Hyderabad: In the backdrop of collapse of talks between Andhra Pradesh government and naxalites, a group of prominent citizens, under the banner 'Peace Initiative Committee', (PIC) on March 13 made a fresh appeal to TDP (Telugu Desam Party) government to resume the dialogue process "in the interest of people who were bearing the brunt of unabated cycle of violence".

The PIC, comprising Civil Rights leaders, academicians and journalists, said the ball was now in the government's court and it should initiate measures to create conducive atmosphere for resuming the stalled talks.

"The government should put an end to combing operations and encounter killings to pave way for the dialogue," the PIC members, including its convenor Sudhakar, Civil Rights leader M T Khan, academician Keshavrao Jadav and Editor of 'Siasat' Urdu daily Jahid Ali Khan, told reporters in Hyderabad.

Earlier, a delegation of the committee made a vain attempt to meet Home Minister T Devender Goud at the Assembly where he was chairing an all-party meeting to review the status of prisons.

As the minister could not meet the delegation personally because of his pre-occupation, the PIC members sent in a letter of appeal to him urging the government to resume talks with outlawed naxal outfit People's War Group (PWG).

Later, addressing a press conference, they said it was time the government sent 'positive signals' to pave way for resumption of dialogue process which had collapsed in July 2002 after three rounds of preliminary talks between PWG's emissaries and the government.

PTI