‘Negotiate but don’t give in’

The Centre had advised Orissa chief minister Naveen Patnaik against giving in to the Maoists' demands and setting a precedent that could endanger the lives of other field officers.

The Centre had advised Orissa chief minister Naveen Patnaik against giving in to the Maoists' demands and setting a precedent that could endanger the lives of other field officers.

HT Image

Home Minister P Chidambaram had conveyed the Centre's views — negotiate but don't give in too much — to Patnaik soon after R Vineel Krishna’s abduction. Patnaik is believed to have broadly followed the Centre's advice but Delhi is yet to get a complete picture. Krishna 's popularity in Malkangiri appears to have played a major role in his release, creating a divide between Maoists of Orissa and Andhra Pradesh.

Those from AP were afraid of alienating the tribals and wanted the collector to be released quickly once the government accepted some general demands for welfare of the tribals. It was, however, the Maoists from Orissa who were pushing the release of Maoist cadres and making fresh demands, even at the last moment.