Chidambaram ask Maoists to lay down arms and come for talks

New Delhi, Jun 19 (PTI) The Indian government Friday
asked the Maoists in Lalgarh area of eastern state of West
Bengal to lay down arms and come for talks.

Home Minister P Chidambaram said he endorsed the appeal
of West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee to the
Maoists and the tribals to come for talks.

"I endorse that appeal. If they wish to talk, they should
come forward to do so. We will be happy to facilitate the
talks," he told reporters after a Cabinet meeting here.

The Home Minister said the ongoing operation by police
and paramilitary personnel in Lalgarh would take more time and
the forces should expect the "unexpected".

"Progress will be slow. They (forces) are making
progress. ... So far, the operation is going according to
plans but they must be prepared for the unexpected. I
sincerely hope that with the kind of action we have advised,
the operation will be successful.

"An operation of this kind will take some time. In fact,
it will take considerably more time than was anticipated," he
said when asked about the situation in Lalgarh.

He said the forces were "moving and moving cautiously"
and the ongoing operation was not against the tribals but only
against the Naxalites.

The state government has already said it would talk to
the tribals on any grievance they might have, Chidambaram
informed.

Asked whether the security forces could expand their
operations to adjoining districts of Bankura and Purulia,
he said since both districts were near Lalgarh and the ongoing
operations "could take them to Bankura and Purulia too".

To a question as to why the CPI(Maoist) was not banned
as in other states, he said the issue was pending with the
state government.

"There are voices in Bengal which have raised the demand
for ban.

"We think they should be banned in West Bengal as in
other states," he said.

Replying to a question on whether Congress and
Trinamool Congress were extending indirect support to the
Maoists, Chidambaram said on the contrary, both the parties
have condemned their activities and added that Trinamool chief
Mamata Banerjee has condemned the violence.

"I think it is completely unjustified and unwarranted to
insinuate that CPI(Maoists) was being supported by Congress
and Trinamool.Nobody denies that the local people have
grievances," he said.

Chidambaram said the Naxalites were entrenched in the
area for the last six months and it was difficult to give
their numbers.

"I am not here to make any judgement," he said while
declining to comment on whether it was the state government's
failure to check the entrenchment of a large number of
Naxalites in the area.

Asked whether it was a "war-like" situation in Lalgarh,
Chidambaram said "government does not go to war with is own
people. There they may have grievances. But there is a way to
resolve the grievances in a democracy."

Taking to arms and claiming that a certain area has been
'liberated' was not the way in a democracy, he said, stressing
that "we are not at war with the people".

"We are dealing with a situation where there is a
militant organisation and we want them to lay down arms and
come to talks if they have any grievances," the Minister said.

Maintaining that the operation in Lalgarh was aimed at
establishing civil administration in the area, Chidambaram
said any grievances the local people had, would have to be
resolved by the state government.

But the militant organisation cannot be allowed to
capitalise on the accumulated grievances, he said.

To questions on whether the Centre would provide
similar assistance to other Naxal-affected states, Chidambaram
said the government is willing to provide forces to state
governments to combat the Naxal menace.

"But this cannot be an ad hoc operation. There has to
be a plan and that plan has to be executed. Once such a plan
is drawn up, we will certainly assist the state governments,"
he said. PTI MS
AM
NNNN



The information contained in this electronic message and any attachments to this
message are intended for the exclusive
use of the addressee(s) and may contain proprietary, confidential or privileged
information. If you are not the intended
recipient, you should not disseminate, distribute or copy this e-mail. Please
notify the sender immediately and destroy
all copies of this message and any attachments contained in it.