The whole country would welcome such a move as it may put an end to the Naxalite menace to some extent if not completely successful. Guns for guns can never solve the problem and dialogue is the only way forward. Some feel that a truce with the Maoists may come at a huge cost but others think that it is worth an effort.

The government, on its part has come up with an offer for talks without any pre-conditions while the Maoists want halt of operations for 72 days and negotiations through intellectuals and human rights activists. The worry of the government is the 72- day period which the Naxalites may use to regroup themselves.

Why did the government come up with such an offer? It did not resort to this step during the first UPA government; but now, with the growing incidents of Naxalite violence, dialogue seems to be the answer. The Naxalites have spread across the country in 220 districts in 20 states covering 40 per cent of the geographical area. They have parallel government in what is called the red corridor covering 92000 square kilometers. According to official estimates, about 20,000 armed Naxalites are operating besides 50,000 regular cadres working in various mass organisations. There are also millions of sympathisers. They recruit disgruntled youth who are in search of jobs from tribal areas where they are exploited. Therefore the timing of this truce talks is very significant and crucial. There have been several cases of the Naxals killing policemen and politicians. They have been attacking trains and police stations in the last few years. In recent times, they had killed Sunil Mahato, a JMM Member of Parliament and former Jharkhand Chief Minister Babulal Marandi's son. They attacked a police outpost in Chhattisgarh, attacked Dantewallah jail and freed 303 prisoners. The Jehanabad jailbreak was yet another daring incident and the list is long. They have become more organised and set up 80 training camps, each training 300 at any given time.

Why should the Maoists agree on a truce? The government has launched huge anti-Naxal drives in several states. It has claimed success in some places, which might have scared the Naxal leaders. Three key Naxalite leaders including a politburo member had been apprehended during the anti-Maoist operations in South Bihar, U.P and Orissa recently. Also, some fear it is to buy time to regroup and replenish their stocks while others say it could be a trick to lull the government.

Secondly, cooperation between the Centre and the State is improving fast. This is more so in states like Orissa and Chhattisgarh. Even West Bengal and Jharkhand have fallen in line. Chief Ministers belonging to different parties have also realized that they have to contain the Naxalites for improved law and order situation. The periodical conferences with the states have also yielded some results but much mote needs to be done.

The government's offer has came at a time when the anti-Naxal operations could become slow during the monsoon months in the dense forests where the Naxals are hiding. So negotiations at this point of time would be a good strategy.

Why is the government keen on a 'no pre-condition' formula? No government can start negotiations with riders and conditions. Secondly, there is also hesitation because of the earlier experience in Andhra Pradesh. In 2004, the then Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy had promised before the elections that he would have a dialogue with the Naxalites; and soon after he came to power he started the dialogue. According to Keshav Rao, M.P, who was one of the main negotiators, the talks were good and would have been successful but for a minor mishap which made the Naxalites go back on their promise to come for a second round. The Centre should learn a lesson or two from the Andhra experience. Interestingly, after that, the state government, taking a cue from the talks was successful in containing the Naxalites. For instance, it distributed five lakh acres of land on a single day to the landless. It also simultaneously launched welfare schemes for the tribals.

The Centre should adopt a multi-pronged strategy in dealing with the Naxalites apart from a truce. First of all, it should be treated as a socio-economic problem. Although thousands of crores have been allocated for the uplift of tribals, the benefits do not reach them and the Naxalites take advantage of this. They give the poor food, jobs and security, which is crucial for them. The people in villages support them out of fear. The states should learn to work with the Centre in dealing with the Naxalites despite belonging to different political parties. Coordination of the intelligence agencies is very vital. Secondly, they should make sure that the benefits intended for the poor and tribals reach them so that they could be weaned away from the Naxalite influence. Thirdly, the police force should not only be strengthened but also modernised as the Naxalites have state-of-the-art weapons. Fourthly, the Centre and the state should improve their intelligence network to gain information about the Naxalites. More importantly, the aim should be inclusive growth and development should be the mantra. The rulers should address the genuine grievances of the people in rural and tribal areas. Above all, the politicians should refrain from seeking the help of Naxalites at the time of elections as they have a big price to pay when they come to power. (IPA Service)