Maoist suggests names of 3 interlocutors, says Collector is unwell

     Raipur, April 23, 2012: Maoists, who have kidnapped Sukma Collector Alex V F Paul Menon V, late tonight suggested three names as interlocutors after Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh said the Maoists should come forward for talk.

     In a mail to the BBC Correspondent Salman Ravi, the Maoists reportedly suggested the names of retired IAS Brahma Dev Sharma, senior Supreme Court Advocate Prashant Bhushan and CPI former MLA Manish Kunjam as their interlocutors.

     The mail was believed to have been a reply to the statement of the Chief Minister made earlier in the day.

     After the end of the all party meeting, the Chief Minister told reporters this evening, his government was not against talk with the Maoists and said the left rebels should suggest names with whom his government should initiate discussion.

     Secretary of the Bastar Divisional Committee of the CPI (Maoists) Vijay Madkam in the mail expressed hope that the three would accept their invitation.

     The Maoists said Swami Agnivesh also wanted to become an interlocutor, but after the “inhuman behaviour” to the social worker after the March 2011 Tadmetla episode, they do not want his name to be added to that list to further humiliate him.

     The Maoists also invited only the three to village Tadmetla.

     In the same mail, the Maoists appealed to the wife of the Collector Asha Menon, his relatives and friends and IAS officers association to send medicines stating that the health condition of the Collector was “critical”.

     The state government would be responsible for the life of Menon in case of any delay tactics or police action by the state government, the mail reportedly warned.

     When the 2006-batch IAS officer was on a tour of the Majhipara area in Sukma District during Gram Suraj Abhiyan, he was confronted by the Maoists guerrilla on April 21 and after exchange of fire, the civil servant was kidnapped by Maoists after killing both his body guards.