Odisha govt offers to swap 27 Maoist prisoners for kidnapped MLA, Italian

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Odisha govt offers to swap 27 Maoist prisoners for kidnapped MLA, Italian

BHUBANESWAR: A day before the April 5 deadline set by the Maoists for fulfillment of their demands in exchange for the release of Biju Janata Dal MLA Jhina Hikaka, the Naveen Patnaik government blinked on Wednesday and agreed to release 27 people in various Odisha jails in exchange for Hikaka as well as Italian Bosusco Paolo. The Maoists are yet to respond.

"Considering the safety of Jhina Hikaka, the young MLA of Laxmipur, it has been decided by the state government to facilitate the release of 15 members of the Chasi Muliya Adivasi Sangha and eight Left-wing extremists in Koraput and Malkangiri jails," chief minister Naveen Patnaik said in the assembly, shortly after a crucial cabinet meeting.

The state's offer to free eight Maoists came hours after the government resumed talks with Maoist-named mediators B D Sharma and Dandapani Mohanty for freeing Paolo, who was kidnapped along with his compatriot Claudio Colangelo on March 14. While Colangelo was released on March 25, Paolo has been held captive by the insurgents for nearly three weeks.

Eight Maoists and 15 activists of the Sangha are being offered for a swap for Hikaka's freedom while four Maoists will be freed for the safe passage of Paolo. The Andhra-Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee of CPI (Maoist) had demanded the release of all "political prisoners" (around 70) in jails of Koraput and Malkangiri districts for Hikaka's release.

Names of prisoners to be swapped today

The state government will name on Thursday those who would be released in return for Maoists freeing Italian hostage Paolo Bosusco and MLA Jhina Hikaka, chief minister Naveen Patnaik said on Wednesday. The Maoists had set April 5 as the deadline for the government to fulfill their demands in Hikaka's case and warned that the government would be responsible for the consequences.

On the Italian, Paolo, Naveen said it was decided to facilitate the release of four Maoists from the list given by the mediators.

"The names of all these people for the release of both the MLA and the Italian national shall be announced tomorrow (Thursday)," Naveen said, again appealing to the Maoists to release Hikaka and Paolo.

One of the mediators, Dandapani Mohanty, said, "Unless we get anything in writing from the government, we have nothing to say."

Maoist leader Sabyasachi Panda, through the two mediators, demanded the release of seven rebels, Gananath Patra (CMAS advisor), Subhashree Das (Panda's wife), Kamalkanta Sethy, Sujatha, Siku Nachika (CMAS president Nachika Linga's relative), Arati Majhi and Sudarshan Mandal.

Sources said the government, after engaging in negotiations with Maoists through the Chasi Muliya Adivasi Sangha, decided to release 15 activists of the Sangha and eight Maoists

Odisha govt offers to swap 27 Maoist prisoners for kidnapped MLA, Italian - The Times of India
 

SLASH

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Are maoist ever sentenced? I only hear them getting caught or killed.
 

arya

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one more time we are helpless.

what i can say
 

Vishwarupa

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Every one is talking about Italian Tourist kidnapped by Maoists in Odisha, but none seems to care for Manmohan Singh & 1billion plus people who is in the captivity of an Italian woman for years......:frusty::frusty::frusty:
 

lcatejas

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Chalo ek nautanki to pura hone wala hai .... :shocked:
 

ejazr

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The situation is taken as a law and order issue and is a state subject so MMS can't really do anything about it and shouldn't because its the Orissa govt. that is handling the situation.

Stll, this is not the right decision taken by Naveen Patnaik's govt. as this will only embolden the Maoists. Maybe its time to bring in the army here now and apply the Disturbed Area Act so that the Centre can directly take control of the situation.

Naveen gives in; to free 27 prisoners

With the April 5 (Thursday) deadline by the Maoist abductors of Laxmipur MLA Jhina Hikaka nearing its end and the resumed talks between the Government and the Maoist-chosen mediators still not reaching any conclusion, the Naveen Patnaik Government continued to be under pressure on Wednesday as to how to resolve the twin hostage crisis.

Ostensibly bowing to pressure from the two factions of the Maoists holding the lone Italian national Paulo Bosusco and the BJD tribal MLA Jhina Hikaka, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday announced to release at least 27 persons belonging to the Red rebels and the Chasi Mulia Adivasi Sangh (CMAS) to ensure the release of the hostages.

