Invite Maoists for talks, Jogi tells Centre

Raipur, Nov 10 (UNI) Congress Working Committee member and former Chhattisgarh chief minister Ajit Jogi today urged the Centre to take initiative for talks with CPI (Maoists) in the light of Nepal rebels signing an agreement with the government of the Himalayan nation.

''I think the time is ripe. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should take initiative and invite the Maoists for talks,'' he told UNI here.

Mr Jogi, who was the first chief minister of Chhattisgarh-- a state where the Maoist rebels have presence in ten out of 16 districts-- welcomed the Nepal rebels' decision to join the mainstream politics saying that it would help restore peace in the region.

Stating that he would discuss the matter with party president Ms Sonia Gandhi and the Prime Minister, Mr Jogi said he felt that a dialogue between the government and the rebels would be in the larger interests of the people affected by the problem.

He urged the CPI(Maoists) to shun violence and come forward for talks saying that violence and bloodshed could not be a solution for any problem.

Mr Jogi, who was a member of the task force constituted by the Congress to study the Naxalite problem, said the situation in the tribal areas of Chhattisgarh was alarming with the poor tribals being sandwiched between the rebels, police and the activists supporting the anti-naxalite campaign ''Salwa Judum'' in Bastar.

State's BJP government, which came to power in December 2003, has also been maintaining that the Centre should take initiative to hold talks with the Maoists as naxalism was a ''national problem'' spread over 11 states and affecting more than 30 crore population.

UNI AS/JJ SP PK MIR RK1435