May 31, 2010
Regarding the proposal for talks made by Mr. P. Chidambaram in his
letter to Swami Agnivesh
Dear Swami Agniveshji,
We heard that you and other democratic
intellectuals had gone on a peace march in Dantewada in the first week of
May 2010 braving the disruption organized by the goons of the BJP and
Congress. You might have realized how the state government and the Centre
are determined to sabotage any attempt to bring peace to the region and to
prevent anyone from making efforts in that direction. We appreciate the
efforts of well-meaning intellectuals and social activists like you to
bring peace to the region. We also appreciate the efforts made by you to convince
the Union Government to come forward for a cease-fire and dialogue with our
Party which had prompted the Union Home Minister to state the Government’s
position on the issue.
We had gone through the letter written to you
by the Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram dated May 11, 2010 which mentions
the Government’s position on the peace process and its offer for talks with
the CPI(Maoist). The essence of his letter is that “the CPI(Maoist) should
announce they will abjure violence” and specify a date from which they will
not indulge in violent activities; should “stop all violent activities”
from that date for 72 hours, and that the security forces will not conduct
any operations against the CPI(Maoist); that “talks” would begin “sometime
during the period of 72 hours when there is no violence”; and that the
CPI(Maoist) should “continue to maintain its position of no violence until
the talks are concluded.”
We had already stated publicly our Party’s
position on cease-fire and talks with the government several times in the
past. We wish to reiterate our Party’s position once again in light of the
proposals made by Mr. Chidambaram in his letter sent to you.
Firstly we hold the opinion that the
cease-fire should be mutual. You are well aware of the continuous
persecution of ordinary innocent people by the security forces in all the
regions where the latter are deployed as part of the Operation Green Hunt.
Not a day passes without an incident of murder, rape, abduction, torture of
the adivasis and destruction of their property or stealing their belongings
by these so-called security forces. How can the people or the Party and its
various wings get confidence that the Government is serious in its intent
for peace when it allows its forces to indulge in heinous atrocities on
innocent unarmed people, when the government itself allows the suspension
of all basic democratic rights of the citizens and consigns their own
Constitution to the dust-bin? In such a situation it is necessary on the
part of the government to prove its seriousness regarding the peace process
by first halting its operations against innocent unarmed people and
unequivocally stating that it is ready to observe cease-fire simultaneously
with the CPI(Maoist) starting with a specified date. The practical measure
to really ensure peace is the declaration of mutual cease-fire for a
definite period, say, 2 or 3 months, to start with. Insisting that the
CPI(Maoist) should declare that it will abjure violence is an unsound and
unreasonable proposal. It implies that the Maoists are indulging in
violence while the Government and its security forces have been fighting
for peace. The facts actually are vice versa.
It is the paramilitary, police, private
vigilante gangs sponsored by the government that are unleashing violence on
the people on an hourly basis and the people are compelled to retaliate for
their own survival. The Party and the PLGA too are compelled to undertake
counter-offensive operations in their self-defence and in defence of the
people. Hence it is the Government that has to instill confidence among the
people and the Party cadres about its seriousness by first halting its
offensive operations and attacks on the people instead of asking the
Maoists to unilaterally declare that they will abjure violence.
Even more amusing is the time period of 72
hours which means just nothing. Such a short period cannot prove the
seriousness on either side. Even a minor incident on either side can be
picked up to prove the violation by the other side. A relatively longer
period is necessary if we wish to really bring peace. It is only after a
period of peace and the creation of a conducive atmosphere that talks can
be held. Our Party is very serious about bringing about peace especially at
the present juncture when lakhs of adivasis had fled, and are fleeing,
their homes; when lakhs of adivasis are facing chronic conditions of hunger
and famine due to their ouster from their lands and forcible closure of the
weekly bazaars by the police and administration; when the adivasis are
haunted by the threat of death any day by the most savage paramilitary,
police, SPOs and private vigilante gangs. One should not be swayed by
victories and defeats at this critical juncture in the life of the adivasi
community in our country but try to create conditions whereby their
survival is ensured.
You are also aware of the difficulties
involved for an underground party that is proscribed by the government to
proceed for talks. Hence we had proposed the release of political prisoners
from the jails. At the outset the Government can take the initiative to
release at least some of our Party leaders so as to facilitate talks with
them. Without referring to any of these proposals made by our Party, Mr.
Chidambaram proposes that “talks will begin sometime during the period of
72 hours when there is no violence.” He also says that he expects that the
CPI(Maoist) will “continue to maintain its position of ‘no violence’ until
the talks are concluded.”
The above-mentioned proposal by Mr.
Chidambaram, though it might appear apparently as genuine, actually lacks
seriousness and is intended only to satisfy people like you who have been
insisting on peace. His insistence on a 72-hour-period of peace on the part
of the CPI (Maoist) and to hold talks during this period is like a joke. It
only shows how Mr. Chidambaram lacks seriousness on the issue and wants to
somehow complete the formality of talks, if at all they materialize, in
order to satisfy the civil society. If the government is serious it should
speak in terms of mutual cease-fire, for a longer period of time, and spell
out the government’s stand on fulfilling the minimum requisites like
release of leaders and lifting the ban on the CPI(Maoist) and the mass
organisations. Its duplicity is also seen in its hectic preparations for
stepping up its brutal armed offensive even as it speaks the language of
peace and talks. Do you really believe that Mr. Chidambaram is earnest in
proposing for talks when there are reports of how the central government is
equipping its forces with several more choppers and preparing the Indian
Army too for the war on people?
To sum up, our Party desires peace sincerely
in the interests of the lakhs of adivasis who are being cruelly crushed
under the jack-boots of the forces sent by the Indian State and the people
of our country at large. However, to ensure the establishment of peace
there should be cease-fire or cessation of hostilities by both sides
simultaneously instead of asking one side to abjure violence. If the government
is really serious about reducing levels of violence then it should
immediately lift the ban on the party and mass organisations so as to
facilitate them to take up open forms of struggle. If the government is
serious about holding talks it should initiate measures to release Party
leaders as a prelude to the release of political prisoners and most
importantly, it should stop all its efforts to escalate the war including
the measure of calling back all the paramilitary forces deployed in the war
zones.
Once again we appreciate the efforts made by
you and many others who earnestly desire to bring peace.
We hope that you will pursue your mission of
bringing peace taking into consideration the suggestions mentioned by us in
this letter. We look forward to positive results for your well-meaning
efforts.
With regards,
Azad,
Spokesperson,
Central Committee,
CPI (Maoist)
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