Prominent Left parties have asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to end “extrajudicial killings” after several Maoist leaders were killed by security forces in Chhattisgarh.
In a letter, leaders of the CPI, CPM, CPIML-Liberation, Revolutionary Socialist Party and the All India Forward Bloc said: “There are reports that several senior Maoist leaders are currently in the custody of the security forces. We demand that they should all be produced in court and dealt with as per the rule of law…. We urge upon you to stop this militaristic approach that treats the Adivasis with unmitigated hostility.
“This hostility is being seen even after death, with the government refusing to hand over dead bodies to their families, denying them their right to give a dignified farewell to their family members. The Maoists have repeatedly urged the government to consider their appeal for dialogue. Unfortunately, the Union government and the BJP-led Chhattisgarh government have chosen not to pursue a solution through talks.”
The letter stated: “The statements made by the Union home minister, reiterating the deadline (of ending Left Wing Extremism by next March) and the Chhattisgarh chief minister’s assertion that there is no need for talks, reflect a mindset unwilling to resolve issues through dialogue….”
It said that many citizens and political parties, despite having differing views, had appealed to the government to respond to the Maoists’ declaration of unilateral ceasefire and initiate a dialogue to resolve all issues. “We reiterate the appeal and urge you to stop the extrajudicial killings and violence with immediate effect and order an impartial judicial enquiry.”
Basavaraju, who was on the most wanted list of the NIA, was among the 27 Maoists killed by security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region recently.