Hostage release talks get stuck

BHUBANESWAR: Amidst reports of Italian Paolo Bosusco’s deteriorating heath condition, the Maoist interlocutors on Tuesday submitted a set of demands to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.As the negotiations drag on, both sides appeared to have got stuck on their “perspective” of the issues.On Tuesday, the talks lasted for just an hour and half which, one of the interlocutors Dr B D Sharma said, was the reason for it remaining inconclusive. “We have summarised the entire talk process and sent it to the Chief Minister for his perusal,” he added.Sources said the negotiators have submitted complex version of the 13 demands originally placed by the the Maoists. While the main demands, such as end to combing operation, release of political prisoners who have been re-arrested after being given relief by the courts, remain intact, the negotiators have gone beyond the actual demands and sought certain changes which are not entirely in the hands of the State Government.“Issues relating to PESA Act and mining are just not issues which can be resolved by the State Government alone since these need sanction of the Centre. While the officers are sticking to the 13 demands per se, the Maoist interlocutors want wholesome policy changes too making the progress difficult,” sources added.Among the major demands, proceeding against the security personnel who have been indicted by Orissa High Court and Orissa Human Rights Commission for excesses and torture, release of political prisoners who have been re-arrested after they were tried and released were top on the agenda of the interlocutors.There are about 15 such activists, including Subhashree Panda, wife of Maoist leader Sabyasachi Panda, who are languishing in jail.Even as the Government appeared more concerned about the plight of MLA Jhina Hikaka, the two negotiators __ B D Sharma and Dandapani Mohanty __ played it down and said they would wait for the response from the Government on Wednesday when the talks resume in the afternoon.“We were hopeful of wrapping it up today but situations change. We will start the talks tomorrow,” Sharma said. Home Secretary U N Behera too echoed the same feelings. Mohanty, meanwhile, clarified that Paolo was hale and hearty. “I received a message in the morning that he is doing fine,” he said.