People's Democracy

MAOISTS KILL TWO CPI(M) WORKERS IN PURULIA

THE Maoist criminals assassinated two CPI(M) workers -- Comrade Dubraj Hembram at Balarampur during the late evening of May 5 and Comrade Ganapati Bhadra at Bandowan on May 4 in Purulia district. The police believe that the Maoists were assisted in committing the dastardly murder by Jharkhandists.

At around nine in the evening six or seven unknown persons called on Comrade Dubraj and forced him to accompany them to the forest area near his hutment. Then the villagers became alerted when they heard several gunshots. Coming out, they found Comrade Dubraj lying in a pool of blood, dead, shot several times in the head and chest. These elements had threatened to kill Comrade Dubraj last year.

Biman Basu, secretary of the Bengal CPI(M) has condemned the murder, called for an early arrest of the culprits, and has also called upon CPI(M) workers everywhere, especially in the red clay districts to move about with caution and care.

Bandowan in south Purulia near the Jharkhand district of Singhbhum has been the hunting ground of Maoist assassins for some time in the recent past. The victims have inevitably been CPI(M) workers. The latest victim to fall prey to Maoist bullets is Comrade Ganapati Bhadra (45), a member of the Bandowan zonal committee of the CPI(M).

The attack was organised a day after state secretary of the Bengal CPI(M) Biman Basu had addressed a vast rally at Bandowan. At around mid-afternoon hours, Comrade Ganapati accompanied by Ramapada Mandi, a member of the Kuchia local committee of the CPI(M) were on their way back from attending a meeting of CPI(M) workers at the village of Bhomragarha. Accosted in a secluded place by three heavily-armed Maoist goons, Comrade Ganapati fell to a hail of bullets. A severely injured Rampada managed to evade the Maoists and ran to the nearest CPI(M) office to inform the workers there of the attack.

By the time, a large number of villagers came out and congregated around the spot where the attack was mounted, Comrade Ganapati had died from four bullet wounds to the chest and abdomen. The CPI(M)�s call for 12-hour bandh at Bandowan was complete success. Comrade Ganapati leaves behind a bereaved family comprising his wife, two daughters, and two sons � the youngest son being a physically challenged lad.

Biman Basu has strongly condemned the killing and has called the attacks the result of an understanding reached between the Trinamul Congress-led mahajot and the Maoists. �The people shall foil the conspiracies being hatched and the CPI(M) and the Left Front shall emerge triumphant in the upcoming Panchayat general elections, at Purulia as elsewhere in Bengal,� was how Biman Basu would put it.

The past three months have seen the Maoists and the Jharkhandis kill nine CPI(M) workers. Below is the list:

Date Place Name of comrade/s killed