Concerted efforts are afoot to resolve the deadlock between the CPI (Maoists) and the Andhra Pradesh government with the mediators approaching Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to bring both the sides on the negotiating table.Civil Liberties lawyer K.G. Kannabiran of the Committee of Concerned Citizens, which is mediating in the talks, told Express that his colleague and former Vice-Chancellor K. Jayashankar met the PM last week on the issue. He will apprise the committee on Wednesday. According to Kannabiran, the YSR Reddy government’s attitude was ‘‘intransigent’’ and both sides will have to back off before the second round of dialogue begins.This is not the first time that the PM has intervened. On December 22 last, Singh had in fact written to Kannabiran and the convenor of the Committee, S.S. Sankaran, assuring them that the government was serious about a dialogue.‘‘There is no intention on part of the state government to discontinue the present understanding — neither side would undertake offensive operations against each other.The state government seems hopeful that this would have a beneficial impact and is preparing to discuss Clause 7 (display of arms in public) as an agenda item in the next round of talks .This seems an opportune moment to write a new chapter in the history of Andhra Pradesh,’’ Singh said in his letter.Although talks broke down over police encounters in Mehboobnagar and Prakasham district last week, the state government has indicated to the Home Ministry that the second round will begin shortly.The state is believed to have conveyed to the Centre that a substantial number of Naxalites have told its intermediaries that they were keen to talk. ‘‘Reports reaching us from the state and security agencies clearly indicate that talks will resume. Since the state is engaging the Naxalites we are not in a position to talk about the likely dates when the talks will resume’’ a Home Ministry official said. Security agencies in their report too have pointed to a large number of Naxalites are interested in a dialogue.
