Maoist on Hunger strike in Malda jail

MALDA,( India) Feb. 10. — Animesh Chakraborty, a Maoist activist, has started a hunger strike since yesterday at the Malda jail, demanding that all Maoist activists should be declared political prisoners on the ground that they were arrested on charges of waging war against the state. The jail authorities today brought the matter to the notice of the Malda district magistrate. Chakraborty was arrested a few months back near Siliguri and shifted to Malda jail in September, 2005. He was also wanted by Malda police. Arrested Maoist activists have decided to observe hunger strike in various jails of the state on the same issue. A similar agitation was launched by the Maoist activists in Nadia jail and they were later shifted to another jail. Today, Ms Anita Chakraborty, sister of Aminesh Chakraborty, who visited the Malda jail, failed to meet her brother. The jail superintendent refused comment on Chakraborty’s hunger strike. — SNS

Maoist calls off hunger strike
Statesman News Service

MALDA, Feb. 12. - Maoist activist, Mr. Animesh Chakraborty, has called off his hunger strike lodging in Malda jail and correctional home following requests of judicial magistrates and officials on Friday evening, officials said today. On 9 February he had started fasting demanding status as political prisoner with all Maoists prisoners in different jails of this state. Maoists in Nadia jail had on hunger strike on the same issue. The state jail minister told reporters: “They would not be treated as political prisoner”. Animesh has informed the judiciary officials that he would go on hunger strike further if the demand not fulfilled, family sources said. Animesh demanded more flexibility in the present system of Malda jail and more space providing basic amenities for all inmates, a family member said. He has sought permission from jail authorities to continue his writing and its publication and demanded all newspapers for reading. Animesh is an under trail accused of several cases including waging war against the state which were initiated by many police stations in north Bengal including, Malda, Darjeeling, North Dinajpur and the Jalpaiguri. “I have reported it to my authorities, please you ask them”, said Malda Jail superintendent. He was absconder since last five years. Darjeeling police had been able to arrest him last year. He was a hardcore SFI worker in early college life in Malda College.

BJP demands probe into voters’ rolls

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Feb. 10. — The Malda BJP today demanded a thorough enquiry into the alleged names of Bangladeshi nationals in the electoral rolls, before directly putting blame on the ghost voters whose names are mentioned in the list. Addressing a press conference here today, the district BJP leaders pointed out that the administration should conduct a proper enquiry into the inclusion of the names of alleged Bangladeshi nationals in the voters’ list as alleged by the Congress, before drawing any conclusion. Here, the BJP leaders were specifically indicating towards the Congress’ allegation against a BJP member, Mr Ananda Sarkar, in the Chacknagar gram panchayat who was termed as a Bangladeshi national. Sometime back, the Congress had lodged a complaint with the Malda administration that Mr Ananda Sarkar, a BJP member in the Chaknagar gram panchayat, was a Bangladeshi national. Following the allegation, the block development officer enquired into the matter and informed higher authorities that the BJP member claimed to be an Indian citizen and possessed adequate documents for backup. As such, the EC observer for Malda demanded officials to seek proof from the Bangladesh High Commission for authenticity about Mr Sarkar’s statement. BJP members countered: “How did the Congress leaders collect proof from Bangladesh to establish Ananda Sarkar a Bangladeshi. This need to be enquired.” The BJP leaders claimed that Mr Ananda Sarkar, chief of the Chacknagar GP, today lodged a complaint with the Malda SDO against the former chief of the GP regarding malpractice in 35 candidate’s birth registration.

Final voters’ list to be out soon

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Feb. 10. — The Malda election department will announce the total number of ghost voters including the illegal, dead and shifted ones, whose names have been deleted from the electoral roll on 15 February, a district election official said today. The election officials further added that continuous updating of electoral rolls would be carried after the publication of the final electoral roll on 22 February. The officials informed that after the publication of the dead voters’ lists on notice boards for the general public in all the block for rectification turned out to be a successful measure as many complaints were launched by the voters indicating mistakes in the list. “We have found so many dead voters and shifted voters with the cooperation of the local people”, said a district election official. On the other hand, the Election Commission observer for Malda, Mr Manoj Singh, reportedly claimed that the number of names of ghost voters deleted from the electoral list is higher than the last electoral roll revision. The EC observer, reportedly, estimated that the total number of ghost voters, is to some extent equal to the number of margin votes of the total eleven candidates, who won in the last Assembly elections. “The fate of the winning candidates depended on the total ghost voters”, Mr Manoj Singh reportedly said. According to his estimation, a total of 70,000 ghost voters will be deleted from the present electoral rolls of Malda district and it may be go up to even 1,00,000, if the officials can delete all the bogus voters in the process of updating the electoral rolls. Today, all the 19 observers appointed by the EC for election work, briefed the situation to the EC in order to formulate strategies for adhering to corrective measures, to make electoral roll in the state “accurate”.

Cops see KLO hand in CPM man’s murder

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Feb. 10. — A thorough investigation by the Malda police department has established a KLO link behind the murder of the CPI-M cadre, who was shot dead at a local club “Sympathetic”, a few days ago at Pakuahat, a senior district administration official said today. Mr DK Mondal, the Malda SP, said: “Both KPP and KLO wanted to have the club under their clutch, but a member of the CPI-M protested against this move of theirs. A group of club-goers could not tolerate his interference, when the CPI-M worker warned the club members, who belonged to KLO and KPP”. “Due to ‘internal rivalry’, his close associates planned to kill the CPI-M member”, Mr Mondal added. According to police records, the area in Pakuahat under the Bamongola police station is the epicentre of KPP movement in Malda, though the area is a red bastion. Following the incident, police had arrested several KPP activists including the leader, Mr Subhas Barman. One crucial member involved in the killing of the CPI-M cadre, however, is still absconding from the police, while few members involved in the killing had surrendered themselves before the Malda police. It may be recalled that Malda police did not get any forensic report from the expert team, who came to visit the spot, where the CPI-M worker was killed. #