The situation obtaining on the day forced Patnaik to cancel his scheduled visit to Chennai on Thursday. He was to meet his Tamil Nadu counterpart J Jayalalithaa on the NCTC issue before the Chief Ministers' meeting on the Centre's controversial move convened by the Prime Minister in New Delhi. Patnaik was also to lay foundation-stone for an Odisha Bahavan in Chennai and meet father of Green Revolution MS Swaminathan there for talks on the State's agricultural development.

Making a statement in the State Assembly in the evening, Patnaik said considering the safety of the young MLA Hikaka, it was decided to facilitate the release of 15 members of the CMAS and eight Maoists and four other persons now languishing in Koraput and Malkangiri jails.

However, Patnaik who did not specify who the members are and the time of release, informed the House that the names of the persons to be released would be announced on Thursday, that is March 5. He informed that Government had considered to release eight persons from Jail considering the demands of the Odisha Organising Committee of the CPI (Maoist) who had held the Italian national for the last 19 days, and four other persons on the suggestion of the two Maoist-nominated mediaotrs- Dr BD Sharma and Dandapani Mohaty. The three Government-appointed negotiators led by Home Secretary UN Behera and the two mediators of the Maoists continued their talks on Wednesday at the State Guesthouse after a day of postponement of negotiations on Tuesday. After around two hours of talks, the official negotiators had left with the short-listed demands along with the suggestion of the Maoist mediators to hold discussion with the Chief Minister to facilitate the release of those now in various jails for their alleged violence and links with the ultras.

The Chief Minister had decided to release the persons as desired by both the factions of the Maoists and the CMAS after holding wide-rangingdiscussion at a Cabinet meeting and a high-level meeting of senior officials in the evening.

Meanwhile, with the Maoists remaining adamant on their demands and continuing to hold the Tribal MLA from Laxmipur Jhina Hikaka in captivity for the last 12 days, the concerned Odisha Assembly on Wednesday passed a unanimous resolution appealing the Koraput group of Red rebels to free the lawmaker immediately, unhurt.

Chief Minister Patnaik brought the resolution in the House which said, "This House expresses deep concern over the abduction of the MLA by the Maoists. We unanimously appeal to the Maoists to release the MLA immediately unharmed."

The resolution was adopted after senior Congress legislator Dambarudhar Ulaka voiced concern about Hikaka's fate as the deadline set by Maoists was to end on Thursday and there was no news on extension of the deadline despite the Chief Minister's appeal to this effect. Ulaka's proposal to bring the resolution was supported by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Raghu Nath Mohanty.

Things took a sharp turn with Sabyasachi Panda on Monday evening warning the Government of "drastic repercussions" for adopting dilatory tactics and planning to launch a counter attack to free the Italian, on the one hand, and, on the other, the Srikakulam-Koraput Border Special Zonal Committee and the CMAS rejecting Government's appeal for negotiation while the Koraput Maoists served ultimatum on the Government with April 5 as the deadline to meet their demands and later not responding to the Chief Minister's appeal for extension of the deadline. While Wednesday was a day of hectic parleys for the Government, Thursday is expected to be still more hectic and exciting for both the sides.

Meanwhile, Jhinna Hikaka's wife Kausalya Majhi accompanied by her two children, mother and sister-in-law and more than 150 villagers sat on dharana before the office of the Koraput Collector, demanding early release of Hikaka. Collector Sachin Ramachandra Jadhav requested the MLA's wife for a confidential discussion. A team of police personnel were deployed on the spot. They had a discussion for one-and-half hour. Collector Jadhav assured Hikaka's wife to wait for another 5-6 days as the State Government was taking steps to release the lawmaker, sources revealed.

"Collector Jadhav assured me to take care to release my husband within a week as the State Government is taking much care on the abduction issue," inforemed Kausalya to the mediapersons. "If the demand of my husband and his release will not take place within the stipulated time, I shall resort to agitation in front of the Collectorate, Koraput," she added.

However, the meeting was held for more than an hour and BJD leader Eswar Panigrahi, SDPO Y Jagannath Rao and Ashok Patnaik, ADM Chudamani Seth participated in the discussion, sources said.
 

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