it was ready for peace talks on the condition that the government halted its anti-Maoist operations in the region and stopped the establishment of new camps of armed forces in various States, including in Chhattisgarh.
“We are always ready for peace talks in the interest of the public. Therefore, on this occasion, we are proposing to create a positive atmosphere for peace talks in front of the Central and State governments,” said the purported Maoist statement.
Explaining its new stance, it said its Peace Talks Committee had held a round table meeting in Hyderabad on March 24 on the theme: ‘The ongoing war in Central India must be stopped immediately, Government of India – CPI (Maoist) must declare unconditional ceasefire and hold peace talks.’
The Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma said the government was ready for talks and for the Maoists to return to the mainstream, but it could not be subject to conditions laid down by the Maoists. He added that the government was not going to form any committees for peace talks and reiterated the Maoists could initiate it through any channel of their choice.
“They have written themselves that the last time they had said they would discuss if [security forces] should not leave their camps for six months, there should be a reduction in the number of troops, the weapons should remain unused or be deposited. Back then, we had made it clear that with these conditions, there will be no talks,” he said. “Talks will be without any conditions and we are still ready for that, our Central leadership is ready, Hon. [Chief Minister] Vishnu Deo Sai ji is ready, there is no problem with talks. But the government will not form any committee. They should make one if they want or use the channel they like, we are ready,” he added.
The Maoist letter surfaced two days ahead of Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s expected arrival in Chhattisgarh. Mr Shah will be on a two-day visit to the State where he is scheduled to attend the closing ceremony of Bastar Pandum, a cultural event, in Dantewada district of the Bastar region.
The Opposition Congress, however, has called the latest development a propaganda effort by the ruling BJP, with State Congress chief Deepak Baij saying that the government was preparing a ‘script’ for Mr Shah’s visit.
(Manas Dasgupta)
