In Odisha, Maoists have extended the deadline till this evening for the State government to meet their 13 point charter of demands in exchange for the abducted Italian nationals. In a fresh audio message released through the media, the Maoists have also named three persons, Dandapani Mohanty, Biswapriya Kanungo and Narayan Sanyal to negotiate with the Odisha government. All of them are known Maoists supporters. Our correspondent reports that Sanyal is presently at Girdih jail in Jharkhand. He adds that the response from Maoists for a dialogue over release of their two Italian hostages has come hours after Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik appealed them to nominate their representatives to discuss the matter on their behalf with the government.
Naveen Patnaik has also said there will be no action by security forces as long as the extremists did not indulge in any violence. Maoists have kidnapped the Italian nationals after they were found taking 'objectionable' photographs of some tribal women near a rivulet. They demanded that the government stop anti-Maoist combing operations and fulfil their demands.
The Maoists also want the government to fulfil a charter of 13 demands including those it had promised last year for the safe release of the hostages. The demands included halting of anti Maoist operation, scrapping of accords with MNCs for land transfer and projects, compensation for the families of Maoist sympathisers killed in police custody and release of about 600 pri
soners.
In the latest demands they said tribals are not commodities and tribal areas are not a place for the visit of tourists. The Maoists said the government should declare this clearly and arrest and punish those who violates. Other demands of the Maoists included release of all anti-displacement leaders who have been arrested for raising their voices against various industrial projects, including Posco and Vedanta.
Meanwhile, the Odisha Government has said all necessary steps are being taken for the safe release of two Italians, Bosusco Paolo and Claudio Colangelo.
