Maoist rebels in India ‘offer to give up armed struggle’

Maoist rebels in India are suspending their armed struggle and are ready for talks, they said in a statement, though authorities yesterday said they were still verifying its authenticity.

New Delhi has launched an all-out offensive to crush the decades-long conflict, vowing to wipe out the Maoist rebellion by March 2026, with recent fighting concentrated in the battleground state of Chhattisgarh.

The rebels have offered to engage in talks before, including in February when they called for a ceasefire -- an offer rejected by authorities.

In a statement issued Tuesday to reporters -- via intermediaries who have handled Maoist proclamations before -- the Communist Party of India (Maoist) said it would suspend its fight.

"We are ready to start dialogue", the letter read, adding they had decided "to suspend armed struggle".

The Maoist statement said they had shifted their position due to the "changed world order and national situation, and because of the continuous appeals" from New Delhi.