Nepali Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs, Bamdev Gautam has ruled out conditional talks with the various armed groups active in the Terai plains in the south, Nepali national news agency RSS reported on Wednesday.
The Home Minister made this remark while talking to media persons Tuesday evening at Pokhara airport, some 140 km west of Nepali capital Kathmandu.
The Home Minister's remark came immediately after the armed Terai outfits put forth four conditions for their participation inthe talks offered by Nepali government.
Minister for Peace and Reconstruction Janardan Sharma had recently formally invited the different armed Terai outfits to the negotiating table.
"It is not for the armed groups to set forth conditions but they should be ready for talks with the government by accepting the government's conditions," Minister Gautam said.
At least 14 armed groups agitating in the Terai plains in southern Nepal have welcomed the government's invitation for talks but put forward four conditions for talks, former RSS report said Tuesday.
The four conditions forwarded by the groups are that the government should formally write to them for talks, announce ceasefire, release arrested cadres of all 14 groups active in the Terai and guarantee their security throughout the talks.
Meanwhile, it has been reported that the 14 groups have agreed for a working alliance among them. The groups had held a secret meeting at an undisclosed location in Katihar of Bihar in India, from Sept. 28, said a cadre of one of the Terai groups, who took part in the talks.
The meeting was attended by 14 groups including various factions of Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha, Madhesi Tigers, Terai Madhes Mukti Tigers, Mashes Terai Mukti Morcha, Terai Kobra, TeraiLiberation Force, Mashesi Virus Killers. There are at least 27 armed groups in the Terai plains.
Source: Xinhua
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