Telangana's Call for Peace Talks Amid Naxalite Operations

A group of intellectuals urges Telangana's CM to encourage the Centre to declare a ceasefire and engage in peace talks with CPI (Maoists). The Chief Minister views naxalism as a social issue and recalls previous peace talks in 2004. Ongoing anti-Maoist operations intensify in Chhattisgarh.

A coordinated group of intellectuals and key figures reached out to Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Sunday, advocating for efforts to prompt the Centre to declare a ceasefire and engage in peace talks with the CPI (Maoists).

This appeal, emphasizing a need to reframe naxalism as a social rather than solely a law and order problem, was articulated in a memorandum submitted to the Chief Minister by the group, which includes retired academic Haragopal and former judge Justice Chandra Kumar, among others.

CM Reddy noted the historical precedent set by senior Congress leader K Jana Reddy, who conducted peace talks with the Maoists as Home Minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh in 2004, asserting that government strategies would factor in past experiences and expert consultations before deciding, amidst intense anti-Maoist operations ongoing in Chhattisgarh and beyond.

(With inputs from agencies.)