Odishatv Bureau
Daringbadi/Phulbani: The Organising Committee of the state unit of the left wing extremist organisation, the CPI (Maoist), has laid down a 13-point charter of demands before the state government for the release of two abducted Italian nationals. A group of left wing extremists had abducted the two Italian nationals, Paolo Bosusco and Claudio Colangelo on March 14 from Daringbadi tehsil of Kandhamal district though the organisation reported the kidnapping incident late on March 17 night through the media.

The Organising Committee of the state unit of the CPI(Maoist) laid down the 13 demands for the release of the two Italians through a press release signed by one Sunil. In the number one condition, the organisation demanded that the government must immediately announce categorically that the tribals were not mere commodities and the areas inhabited by the tribals were not tourist spots. The organisation demanded that the violators must be taken to task. Secondly, the CPI (Maoist) demanded that `Operation Greenhunt` must be stopped immediately and the government must soon create a suitable environment for dialogues with the revolutionaries. Thirdly, the state government should lift bans imposed on CPI (Maoist) and several other left wing organisations. Fourthly, it demanded that the district superintendents and other police officials involved in false encounter cases and custodial deaths including those involved in the gang rape of Arati Majhi must be arrested and face trials.

The Maoist demands included the release of naxalite leader Ashutosh and all other members involved in the attack on Nayagarh armoury. The organisation also demanded that the government should stop slapping fresh charges and arresting cadres already released by the courts. It demanded that innocent persons of Rayagada, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Ganjam, Nayagarh, Sambalpur, Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar districts arrested on the pretext of being Maoists should also be released. The Maoists demanded that the tribal communities like the Kodias, Kondas, Doras, Aba Kuis, Gauda Kuis, Kumbhar Kuis, Odia Kondhs and Khairas should not be denotified as tribals.

In its ninth demand the Maoists release said that the government provide potable water to all the villages in the state and improve irrigation facilities to agricultural lands. The government should provide free medical facilities at the panchayat level and free education up to high school level. The tenth demand included the immediate release of anti-Posco leader Abhaya Sahoo and Narayan Reddy as well as stoppage of police action against anti-displacement movements. The release of Gananath Patra, brother of Nachhika Linga and two other school students found place in the demand list of the naxalites.

In their twelfth demand the organisation demanded that enquiries should be conducted into all fake surrenders which took place in fact due to pressure and threats from the police and also false statements recorded by the police against the CPI (Maoist) organisation and the movement. Lastly, the Maoists demanded that the government must immediately implement all the demands agreed to at the time of the release of the former Malkangiri collector.

The abduction of the two Italian nationals sent flutters in Daringbadi and its adjacent areas. Meanwhile, students of several schools today brought out rallies and demanded the release of the two Italians. The students carrying placards and banners gave slogans to establish peace in Daringbadi and free the two Italians.

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