New Delhi:
After weeks of violence and some of the worst Naxal attacks that India has seen, the Maoists have offered a 72-day conditional ceasefire to the government, starting February 25.
But hours after they made the offer, the Naxals struck yet again, attacking a security camp at Katapahari near Lalgarh in West Bengal.
The Naxals attacked the camp at around 9.30 pm on Monday, triggering a gunbattle that lasted for about two hours. Three Maoists are believed to have been killed in the exchange of fire. While the attackers took away two bodies, one body was recovered by the security forces.
The Maoist whose body is believed to have been recovered is Lal Mohan Todu, a person closely associated with Maoist leader Chhtradhar Mahato and a member of the Peoples Committee against Police Atrocities (PCPA).
Earlier in the evening, Naxal leader Kishenji contacted NDTV's Sampad Mahapatra and announced the 72-day ceasefire, though with some conditions. He said he wanted the government to stop all operations against the Naxals.
Labelled Operation Greenhunt, the government is in the process of a gigantic counter-offensive against the Naxals in states like Orissa, Jharkhand and West Bengal.
Kishenji also said that he wanted intellectuals and human rights activists to mediate talks between the Maoists and the government.
Sources in the Home Ministry told NDTV that the government could consider the offer if there were no preconditions. They also suggested that the Maoists were under pressure and this offer was a ploy for them to buy time to regroup.
On Saturday, Home Minister P Chidambaram had repeated his offer of talks to the Naxals; he said if they would abjure violence for 72 hours, he was willing to negotiate with them.
Kishenji's offer of a ceasefire for 72 days instead of 72 hours seems to be a case of political upmanship, experts said.
Only last week, Naxals attacked a police camp in Bengal's West Midnapore and killed 24 jawans. Seven of those jawans were burnt alive in their tents. The attack has revealed that there were serious intelligence lapses on the part of the state government.
A few days later, 10 villagers were killed in Phulwari in Bihar's Jamui district in what was described as a revenge attack by the Naxals. They wanted to retaliate against informers in the village who helped the police to capture some Naxals operating in the area.