Bhubaneswar:
Talks have begun at the State Guest House in Bhubaneshwar to end hostage crisis in Odisha, where an Italian national and an MLA are being held by two rival factions of Naxals. Three government officials and two Maoist representatives are in talks to strike a deal in exchange for the freedom of the captives.
The talks are taking place a day after Italian Ambassador Giacomo Sanfelice di Monteforte met Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and asked him to help expedite the release of Italian hostage Paolo Bosusco from Maoists' captivity.
Besides Paolo Bosusco, an Italian tour guide, the Maoists are also holding Odisha MLA Jhina Hikaka hostage.
The Odisha government has agreed to release 27 prisoners, including eight Naxals, in a swap deal. On Thursday, the state government announced on the names of all the 27 prisoners it is willing to release. But no date was fixed for the release of the prisoners. The hostages are being held by two rival factions of Naxals.
Paolo Bosusco, who runs a tour company in Orissa, was captured by the Naxals on March 14 along with another Claudio Colangelo, who was released 11 days later. Bosusco remains in Naxal custody in Kandhamal.
Jhina Hikaka, an MLA from the ruling BJD party, was taken hostage on March 25. He is being kept about 400 kilometres or a 10-hour drive from Mr Bosusco. He had alleged that the government wasn't doing enough to ensure his release because he is a tribal.
The MLA's captors had set April 5 as the deadline for the release of many prisoners. If that didn't happen, they had warned that the government would be responsible for the consequences. The deadline has now been extended to Saturday. According to sources, this faction - called the Andhra Odisha Border Special Committee - wants to make sure that the state government drops all charges against the prisoners they want released. It is headed by a man named Rama Krishna, also known as RK. But the state government is yet to state in clear terms whether it wants to facilitate their release on bail or whether it is willing to drop all charges slapped against them.
The rival faction holding the Italian is headed by Sabysachi Panda. While Panda and the government have been negotiating via mediators, the group holding the MLA had refused to have any talks with the government.
Panda's group has issued a series of demands over the latest hostage-taking, including the release of prisoners, a ban on tourists visiting tribal areas and the end of the government's anti-rebel operations.
Among those who will be freed are Subhashree, the wife of Naxal leader Sabysachi Panda, and 15 members of the Chasi Mulia Adivasi Sangha, a group that says it stands for tribal rights and is affiliated with the Naxals.
In February 2011, the Orissa state government had agreed to drop charges against five suspected Maoists in exchange for two kidnapped officials, leading to criticism that the deal would encourage more abductions.
The talks are taking place a day after Italian Ambassador Giacomo Sanfelice di Monteforte met Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and asked him to help expedite the release of Italian hostage Paolo Bosusco from Maoists' captivity.
Besides Paolo Bosusco, an Italian tour guide, the Maoists are also holding Odisha MLA Jhina Hikaka hostage.
The Odisha government has agreed to release 27 prisoners, including eight Naxals, in a swap deal. On Thursday, the state government announced on the names of all the 27 prisoners it is willing to release. But no date was fixed for the release of the prisoners. The hostages are being held by two rival factions of Naxals.
Paolo Bosusco, who runs a tour company in Orissa, was captured by the Naxals on March 14 along with another Claudio Colangelo, who was released 11 days later. Bosusco remains in Naxal custody in Kandhamal.
Jhina Hikaka, an MLA from the ruling BJD party, was taken hostage on March 25. He is being kept about 400 kilometres or a 10-hour drive from Mr Bosusco. He had alleged that the government wasn't doing enough to ensure his release because he is a tribal.
The MLA's captors had set April 5 as the deadline for the release of many prisoners. If that didn't happen, they had warned that the government would be responsible for the consequences. The deadline has now been extended to Saturday. According to sources, this faction - called the Andhra Odisha Border Special Committee - wants to make sure that the state government drops all charges against the prisoners they want released. It is headed by a man named Rama Krishna, also known as RK. But the state government is yet to state in clear terms whether it wants to facilitate their release on bail or whether it is willing to drop all charges slapped against them.
The rival faction holding the Italian is headed by Sabysachi Panda. While Panda and the government have been negotiating via mediators, the group holding the MLA had refused to have any talks with the government.
Panda's group has issued a series of demands over the latest hostage-taking, including the release of prisoners, a ban on tourists visiting tribal areas and the end of the government's anti-rebel operations.
Among those who will be freed are Subhashree, the wife of Naxal leader Sabysachi Panda, and 15 members of the Chasi Mulia Adivasi Sangha, a group that says it stands for tribal rights and is affiliated with the Naxals.
In February 2011, the Orissa state government had agreed to drop charges against five suspected Maoists in exchange for two kidnapped officials, leading to criticism that the deal would encourage more abductions.
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