NEW DELHI, 24 September 2004 — Home Minister Shivaraj Patil has not given up hope of finding some solution to the Maoist violence wracking several states. While speaking to reporters here yesterday, Patil suggested holding talks with the extremists. The dialogue would also seek to reduce their “dependence on arms,” Patil said.
His comments are significant as the meeting held earlier this week at Hyderabad, between him and the chief ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand and Orissa and officials of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Chhatisgarsh and Maharashtra, failed to reach any consensus on how to deal with Maoist violence. These nine states are among the worst hit by Maoist insurgence.
During the meeting, Orissa, Chattisgarh and Jharkhand asserted that peace talks in isolation would not solve the problem. They wanted New Delhi to take the lead but Patil asked the states to initiate their own talks.
Taking cue from this, the Andhra Pradesh government has invited Naxalite leaders for direct, unconditional talks on Oct. 2 in Hyderabad. Addressing a press conference in Hyderabad yesterday, state Home Minister K. Jana Reddy said: “I have sent a letter to the people’s war emissary Varavara Rao today inviting all revolutionary groups for direct talks with the government.”
The talks will be unconditional with the government having agreed to withdraw an earlier condition that the extremists should not carry arms during the course of talks.
Reddy also assured a safe passage for PWG leaders participating in the talks. “We will put in place whatever security they may need.”
In Calcutta, the West Bengal government said it was willing to hold talks with Naxalite groups, but in the absence of a leader for these groups, the proposal has remained a non-starter.
This year alone, in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhatisgarh, Orissa, Jharkhand and Maharashtra, there have been 1,140 incidents of violence with 405 people killed.
