THE HIGH VOLTAGE DRAMA OF KIDNAP IS ON...
The Maoists of Odisha have at last found a soft spot- foreign nationals in the state. Now, they have made two Italians tourists hostages, out of the four abducted from the border area of Ganjam-Kandhamal district in the state of Odisha in India.
Eyewitness account suggests, the Italian nationals Bosusco Paolo (54) and Claudio Colangelo (61), had gone along with two Indians, Santosh Moharana and Kartika Parida, both residents of Puri, to Kandhamal district on March 12 on a trekking trip. It is alleged that Paolo illegally runs a tourism business in Puri, Odisha, called "Orissa Trekking and Adventure”, which facilitates the foreign tourists desiring scenic beauty of the state along with awesome trekking experience. But, unfortunately this time, the trekkers are trapped in wrong hands, known as "MAOISTS".
On 14th March, about six to seven people belonging to Maoists' group with guns, went to the foreigners who were sitting near a rivulet. The Maoists took them to the forest after tying their hands and covering their eyes.
But, the rebels released Moharana and Parida on March 16 and kept the Italians hostage to negotiate with government against their release. The deliberate delay in release of the foreign nationals is to ensure that their longstanding demands hit the headlines not only in national media but in internationally as well. The mystery of the audio tape, believed to be that containing the voice of the Odisha State Organising Committee secretary of the CPI (Maoist) Sabyasachi Panda, reaching a media house, provided the Maoists the significance news space they were craving for. In the tape, Sabyasachi Panda says the foreign nationals have been abducted as they have taken some objectionable pictures of tribal women of that locality. The claim but, is hardly digested by those who know about Maoists.
This is the first time in the country when Maoists are not only targetting the foreign nationals in the red-hit-zone of the state but also have abducted them to mount international pressure on the government to fulfill their much awaited demands.
The Maoists of Odisha have at last found a soft spot- foreign nationals in the state. Now, they have made two Italians tourists hostages, out of the four abducted from the border area of Ganjam-Kandhamal district in the state of Odisha in India.
Eyewitness account suggests, the Italian nationals Bosusco Paolo (54) and Claudio Colangelo (61), had gone along with two Indians, Santosh Moharana and Kartika Parida, both residents of Puri, to Kandhamal district on March 12 on a trekking trip. It is alleged that Paolo illegally runs a tourism business in Puri, Odisha, called "Orissa Trekking and Adventure”, which facilitates the foreign tourists desiring scenic beauty of the state along with awesome trekking experience. But, unfortunately this time, the trekkers are trapped in wrong hands, known as "MAOISTS".
On 14th March, about six to seven people belonging to Maoists' group with guns, went to the foreigners who were sitting near a rivulet. The Maoists took them to the forest after tying their hands and covering their eyes.
But, the rebels released Moharana and Parida on March 16 and kept the Italians hostage to negotiate with government against their release. The deliberate delay in release of the foreign nationals is to ensure that their longstanding demands hit the headlines not only in national media but in internationally as well. The mystery of the audio tape, believed to be that containing the voice of the Odisha State Organising Committee secretary of the CPI (Maoist) Sabyasachi Panda, reaching a media house, provided the Maoists the significance news space they were craving for. In the tape, Sabyasachi Panda says the foreign nationals have been abducted as they have taken some objectionable pictures of tribal women of that locality. The claim but, is hardly digested by those who know about Maoists.
This is the first time in the country when Maoists are not only targetting the foreign nationals in the red-hit-zone of the state but also have abducted them to mount international pressure on the government to fulfill their much awaited demands.
Soon after the audio tape was aired on television early in the morning of 18th March (Sunday) the state Chief-Minister called for an emergency meeting to discuss more on the issue. Condemning the incident, CM Naveen Patnaik said, "The state government is ready to hold dialogue with Maoists within the ambit of law" and also made an appeal for the release of the foreign tourists on humanitarian grounds.
But, the fact remained and was well known to all in Govt. and public, that this kind of appeals would hardly yields anything. The Maoists, as expected, turned down the appeal of the CM and asked to give into their demands, as they know the embarrassment of Govt. and the international pressure for the foreign nationals' release.
This comes at the time of strained diplomatic relations between Italy and India. They have been involved in a diplomatic dispute since Indian police arrested two marines a month ago in the southern port of Kochi. The duos are accused of killing two Indian fishermen, thinking the boat that was coming towards their ship was of pirates.
After the formal appeal of the chief minister the process to negotiate with Maoists kicked-off and the state home secretary UN Behera, appealed the abductors to name the negotiators whom the administration need to talk with, for the release and handing over of the foreign tourists.
It is very much true that the Maoists abducted foreign tourists for the first time in the history, but it is unfair to say that they have abducted any human being for the first time. Abduction and brutal killing on the 'charges' of being police informers and other 'charges' have become a part of the Maoist strategy. As another aspect of the strategy, they have started abducting people to get their demands fulfilled.
In Feb 2011, they abducted the Collector of Malkangiri district, Vineel Krishna and Junior Engineer Prabhat Majhi and eventually released them after nine days of high drama. It ended after a bitter
negotiation episode. The state government has acknowledged only one of their thirteen demands even after a year has passed since.
It is in retaliation to that they have abducted these two foreign tourists and forwarded the same list of demands adding few ones to it. The new demands include the release of 600 political prisoners, cessation of Operation Green Hunt, scrapping of accord with an MNC for land transfer and projects, compensation for the families of Maoist sympathisers killed in police custody, release of all anti-displacement leaders who have been arrested for raising their voices against various industrial projects, including POSCO and Vedenta, etc.
The negotiation is on and the abduction incident is now more than a week old. But, the government is still hopeful of a middle path, which paves way for the release of the abducted tourists.
But, will this be a last story of abduction made by Maoists or is it just the beginning of a new approach by them?
“Maoists are now present almost in every part of the state and specially in the tribal areas where the foreign tourists visit more to enjoy the beauties of Nature and for missionary works in remote areas of the state. If this turns out to be the new strategy of the Maoist then hardly any foreign visitor will ever dare come the dance forest of the state, as this will turn up as a matter of security concern for the state government and ultimately the state tourism department will lose foreign tourists and the subsequent revenue”, said Maoist expert Satyanarayan Pattnaik.
In the mean time Maoist have abducted a tribal MLA of the ruling BJD in Odisha.
“ Jhina Hikaka, legislator from Laxmipur, was returning home from Koraput when more than 50 armed rebels stopped his vehicle near Toyaput”, Koraput Superintendent of Police Avinash Kumar said.
Meanwhile, Maoist negotiators engaged to end the Italian hostage crisis - B D Sharma and Dandapani Mohanty - have appealed to the Maoists to release the legislator without delay.
Meanwhile, Maoist negotiators engaged to end the Italian hostage crisis - B D Sharma and Dandapani Mohanty - have appealed to the Maoists to release the legislator without delay.
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