HYDERABAD, 20 October 2004 — Maoist rebels threatened yesterday to pull out of talks to end their decades-old insurgency in southern India, saying state government negotiators had not come up with any concrete solutions.
Rebel leaders accused the government of Andhra Pradesh state of being “vague” and of stalling during four days of talks that ended late Monday.
“We are not satisfied at the way the first round was closed,” leader of the Maoist delegation, Akkiraju Haragopal, told a media briefing.
“The government has not come up with any concrete solutions on any of the people’s problems we raised,” he said.
“The government could not come up with a single proper, particular, time-bound or practical remedy. Their announcements were very vague and just like promises they have been making for the last 57 years,” he said.
“Our participation in the next round of talks depends on the government initiative during the next two months. We will only come back for talks if the government implements at least one of our demands.”
The head of the government negotiating team, state Home Minister Jana Reddy, said however that the talks were fruitful and a four-month-old cease-fire would remain in place as long as the dialogue process continued.
