A broad coalition of over 50 civil society organisations and trade unions, and 150 concerned citizens, issued an appeal for urgent ceasefire and peace talks between the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) and the Chhattisgarh government. The appeal was issued on 3 April, after the Maoist’s Central Committee expressed their openness to dialogue, and the state government gave a conditional nod. The civil-society appeal urges an immediate cessation of hostilities in the conflict-affected regions of India, including the Adivasi dominated districts of Bastar division in Chhattisgarh, West Singhbhum in Jharkhand and Gadchiroli in Maharashtra. The conflict spreads over contiguous regions of Telangana and Odisha as well.  The appeal underlined that “lives and well-being of the residents must be given first priority in any talks.” It said, “There should be no more hostilities from either side whether in the form of operations, extra-judicial killings and encounters, IED blasts and killing…

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