Attack on camp shows all Naxal groups not united

New Delhi: Even as Maoist leader Koteswar Rao alias Kishanji on Monday night offered a 72-day ceasefire to the Government if Operation Green Hunt was stopped, an attack by the rebels on a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) camp in West Bengal shows that all the groups are not in favour of laying down the arms and start talking.

The attack on the CRPF camp shows that not all Maoist groups are supporting Kishanji's ceasefire offer.

The attack on the camp at Katapahari, considered to be one of the most secure camps in West Bengal's Lalgarh, left at least three Maoist leaders dead.

The dead Maoists have been identified as Lalmohan Tudu, Suchithra Murmu and Yuvaraj Murmu.

Police claim that both Suchithra and Yuvaraj were wanted for the Silda camp massacre in which 24 security personnel were killed.

Tudu was the second most important leader in People's Committee against Police Atrocities (PCPA) after Chattradhar Mahoto.

Moreover, it is not only the Maoists who seem to be divided. Even the chief ministers of the Naxal-affected states have been speaking in different voices on how to deal with the rebels.

The official line of West Bengal's ruling Left Front led by the Communist Party of India-Marxist is to adopt a tough approach in dealing with the Maoists. But there are many known Maoist supporters within the Left Front.

Jharkhand Chief Minister Shibu Soren has already been accused of being too soft with Maoists. Soren's stand has been that the power of the gun cannot solve the Maoist menace.

In Chhattisgarh, which has been the worst-affected state, the Salwa Judum movement was started by Chief Minister Raman Singh to take on the Maoists.

He doesn't favour a soft approach and has made it clear that government can't be seen bending before Maoists. He has refused to accept the Maoist Naxal offer of ceasefire as serious.

"No dialogue can take place with conditions attached. As it is this is not a serious offer because it just came as a SMS and not through proper channel," said Singh on Tuesday in Raipur.

On the other hand, Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has welcomed the offer for talks by the Maoists. But he has stressed that talks would be possible only if Maoists give up their arms.

"I have said repeatedly that they (Maoists) should shun violence. Then dialogue is possible only if they give up violence," said Patnaik.

Both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party have also said that the Maoists must lay down their arms before talks could begin.