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Maoists serious about talks if Govt halts joint operation
Responding to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s ultimatum that they have to choose between talks and killings, the Maoists have said they were serious about peace talks, provided the Government stops the joint operation against them.
“We are serious about peace talks and ready for a ceasefire. We had given specific proposals to the two interlocutors on our first meeting. But the Government has to stop anti-Maoist operations by the joint forces and show willingness for peace,” CPI(Maoist) leader Akash said in an open letter to Banerjee.
“If the Government is really keen on peace talks and wants to create a congenial atmosphere, it will also have to neutralise private gangs like Janjagaran Mancha and Bhairav Bahini,” the letter, a copy of which was made available to the media, said.
The Maoist leader slammed Banerjee for her criticism of them at Singur recently: “You are speaking against us at Singur, instead of talking against the Tatas. This sort of criticism against the CPI (Maoist) and peace talks cannot go together.”
The Chief Minister had on Monday asked Maoists to choose between talks and killings, saying “the two can’t go together”.
Emphasising her Government’s desire to hold dialogue with the Maoists, Banerjee had said she has no objection if they seek more time for talks, but if they kill innocent persons and then express a desire for talks, she would not agree.
The Maoist leader in his letter to Banerjee expressed surprise at the fact that when they were preparing for talks with the ‘Government-declared interlocutors’, they were encircled by the joint forces in Jangalmahal.
“How peace talks can take place if the Government adopts this attitude? We have lost leaders like Azad who wanted to negotiate with interlocutors,” he said. Asked about the letter, the police said it had no idea of its existence and that it came to know of it only through the media.
“We are serious about peace talks and ready for a ceasefire. We had given specific proposals to the two interlocutors on our first meeting. But the Government has to stop anti-Maoist operations by the joint forces and show willingness for peace,” CPI(Maoist) leader Akash said in an open letter to Banerjee.
“If the Government is really keen on peace talks and wants to create a congenial atmosphere, it will also have to neutralise private gangs like Janjagaran Mancha and Bhairav Bahini,” the letter, a copy of which was made available to the media, said.
The Maoist leader slammed Banerjee for her criticism of them at Singur recently: “You are speaking against us at Singur, instead of talking against the Tatas. This sort of criticism against the CPI (Maoist) and peace talks cannot go together.”
The Chief Minister had on Monday asked Maoists to choose between talks and killings, saying “the two can’t go together”.
Emphasising her Government’s desire to hold dialogue with the Maoists, Banerjee had said she has no objection if they seek more time for talks, but if they kill innocent persons and then express a desire for talks, she would not agree.
The Maoist leader in his letter to Banerjee expressed surprise at the fact that when they were preparing for talks with the ‘Government-declared interlocutors’, they were encircled by the joint forces in Jangalmahal.
“How peace talks can take place if the Government adopts this attitude? We have lost leaders like Azad who wanted to negotiate with interlocutors,” he said. Asked about the letter, the police said it had no idea of its existence and that it came to know of it only through the media.
