Self appointed negotiator to begin talks with Maoists for collector's release

New Delhi: The deadline given by the Maoists to the Chhattisgarh government for the release of the Sukma collector Alex Menon ends today. However BD Sharma a negotiator who has been associated with the Maoists and with the tribal movement in Bastar area of Chhatisgarh today spoke to the press assuring everyone that the deadline would be increased.

Mr Sharma said he had volunteered to negotiate talks between the two parties after he received a press statement from the Maoists yesterday. According to him, the press release he got asks for medicine for the collector. Since then a negotiator Manish Kunjam has been sent with the medicines for the collector.

Mr Sharma went on to elaborate the contents of the press release he received which made three basic demands along with the demand that all fake cases registered against scores of Maoists be reviewed and fake cases be dropped.

However the other demands made by the Maoists include the stopping of Operation Green Hunt, withdrawal of combing operations across villages and the return of police officers from the villages to their barracks.

Advertisement

Mr Sharma says, he will now go to the state capital Raipur and talk to the government authorities before beginning his negotiations with the people holding Mr Alex.

For now though the family of Mr Alex and a government on edge are awaiting the return of Mr Kunjam who will bring news of the collector's health and demands of the Maoists if any.

Advertisement