Bhubaneswar: After the second day of negotiations between the Maoists and the mediators, the Orissa government conceded to eight of the 14 demands of the Maoists. However, their main demand - the release of eight Maoists - is yet to be resolved.
"There have been altogether 14 demands we have discussed in the last two days. Out of that we have been able to resolve eight demands, on the basis of specific government decisions, some in the past and some now. We hope to resolve the six other demands in by Tuesday. We are also confident now that both of them - Collector Sri Vineel Krishna and junior engineer Sri Majhi will be released very soon," Orissa Home Secretary U N Behera said.
Meanwhile, the bail plea of five jailed Maoists including Ganti Prasad, Sireesha alias Padma (wife of top Maoist RamKrishna), Gokul Kuldipia, Rozy Mannangi and Andaluri Ishwari will come up for hearing today. They had moved the High Court in Cuttack for bail on Monday.
Top Maoist leader Shriramulu Shrinivas was produced in a fast track court at Malkangiri for his bail plea on Monday. His release is an important condition set by Maoists as they negotiate with the Orissa government for the release of Malkangiri Collector RV Krishna and junior engineer Pabitra Majhi.
Malkangiri Collector R Vineel Krishna and junior engineer Pabitra Majhi were abducted from Malkangiri district on Wednesday evening. The state government said on Saturday they were safe and in good health.
The mediators and the state government officials may have been discussing a whole lot of issues over the last few days, but the hard bargain is over a hostage-exchange plan under which the Maoists want two of their top leaders Ganti Prasad and Shriramulu Shrinivas out of jail. And that can happen only if they secure bail and that is what is taking time.
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