The prospect of revival of talks with Naxalites in Andhra Pradesh brightened on Tuesday with the People's War group accepting the government's offer, but demanding a ceasefire to create an atmosphere conducive for dialogue.
"We are ready for talks if the government announces ceasefire without any loss of time. It is now time for sincere action instead of empty promises and pious declarations," the PW said in a statement made available to the media.
The development came in the midst of the consultations state Home Minister K Jana Reddy was having with a group of civil rights leaders in Hyderabad on how to go about reviving the dialogue process which collapsed two years ago.
Asked about PW's pre-condition, Reddy said: "There has been no firing from police in the last 15 days. Is it not a ceasefire? We have instructed the police to maintain restraint."
The new Congress government has also declared that it would constitute a Conciliation Committee comprising eminent persons to work out the modalities of talks.
"Going by the intentions of the government and a general atmosphere in favour of talks, we think it should be possible to commence the process in about ten days," said B Tharakam, a member of the 'Peace Initiative Forum', an independent
initiative comprising civil rights leaders, academicians and journalists.
The PW, in the statement issued in the name of its state secretary Ramakrishna and politburo member, Prakash, proposed "simultaneous ceasefire" from both sides for a specific period of three to six months and constitution of a committee, comprising members acceptable to both sides, to monitor its implementation.
It also offered to name its emissaries to hold talks with the government soon after the announcement of ceasefire.
Reviving talks with the Naxalites was one of the key poll promises of the Congress.
The talks, initiated by the previous Telugu Desam Party government in May-June 2002, had collapsed mid-way with the PW walking out of the dialogue process accusing the government of continuing "fake police encounters."