The joint operation to flush out Maoists : Day III

Headlines June 21, 2009

The chief minister's assertion

evoked a strong reaction from Trinamul chief Mamata Banerjee. She said that her party activists would hit the streets in 48 hours unless Bhattacharjee withdraw their allegations linking the Trinamul with the Maoists. Bhattacharjee said he knew the Trinamul Congress had “strong links” with the Police Santras Birodhi Public Committee that is supported by Leftist ultras and its leader Chatradhara Mahato was part of the Trinamul Congress.

Upset over allegations and supposed ‘disclosure’ of links between the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamul Congress and the hard-line Maoists group in West Bengal, the Centre has directed its Intelligence agencies to probe the matter even as Trinamul Congress leaders were in denial mode, newspaper reported. Trinamul Congress leaders have denied the charges outright.

Security forces succeeded in reaching Lalgarh police station yesterday eight months after tribals under the banner of the Police Santras Birodhi People's Committee began a police boycott over alleged atrocities. "The hundred per cent operation is yet to be completed. It may take days, even weeks to do this”, said the DIG (Midnapore Range) Praveen Kumar told reporters outside Lalgarh police station.

Maoists set off a powerful land mine in the Kadasole jungle injuring at least four policemen. The district administration claimed last night that six Maoists have been gunned down in encounters with security forces during the day. Maoist leader Koteswar Rao alias Khisanji has denied this. The mine, planted on the road, exploded when the policemen were removing a tree. When other policemen came to their rescue, more than 50 Maoists fired at the cops injuring two more jawans. Jawans of the state and central forces fired back. The shoot-out continued for a few hours.

Maoists also fired at security forces from the direction of Goaltore last evening around 7.30 p.m . Later, security forces recaptured some villages from the Maoists and set up camps. Another police team ~ comprising jawans of six companies of CRPF and two companies of State Armed Police ~ left for Lalgarh police station from Bhimpur around 7 p.m. Meanwhile, PSBPC members ransacked and set on fire the CPI-M office at Baita. They also torched the home of a CPI-M leader Sanatan Pal.

The Police Santras Birodhi Public Committee (PSBPC) struck at Khoyerpahari ~ barely 5 km from Sarenga in Bankura yesterday afternoon, demolishing a culvert, when the combined Central paramilitary forces were returning to their base camp at Gargaria High School.

Union minister of state for rural development, and Trinamul MP Sisir Adhikari charged that a Trinamul leader has been killed in police firing near the Kadasole jungle.

The chief secretary AM Chakrabarti has ruled out the possibility of any dialogue with the Maoists. He said that the Maoists had gathered huge cache of arms and ammunitions. Police are trying to build contact with local people to unearth them.

The state has asked for more Central forces and steps have been taken to restore infrastructure in the area.

A CRPF jawan Nabakanta Roy died of heat stroke and several others fell ill during the operation yesterday.

The CPI-M central committee has backed the West Bengal government’s efforts to use “both political and administrative measures” to free Lalgarh from Maoist gangs, and to ensure the rule of law. The committee said that since March this year 53 party cadres were “mercilessly butchered.”

West Bengal Left Front chairman Biman Bose told reporters that the proposal to ban the Maoists in the state would be discussed in the state Left Front. The chief minister, who met the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the home minister P Chidambaram yesterday told reporters in Delhi that 18 of the state’s 241 blocks were affected by Maoist violence. The CM said the home minister had asked the state government to ban the Maoists and, “we will have to give it a serious thought”.

The joint operation to flush out Maoists from their latest sphere of influence in Lalgarh has left the local economy and education system in shambles, newspaper reported. People like Mihir Das and Tarun Mandal, who eight months ago had been coerced to support the Police Santras Birodhi Public Committee (PSBPC) lest their livelihood be adversely affected, are now a frustrated lot. The prospect of losing a livelihood is staring them in the face. Agriculture, biri manufacturing and saal leaf-plate weaving have been adversely hit in the area. Shops have closed down and people are clueless about their future. Food stocked in households too is fast running out. Ration shops in these areas have stopped stocking up on food supplies and have put up their shutters. Many seem to be leaving the place they had lived in for generations.