The Maoists, who took four Bihar policemen hostage a week ago and killed one of them, on Saturday got a strong, credible offer for negotiations from the Nitish Kumar-led government at the end of an all-party meeting convened to seek ways to secure the safe release of the three living hostages.
The Bihar government assured that the security forces would suspend all their operations during the negotiations with the representatives of the Maoists, who have been demanding the release of eight of their jailed cadres and withdrawal of security forces from Lakhiserai and Munger districts in exchange for the safe release of the hostages.
Chief minister Nitish Kumar, who chaired the all-party meeting to resolve the worsening crisis, said: “All the parties decided today to, firstly, ask the Maoists to come forward to hold talks with the government and, secondly, to release the three policemen taken hostage. There must be no delay in beginning the talks, no matter what results emerge.”
“I am myself ready to sit in the talks with the Maoists’ representatives. Even the Opposition leaders are ready to sit in the talks with me if they (the Maoists) so want, but they (Maoists) must come forward to hold talks,” said Mr Kumar, even as public anger grew against his government for alleged mishandling of the hostage crisis that led to the cold-blooded murder of Bihar Military Police havildar Lucas Tete by the Maoists on Thursday night.
Mr Kumar, however, was categorical about face-to-face talks with the Maoists’ representatives. “It is not possible that they (Maoists) give a mobile number or we get one from the media and the government begins the talks. We need to know who we are talking with. We are a democratically elected government and we will hold talks face to face,” Mr Kumar told reporters at the end of the all-party meeting in Patna.
“They (Maoists) claimed to have killed one sub-inspector taken hostage, but the body found was of another policeman,” he said while talking about the necessity to ensure that the government engages in negotiations only with the people who have enacted the hostage crisis. Mr Kumar’s displeasure at the crisis being played up in the media was evident when he said: “They (Maoists) must come out for talks. There is no need to make it a situation like in Peepli Live.”
RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan skipped the all-party meeting but sent their party leaders. The Congress criticised the government during the meeting and asked it to coordinate with the Centre for its anti-Maoist operations.
Meanwhile, sources in the police said that the Maoists have rejected Mr Kumar’s offer for talks and that they claimed the three policemen in their custody were safe.