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People's War ready for talks with Digvijay

The People's War has responded positively to Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijay Singh's offer for talks.

However, the banned Naxalite outfit made it clear that the offer was not unconditional: the issue of talks would only come about after 'a democratic atmosphere was created in all districts and the long-suppressed demands of the people were met'.

The PW's readiness for discussion was made public through a statement from Bhupati, the secretary of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee.

Assuming office for a second term, Singh had offered talks with the Naxalities during his visit to Raipur.

Notwithstanding the chief minister's offer, Bhupati alleged that the police had intensified 'repression' in Dantewara, Bastar, Kanker, Rajnanogaon and Balaghat districts. Price rise, poverty, unemployment and atrocities on woman and other weaker sections of society were increasing day by day, he added.

He warned the people would not remain tolerant if the State failed in resolving their fundamental problems.

"The Jan Jagaran launched by Congress leader Mahendra Karma had police backing and was aimed at combing the forests to apprehend revolutionaries," he claimed.

He said Singh wanted to organise the state police on the Andhra Pradesh pattern, for which he has sought a Rs 80 million assistance from Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Home Minister L K Advani.

The PW leader said his outfit was fighting for the establishment of a genuine people's democracy as "at present 90 per cent people had been denied real democratic rights."

Even nominal democratic freedom was being curtailed, with the Indian ruling class surrendering the country before imperialists financial institutions in the name of globalisation and privatisation, Bhupati alleged.

Singh had approached the World Bank for an aid of Rs 1 billion for road construction work in the state, he said.

UNI

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