New Delhi: The Centre on Friday promised the Maoists that it would persuade the state governments to talk to them if they halt violence and said they were not being asked to lay down arms.
"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 straight forward appeal to the CPI (Maoist): Halt the violence," Home Minister P Chidambaram told a press conference in New Delhi.
He said the appeal was simple and it should not be subject to tortuous interpretation and analysis.
"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 them on all matters including their concerns on land acquisition, forest rights, industrialisation and development.
"I regret to say that the response so far has been disappointing," Chidambaram said in his monthly press conference.
Replying to a question, he said the government had never asked Maoists to surrender arms before coming to the negotiating table.
"We have never said as far as Naxalites are concerned -- lay down arms because I am too realistic to know that they would not do so," he said.
Chidambaram said the Naxalites believe in armed liberation struggle and unless they change the very character of that organisation they would not lay down arms.
"Therefore, from the very beginning you will not find a single statement attributed to me asking them to lay down arms. To the naxalites we have always said halt the violence and come for talks," he said.
Taking a dig at the CPI(M), he said that initially the Left party thought that the Maoists were comrade in arms in the fight against "bourgeois" parties like Congress.
"But now they have realised that they were underestimating the gravity of the problem. It is a late wake up call but at least they have woken up," Chidambaram remarked.
He admitted that there was difference of opinion between the Home and Defence ministries on amendments to the Armed Forces Special Powers Act. The matter has been referred to the Cabinet for its approval.
There has been substantial improvement in the coastal security in the aftermath of the Mumbai terror attack, Chidambaram said, adding the country would have a world class coastal security mechanism which was being put together by the Navy.
The Home Ministry was doing its bit by strengthening the coastal police stations, he said.
"Obviously, I am not satisfied with what Pakistan has done," Chidambaram said when asked about the progress on the Mumbai terror attack case in Pakistan.
The Home Minister said the Central government has appointed former Director of Intelligence Bureau P C Haldar as the interlocutor for the proposed talks with three militant groups -- DHD(J), UPDS and NDFB (pro-talks) -- operating in Assam.
"Following the decision of the DHD(J) to lay down arms and move its cadres into designated camps, the stage has been set to hold talks with the DHD(J) as well as some other groups which have evinced their interest to hold talks. It is proposed to hold talks with the DHD(J), UPDS and the NDFB (pro-talks)," he said.
Chidambaram said the government had conveyed its concerns to the two Defence shipyards over delay in supply of boats for coastal patrolling.
According to the schedule, Goa Shipyard and Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers were required to supply 60 more boats during the period July 2009 to February 2010.
"As against this number, they supplied 14 boats in September and four boats in October, totalling 18 boats. We have conveyed our concerns to the two shipyards," he said.
The shipyards have informed the government that 20 boats were ready for delivery, the minister said, adding that Centre has allocated six boats to Maharashtra, three to Gujarat, two each to West Bengal, Orissa and Daman & Diu, and one each to Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.
Comments
0 comment