New Delhi: The government on Wednesday took with a pinch of salt the latest offer from Naxals for talks and said it seems the Centre's suggestion to abjure violence and come for a dialogue was falling on deaf ears. Sources in the government said while Naxals have been asked by President Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to come forward for talks, the process of dialogue was a long way and would take at least one year for any progress. "They will come for talks only when they will get the heat," a source said.
Top Maoist leader Kishenji had suggested a three-month ceasefire by both sides and talks for a peace process saying "the President and the Prime Minister, in their Independence Day speeches, have appealed to the Maoists to abjure violence. We are never for violence but the government has instigated us to take up arms." However, the sources said that there would be no let up in the operations against the Maoists. "We are not thinking of ceasefire as of now keeping in mind the tactics used by Naxals to regroup during the ceasefire," the official said. The Maoist leader claimed there were "some reports from the PMO that Mamata Banerjee has been asked to work as a mediator. If she agrees, then we have no problem". The government sources maintained that first the Maoists had to abjure violence and after that make any offer of talks. PTI
