Peace Committee urges Telangana CM to take initiative for talks with Maoists

Hyderabad, April 27 (IANS) The Peace Talks Committee on Sunday appealed to Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy to take the initiative for peace talks between the Union Government and the Maoists.

Members of the Peace Committee met the Chief Minister at his Jubilee Hills residence and requested him to take the initiative to ensure that the Centre holds peace talks with the Maoists.

The leaders urged the Chief Minister to persuade the Centre to agree to a ceasefire.

Peace Committee leaders Justice Chandrakumar, Professor Haragopal, Professor Anwar Khan, Durgaprasad, Jampanna, and Ravi Chander submitted a representation to Chief Minister Revanth Reddy.

During the meeting, the Chief Minister told the Peace Committee leaders that his government views Naxalism purely from a social perspective, not as a law and order issue.

Revanth Reddy told them that he would consult former home minister and senior leader K. Jana Reddy, who has experience in conducting talks with Maoists. “We will seek advice and suggestions from senior leader Jana Reddy on this matter,” the Chief Minister told the Peace Committee leaders.

The State Cabinet will also discuss the issue and take a decision soon, the Chief Minister said.

The Peace Committee made an appeal to the Chief Minister amid a massive operation by the security forces against Maoists along the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border. The operation involving about 10,000 security personnel in a hilly region entered the seventh day on Sunday.

About 500 cadres of the banned CPI (Maoist), including top leaders, are believed to be holed up in the area.

Key leaders of CPI (Maoist) are also believed to be holed up in the region. They are safeguarded by Battalion 1, considered as the most dangerous unit of the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA).

It is one of the biggest counter-insurgency actions launched in the Bastar region and involves personnel of different units, including the District Reserve Guard, Bastar Fighters and Special Task Force of the Chhattisgarh Police, the Central Reserve Police Force and its elite Commando Battalions for Resolute Action (CoBRA).

Telangana Police are also reported to be assisting in the operation.

--IANS

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