Maoism on the Line

India’s Maoists pulled off another PR coup when elusive rebel leader Kishenji publicly gave Union Home Minister P Chidambaram a number to call on to discuss the terms of negotiations.

India’s Maoists pulled off another PR coup when elusive rebel leader Kishenji publicly gave Union Home Minister P Chidambaram a number (+919734695789) to call on to discuss the terms of negotiations. Though the minister or any one from his office didn’t call, for three hours on the evening of 25 February, the line was busy with calls from journalists, policemen and scores of curious people who got the number from newspapers. It isn’t known if Kishenji himself took the calls but those who called in say they were spoken to courteously and told all about the goals of Maoists and the plight of Adivasis they’re fighting for. Ironically, the number belongs to a state armed police constable abducted by Maoists in September last year. The rebels relieved him of his cellphone before releasing him.

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