ODISHA CM PREFERS ON RESUMING TALKS WITH THE MAOISTS AND THE ABDUCTED MLA SENDS LETTER TO THE CM FROM MAOISTS HIDEOUT

ODISHA CM PREFERS ON RESUMING TALKS WITH THE MAOISTS AND THE ABDUCTED MLA SENDS LETTER TO THE CM FROM MAOISTS HIDEOUT 27/03/2012

ODISHA NEWS:
SIDDHARTHA SHANKAR MISHRA,BUREAU CHIEF,THESE DAYS,ODISHA


The Italian still held captive by Maoists in Odisha is in good health, but the government should fulfil their demands – including banning tourist visits to tribal areas – to secure his release, the rebels said Monday, a day after freeing one of the Italian.

In an interview to local television channel OTV aired Monday, Maoist leader Sabyasachi Panda who claimed responsibility for the March 14 abduction of both tourists said Italian Bosusco Paolo would be released only after the rebels feel the government is serious about their demands.

Saying Paolo was in good health, Panda assured he would not come to any harm.


Panda, who also calls himself ‘Sunil’, said his cadres Sunday released Italian Claudio Colangelo on humanitarian ground and as a goodwill gesture following an appeal from a cross-section of society.

He said the rebels wanted to send a positive message by releasing one of the hostages and all the demands made by the rebels were genuine.

Panda said he wants a ban on tourist visits to tribal areas.

“Foreigners or Indians, nobody should be allowed to visit tribal areas. we should not treat tribals like wildlife…a monkey or a chimpanzee in zoo,” Panda said. “We have exposed the government’s policy which brings in tourists who treat tribals as commodities for tourism,” he added.

Panda also said the Maoists are not indulging in violence on their own. “We are not doing violence of our own. The government is forcing us to do that. The government wants us to stay us in the forests because we are fighting for the poor,” he said.

The guerrillas had abducted Paolo, 54, and Claudio Colangelo, 61 from a forested area on the border of Ganjam and Kandhamal districts March 14. On Saturday, the rebels also kidnapped ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) legislator and a popular tribal leader Jhina Hikaka, 37, in a hilly area of Koraput district.

While the rebels Sunday released Colangelo, the other Italian and the BJD legislature are still in their captivity.

However, Panda who claims to be the organising committee secretary of the outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist), said he is not responsible for the abduction of the legislature as it has not been done by his group.

Maoists faction which abducted Laxmipur legislature Jhina Hikaka rejects direct negotiation with Government. They offer direct talk through media. On this regard the ultra releases one letter and press release to media.
First letter was written by abducted ruling BJD MLA Jhina Hikaka to Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik from Maoists camp.


Through this letter the MLA Jhina Hikaka has requested the chief minister to stop combing operations against the ultras and also stop padyatras and rallies. In the letter the MLA said that the government should fulfill all the demands put forth by the naxalites and release Maoists and activists of the Chasi Mulia Adivasi Sangh incarcerated in different jails in Koraput and Malkangiri districts. Jhina mentioned that the Maoists would release him unharmed once the government conceded the demands.


With this the matter of hostage crisis of Laxmipur legislature Jhina Hikaka taken a new turn. After 72 hours of the incident the Maoists have published their demand through media. The demand note in Telugu language consists of five pages. In the letter signed jointly by one Jagabandhu, member of the Andhra-Odisha-Border Special Zonal Committee and Daya, member of the Koraput-Srikakulam Divisional Committee. It was released by the Andhra-Odisha-Border Special Zonal Committee and Koraput-Srikakulam Divisional Committee of the CPI(Maoist) have jointly claimed responsibility for the abduction of Jhina Hikaka and the killing of Khairiput police sub-inspector Krushna Chandra Rath, The Maoists have put forth certain demands for the release of the kidnapped MLA Jhina Hikaka. The Maoists have demanded that the government should soon stop 'Operation Green Hunt' against the rebels and should immediately fulfill all the conditions agreed to at the time of release of former Malkangiri collector R Vineel Krishna. The other prominent demands raised by the Maoists related to release of political prisoners and activists of the Chasi Mulia Adivasi Sangh incarcerated in several jails in Koraput and Malkangiri districts.

The Maoists have said that they would announce the date of the release of the abducted MLA once the government discloses the details about the release of the political prisoners to the media. However, the Maoists have warned that they would be compelled to take extreme steps if the government launches any operation against the ultras.


Abducted ruling BJD MLA Jhina Hikaka sends letter to Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik from Maoists camp. I am well and safe writes abducted MLA Jhina Hikaka to CM from Maoist hideout.



Through this letter Andhra-Odisha Border Zone Committee of CPI-Maoist claim abducting Jhina Hikaka. Through this letter Maoists urge CM to fulfill all the demands of Maoists. Through this letter Maoists appeal urge CM to stop all the combing operations against Maoists.

Through this letter Maoists appeal urge to free all arrested political prisoners and leaders of Chasi Mulia Adivasi Sangh. In this letter Maoists urged the CM to release the political prisoners and convey all this development to through media. Maoists also said after that they will announce the date for release of BJD MLA.


It should be noted that Hikaka was abducted by unknown ultras while returning from Koraput to his home at Laxmipur at about 1 am of March 24.