India: Continue ceasefire, prepare for Peace Talks (Public Meeting, New Delhi, 3 May 2012)

Citizens Initiative for Peace

Post Box 3811 Andrews Ganj Post Office, New Delhi-110049 peacecitizens@yahoo.co.in

PUBLIC MEETING

3rd May, 2012

3pm to 5pm

Gandhi Peace Foundation, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg, Near ITO

Dear friends,

The Citizens Initiative for Peace, a network of citizens which came into existence in August 2009, has been aiming for the past three years for the ending of hostilities between the Maoists and the state and central governments, in the interests of the people.

We demand that the Maoists must at the earliest and unconditionally release Alex Menon, the District Collector of Sukma, Chhattisgarh. We welcome the release of MLA Jina Hikaka.

At the same time, the Government must stop the mass arrests and continued illegal detention in jail of several hundred adivasis, activists and innocents in the name of Maoism. Many of them have never got legal representation or fair trial, and suffer severe overcrowding, health problems and mental torture in jail. A committee must be constituted and these cases reviewed. All frivolous cases must be dropped and people released at the earliest.

We appeal to both sides to continue the present ceasefire in Orissa and Chhattisgarh, extend it nationally for at least six months, and prepare for Peace Talks. It is our firm belief that the Government must take the initiative in this.

In order to discuss these demands, we are meeting on the 3rd of May, 2012 at the Gandhi Peace Foundation, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg, Near ITO. Please join us and help in strengthening the voice for a just peace.

regards,

Nandini Sundar, Annie Raja, Sumit Chakravorty, Pushkar Raj, Ravi Hemadri, Kavita Srivastava, Binayak Sen, Himanshu Kumar, Anuradha Talwar, Arundhati Dhuru, Madhuresh, Manoranjan Mohanty and all other friends who have been a part of the CIP.