As talks between Maoist-chosen mediators and the government to secure the release of abducted Malkangiri district Collector R. Vineel Krishna and an engineer resumed Monday morning, the rebels called for a State-wide bandh to press for the release of jailed ultras.
The talks had remained inconclusive on Sunday, with the mediators saying more time was needed to reach a consensus on the demands of the Maoists.
G. Hargopal, Someswar Rao and Dandapani Mohanty represented the Maoists while home secretary U. N. Behera and Panchayati Raj secretary S. N. Tripathy were present on behalf of the Orissa government, as both sides renewed the dialogue Monday morning.
Meanwhile, official sources said the bandh evoked a lukewarm response in most parts of the State with vehicular movement being affected partially in Koraput, Raigada and Navrangpur districts.
A bandh-like situation exists in Malkangiri, as educational institutions and various offices remained closed to express solidarity with the abducted collector.
Five days after the abduction of the collector and junior engineer Pabitra Majhi by Maoists, talks for their safe return were moving at a snail’s pace as the rebels pressed for the release of some rebels and about 700 tribal ultras from jails, official sources said.
The ultras are also demanding a complete halt to joint anti-Naxal combing operations along the Orissa-Andhra Pradesh border region by security forces of the two States.
Prof. Hargopal earlier said that releasing Naxal leaders like Ganti Prasadam could play a significant role in negotiation with the Maoists for the release of Mr. Krishna, a 2005 batch IAS officer, and Mr. Majhi, abducted from Chitrakonda area in Malkangiri district on February 16.
Incidentally, Prasadam was brought to Koraput from a jail in Andhra Pradesh on Sunday and produced before a court there which rejected his bail plea and sent him to jail. But he is likely to move a higher court soon for bail.
While the Orissa government has made it clear that there will be no combing operation against Naxals till conclusion of negotiations, the issue of release of the jailed Maoists was discussed at length, sources said.
Though whereabouts of the hostage duo was not known, the mediators have assured the Orissa government that the two would not be harmed and that rebels would refrain from violence as long as negotiations are underway.
However, sources said the abducted officials were in a remote village of Chitrakonda area bordering Andhra Pradesh and the Maoists were frequently shifting the duo from one place to another.
