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.

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