The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Jana makes major concessions to PW `RK' taken off wanted list

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 21, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Jana makes major concessions to PW `RK' taken off wanted list

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, JULY 20. The talks between the Government and the emissaries of naxalites made a headway on Tuesday when the Home Minister, K. Jana Reddy, after a fresh round of discussions with them, ordered de-listing of the PW State secretary, Ramakrishna better known as RK, from the police website as "most wanted man," and announced constitution of a monitoring committee with representatives from nine organisations, to begin with, for overseeing the ceasefire implementation.

Removing yet another irritant, the Minister also ordered for immediate stoppage of the practice in Warangal requiring teaching and non-teaching staff of the educational institutions there to sign registers at police stations on Sundays. He also gave permission to the PW to go ahead with its "martyrs day meeting" at Mogilicherla in Warangal district, Ramakrishna's native place, on July 28, saying any democratic meeting without weapons was permissible. P. Varavara Rao, Gaddar and G. Kalyana Rao were with Mr. Reddy at the Secretariat this evening for about three hours, taking up "as the main demand" the issue of the non-renewal of the eight-year-old ban on the PW. Asked if they would abstain from the peace process if the ban continued, Mr. Varavara Rao said: "We will take a decision tomorrow after the Government's stand is known.''

The emissaries said the talks were "satisfactory" and the Government was "sincere in its desire to have peace in the State." They noted that so far there had been no violation of ceasefire.

Mr. Jana Reddy said the Monitoring Committee would comprise nominees of civil rights bodies like the AP Civil Liberties Committee, the People's Union for Civil Liberties, the Committee of Concerned Citizens. The Mediators Committee, now having only S.R. Sankaran would be expanded with induction of Government representatives. They would hold talks with the PW.

Asked about the threat to talks from "invisible" forces within the police, as alleged by the emissaries, the Home Minister said, "Any force is subservient to the Government" which would be the final decision-maker. The emissaries, however, alleged that some "forces'' were trying to stall the exercise for their own interests of money and power.

The letter by Haribushan and the "covert" operation by Laxman were the handiwork of these forces, they said.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Andhra Pradesh