Author: Express News Service
Publication: The Indian Express
Date: October 31, 2009
URL: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/pc-to-maoists-end-violence-lets-talk/535555/0
Introduction: Within hours, Maoists reject
Chidambaram's offer to discuss land, industry, forest rights Urging the CPI(Maoist)
to halt violence - rather than lay down arms - Union Home Minister P Chidambaram
today said that the Central Government was ready to facilitate talks between
them and the state governments on all matters including land acquisition,
forest rights and industrialization.
Within hours, the CPI(Maoist) rejected any
possibility of negotiations with the Government making it clear that laying
down arms meant "betrayal of the people's interests". In fact, the
Maoists said an agreement could be reached if the Centre gave up its "illogical"
and "obstinate" stand that they should abjure violence.
A senior leader of the CPI (Maoist), identified
by the name Azad, and said to be spokesperson of the group's central committee,
issued a two-page statement saying "we have taken up arms for the defence
of the people's rights and for achieving their liberation from all types of
exploitation and oppression."
Earlier, the Home Minister said: "The
violence must end. The State - the Central Government and the State Governments
- have a duty to end the violence. It is with that objective that we have
made a simple and straightforward appeal to the CPI (Maoist): 'Halt the violence.'
These are three simple words, and I do not see why they should be subjected
to tortuous interpretation and analysis," Chidambaram said while presenting
his ministry's report card for the month of October.
"On behalf of the Central Government
I wish to say once again that the CPI (Maoist) should halt the violence and
the Central Government would persuade the State Governments to talk to the
CPI (Maoist) on all matters including their concerns on land acquisition,
forest rights, industrialization and development. I regret to say that the
response so far has been disappointing," the Home Minister added.
He also said that the Centre had never asked
the Maoists to lay down arms since it was not a realistic expectation. "We
have always asked them to halt violence," he said, adding that they should
come forward to talks if they considered themselves the serious champions
of the poor.
"The central committee of CPI(Maoist)
makes it crystal clear that laying down arms means a betrayal of people's
interests...However, an agreement could be reached by both sides on a ceasefire
if Manmohan (Singh) and Chidambaram give up their irrational, illogical, impractical,
absurd an obstinate stand that the Maoists should abjure violence," the
CPI (Maoist) said today.
The Maoists called for disbanding of mining
and "other so-called development projects" that lead to displacement
of the tribals, scrapping of MoUs with "imperialist MNCs like Vedanta
and big business houses like Tatas, Mittals, Essar, Jindal etc." "If
these are fulfilled, then one can think of talks to discuss on the deeper
issues that are blocking the real development of our country," it said.
October has seen major strikes by the Maoists.
On October 6, the body of Francis Induwar, Inspector, Special Branch, Jharkhand
police was found with his head severed in Khunti district, Jharkhand. On October
8, the Maoists killed 17 personnel of the Maharashtra police in Gadchiroli
in Maharashtra. Then, on October 20, two policemen of the West Bengal police
were killed and the OC of Sankrail PS was kidnapped by the CPI (Maoist). On
October 25, there was a serious incident in the NMDC mines area in Dantewada,
Chhattisgarh when four members of a routine CISF patrol were killed and two
injured in an IED explosion. On October 27, the CPI (Maoist) and their supporters
in the PCPA held the Rajdhani Express with 1,250 passengers hostage for over
five hours.
In the last two days, violent incidents have
been reported in West Bengal (CPI(M) and Trinamool Congress cadres shot dead);
Jharkhand (2 school buildings blown up); Andhra Pradesh (Congress worker shot
dead); and Chhattisgarh (1 SPO and 1 villager killed).
Meanwhile, asked about the Naxal threat, Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh, speaking at the Hindustan Times Leadership summit
in the capital, said, "We are a functioning democracy and also there
are occasions when there are differences of opinion among various leaders
of our own coalition...Let there be no doubt, law and order as I said, is
the primary responsibility of every civilised state and whatever comes in
the way of maintenance of law and order will be dealt with as it ought to
be dealt with."
