Appeal to Prez Murmu for peace talks with Maoists

Several organisations have written to President Draupadi Murmu urging her to intervene and ensure military operations are halted, a ceasefire declared, and peace talks initiated in the Maoist-dominated tribal regions of Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, and Jharkhand.

Appealing to her as the first Adivasi president of India and the constitutional head of state, they said the CPI (Maoist) has released three public statements expressing their readiness to observe a ceasefire and for peace talks contingent upon the government halting armed operations. The memorandum claimed that while the government had said it was open to unconditional talks, in practice, it has imposed preconditions demanding that the Maoists surrender and return to the mainstream. Military operations, too, have intensified.

Advertisement

“We urge you to impress upon the government of India the urgency of halting military operations, safeguarding Scheduled Areas, and initiating a genuine peace process involving local Adivasis. Your intervention could determine whether what follows from this moment is more bloodshed or a door is opened to a principled constitutional resolution,” said the memorandum submitted to the President. Signatories included noted professor G Haragopal and activists like Soni Sori and Bela Bhatia.

The memorandum claimed that since January 2024, in Bastar alone, 400 people, including civilians and children, have been killed. According to the memorandum, the CPI (Maoist) has instructed its cadres to desist from any violent actions except in situations where they are trapped and are forced to resist. “This amounts to a unilateral ceasefire,” claimed the memorandum. In recent times, several Maoist cadres and leaders have either surrendered or have been killed by security forces, forcing the party to lie low.