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| India's Maoists 'ready for talks' | |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| A leader of India's Maoist rebels has said they are ready to begin talks with the government if some of their top leaders are released from custody. | A leader of India's Maoist rebels has said they are ready to begin talks with the government if some of their top leaders are released from custody. |
| Koteswara Rao said that at least four senior rebel leaders who are in prison should be released for talks to begin. | Koteswara Rao said that at least four senior rebel leaders who are in prison should be released for talks to begin. |
| He was reacting to federal home minister P Chidambaram's offer to rebels of "once last chance" to open talks with the government. | He was reacting to federal home minister P Chidambaram's offer to rebels of "once last chance" to open talks with the government. |
| The rebels are fighting for communist rule in many Indian states. | The rebels are fighting for communist rule in many Indian states. |
| More than 6,000 people have died during the rebels' 20-year fight. | More than 6,000 people have died during the rebels' 20-year fight. |
| Last November, Mr Rao had said that the rebels were willing to talk to the government if it put off a planned offensive against them. | Last November, Mr Rao had said that the rebels were willing to talk to the government if it put off a planned offensive against them. |
| Now Mr Rao has told the BBC that the four arrested rebel leaders would have to be released so that they could participate in any talks with the government. | Now Mr Rao has told the BBC that the four arrested rebel leaders would have to be released so that they could participate in any talks with the government. |
| The four leaders are Kobad Gandhi, Amitabha Bagchi, Narayan Sanyal and Sushil Roy. | The four leaders are Kobad Gandhi, Amitabha Bagchi, Narayan Sanyal and Sushil Roy. |
| 'Brutal campaign' | 'Brutal campaign' |
| "These four leaders will be part of our delegation that will talk to the government of India. | "These four leaders will be part of our delegation that will talk to the government of India. |
| "And [the offensive] which is causing huge misery for the poor and the tribals in several Indian states must stop. You can't talk to us by holding a gun to our head," Mr Rao said. | "And [the offensive] which is causing huge misery for the poor and the tribals in several Indian states must stop. You can't talk to us by holding a gun to our head," Mr Rao said. |
| "We want to come to the table to save the people from this brutal military campaign." | "We want to come to the table to save the people from this brutal military campaign." |
| On Tuesday, Mr Chidambaram offered the Maoists "one last chance" to open talks with the government after finalising a plan to intensify the offensive against the rebels. | On Tuesday, Mr Chidambaram offered the Maoists "one last chance" to open talks with the government after finalising a plan to intensify the offensive against the rebels. |
| "We only want the Maoists to stop violence. We can then talk," he said. | "We only want the Maoists to stop violence. We can then talk," he said. |
| "If the violence does not stop, we will be obliged to continue the operations in a measured, calibrated manner." | "If the violence does not stop, we will be obliged to continue the operations in a measured, calibrated manner." |
| Nearly 50,000 federal paramilitary troops are joining an equal number of policemen, to be equipped with helicopters and unmanned aerial surveillance vehicles, to take on the rebels, officials say. | |
| Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has described the Maoists as the "country's biggest internal security challenge". | Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has described the Maoists as the "country's biggest internal security challenge". |
| Nearly 600 civilians died in Maoist violence last year, the government says. | Nearly 600 civilians died in Maoist violence last year, the government says. |
| A total of 317 members of the security forces and 217 rebels died in Maoist-related violence in 2009, the authorities say. | |
| The rebels have a presence in more than 223 of India's 600-odd districts across 20 states, according to the government. | The rebels have a presence in more than 223 of India's 600-odd districts across 20 states, according to the government. |