MESSAGE BOARD
NEWSLINKS
US EDITION
COLUMNISTS
DIARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ELECTION 99
ELECTIONS
ARCHIVES

Search Rediff

PWG rejects govt offer for talks

Syed Amin Jafri in Hyderabad

The outlawed People's War Group has turned down the Andhra Pradesh government's offer for a dialogue, pointing out that talks could not be held as long as the state continued its repression on mass movements.

In a media statement issued by PWG leader Ramakrishna, the state committee of the CPI-ML (PWG) contended that even while offering to hold talks, the government has been resorting to severe repression and elimination of PWG leaders and cadres.

The PWG asked the government to implement land reforms, stop repression on mass movements, put an end to fake encounter killings and lift the ban on the Left-wing militant organisation as a prelude to the dialogue. The government has been creating the impression that it is ready for talks only to hoodwink the people, the statement said.

The state committee claimed that the state government has been indiscriminately increasing the budgetary allocations of the police department and also seeking more funds from the Indian government for undertaking anti-Naxalite operations.

State Director General of Police H J Dora has been making claims about "curbing Naxalism" within an year. The coordination centre consisting of top police officials from five states -- Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa and Bihar -- has also been planning an offensive against the Naxalites. This indicated that repression would be more severe in the coming summer in the state.

The state committee reiterated its charge that three top PWG Leaders -- Nalla Adi Reddy, Y Santosh Reddy and Seelam Naresh -- were arrested by the police in Bangalore and later killed in cold blood in Karimnagar district on December 2, 1999. Different political parties and organisations have condemned the incident and demanded a judicial enquiry into the fake encounter.

The PWG also took exception to the DGP's assertion that "the days of Naxalites are numbered and they have a bleak future". The outlawed outfit termed the DGP's remarks as provocative and warned that these would further incense the Naxalites to target more policemen in the future.

Exploitation of the poor would lead to resistance and state repression would only fuel mass agitations.

The PWG warned the police against killing the innocent people by dubbing them as Naxalites.

Tell us what you think of this report