Chidambaram makes fresh offer for talks with Maoist

NEW DELHI - Home Minister P.Chidambaram Tuesday made a fresh offer of talks with Maoist guerrillas, saying these could be started if the rebels abjure violence even for 72 hours. He also supported air surveillance to help security forces track down the rebels.

“I don’t think that the Maoists have ever responded seriously to our offer for talks. Nor have they made a serious offer for talks,” Chidambaram told CNN-IBN Tuesday, a day after the Maoists blew up a passenger bus in Dantewada killing at least 35, including some civilians and Special Police Officers (SPOs), who primarily happen to be civilians assisting the police force.

“I make that offer (of talks) now — let anyone who’s hearing this take note. The Maoists should say we will suspend violence, and actually suspend violence from any date they fix for 72 hours. Within 72 hours we’ll get the chief ministers’ support and we will respond,” he said.

“We’ll fix the date, place and time for talks and let the Maoists come and talk on anything they wish to talk.”

While making the fresh offer for talks with Maoists, Chidambaram stipulated that if they agree to talk after abjuring violence even for 72 hours, they must not target even various infrastructural facilities like schools, dispensaries, roads, power station, telephone lines etc.

“There will be no question of police conducting any operation against them during that period,” he said.

While making the offer, Chidambaram also supported the idea of providing air surveillance to help security forces hunting for the insurgents in the forested areas.

“There should be provision for air surveillance,” the minister said, indicating the government was set to review its anti-Maoist policy and examine the feasibility of using choppers for combing thickly forested areas where Maoists hold sway.

The central government now uses helicopters only to transport security personnel and evacuate victims of Maoist violence.

The government has been resisting the demand from various states to use the army and air force to tackle Maoists, fearing this could lead to heavy civilian casualties, say security experts.

However, the government is now opening up to the idea of using choppers for combing the area and allowing security personnel to fire from helicopters, said a home ministry official.

“We are likely to examine the feasibility of heli-combing and using heli-gunships to counter the Maoist menace,” a senior home ministry official told IANS earlier Tuesday.