People's Democracy

WEST BENGAL NEWSLETTER

TMC- Maoist Nexus Exposed in West Bengal

Anti-CPI (M) tirade is just a cover-up operation

From Special Correspondent,

Kolkata

THE most important, in fact the root cause of political violence in West Bengal is the nexus between Trinamul Congress and Maoists. This is particularly manifest in three western districts, popularly known as Jangal Mahal. This nexus has been proved through numerous evidences in the last three years. 250 CPI(M) activists and sympathisers have been killed in that area after the 2009 parliamentary elections. And, in many cases it was a joint annihilation drive by TMC-Maoist combine. In Gyaneswari Express sabotage, which led to loss of 160 lives, CBI has already charge sheeted both Maoists and TMC activists.

However, evidences of this collaboration are now coming from new sources, even from TMC and Maoist sources.

Trinamul MP, Kabir Suman’s open admission about Maoist-Trinamul nexus in his recently launched book Nishaner Nam Taposhi Malik has been reaffirmed by top Maoist leaders now in judicial custody. In his autobiographical narrative dedicated to Kishenji, the Polit Bureau member of the CPI(Maoist), Suman has given an eye witness account of a meeting held between top Trinamul and Maoist leaders at Trinamul headquarters in Kolkata. Now, the  CID interrogation of arrested Maoist leaders has revealed how Subhendu Adhikary, Trinamul MP from Tamluk in East Midnapore has been maintaining close ties with Maoist leaders since the days of disturbances in Nandigram and Singur.

Subhendu Adhikary was such a trusted person that a section of Maoist cadres complained to him against some local Trinamul activists who had allegedly looted their cash and arms. According to the CID reports, published in media, Maoists supported by Trinamul at one stage worked out a secret plan to kill Sushanta Ghose, minister of state in charge of western area development.

During the CID interrogation the Maoist leader, Madhusudhan Mandal alias Narayan confessed that he met Subhendu Adhikary in early 2007 at the house of Sheikh Sufian,a Trinamul leader and helped form the Bhumi Uchhed Pratirodh Committee (BUPC) at Nandigram.  Adhikary at that time took active part in organising BUPC addressing meetings in Jhargram sub-divisions.

The arrested Maoist leader Madhusudhan Mandal also stated during the interrogation that he was in regular touch with Subhendhu Adhikary during their Nandigram agitation. While Madhusudhan, being a Maoist activist, was entrusted with the task of running an underground camp for training arms at Sonachura, Subhendu Adhikary was busy organising meetings and processions on behalf of the BUPC. Subhendu, he alleged, brought a group of people from Contai who knew how to use arms. He also managed to supply bullets and fire arms to Maoists in the underground.

Arrested Maoist state secretary Sudip Chogdar alias Kanchan also confessed about their day to day link with Subhendu Adhikary who actively helped setting up armed bases at Jangal Mahal. He also told the CID officials that Maoists at the instruction of Subhendu Adhikary and other Trinamul leaders provided arms training to Trinamul-supporting BUPC volunteers to take on CPI(M) workers and leaders.

The close collaboration has once again been established through a press statement by top Maoist leader Vikram  who assured Mamata Banerjee of their  total support in the ensuing assembly polls in West Bengal. Dated January 12, the statement  sent to media houses said that Maoists would not boycott the coming elections. Instead, they would extend support to Mamata  Banerjee if she continued with her demand for withdrawal of joint forces.  Just to make things a bit ‘refined’,  Maoists ask TMC leader to resign from union cabinet. Maoist leader Kishenji had already stated on record (October,2009) that they want Mamata Banerjee to be the next chief minister of the state.  

The response of the central government is, at the least, hypocritical. A partner of the ruling coalition is deeply involved in joint actions with the Maoists when the union government is supposed to be ‘fighting’ against them. It is now clear that the Congress is in alliance with a party that is collaborator-cum- backer of the Maoists. 

That is precisely the reason for diverting the attention from this fact by shouting at the top of their voices over the so-called ‘armed camps’ of CPI(M). One after another well-designed machinations are being followed to ‘showcase’ these camps and cover up the most heinous nexus between the Maoists and the partners of the UPA. 

JYOTI BASU

CENTRE

The first death anniversary of Comrade Jyoti Basu was commemorated through mass collection for establishment of ‘Jyoti Basu Centre for Social Studies and Research’. The CPI(M) has decided to build the centre with the aim of collecting documents related to Comrade Jyoti Basu and research activities related with Communist and mass movements. The centre will be in Jyoti Basu Nagar (New Town). Among others, veteran Forward Block leader Ashok Ghosh donated Rs Ten thousand personally and Rs One lakh on behalf of his party for the fund. Biman Basu collected funds from people in the streets of Siuri, Birbhum. Steel workers of Durgapur handed Rs Ten thousand to Prakash Karat who was there to address a seminar. It was the first day of a ten-day collection drive throughout the state.  

LAND DISTRIBUTION

IN LALGARH

While Maoist-TMC violence continues in West Midnapore, Lalgarh wore a festive look on January 17. After nearly two and half years, the process of land distribution resumed there with 116 peasants getting their rights on land. Maoists established a reign of terror in the area and the panchayat under Binpur-1 block was closed down. Though the number of beneficiaries was not that big on that day, hundreds of villagers gathered in the programme in which Abdur Rezzak Mollah, minister in charge of land reforms and Sushanta Ghosh, minister for western area development were present. More than 300 acres of land will be distributed very soon in the block. On the same day, 384 tribal girl students received bicycles from the government. It may be recalled that, 71 CPI (M) activists have been killed in this block alone in Maoist attacks. 

MASSIVE

RALLIES

Be it in Singur, border town Banga or Bhangar in South 24 Parganas, the public meetings by Left Front are drawing massive crowds. In Singur, a recent rally, addressed by Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and Biman Basu, was attended by more than a lakh people.  Only a section of those gathered could enter the field. Same was the experience in Banga in North 24 Parganas which witnessed such a gathering after decades. In Dhulagori in Howrah, the national highway turned into an unending stream of people. Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee was the main speaker there. Organisers had to request repeatedly to people not to proceed further towards the field. In Bhangar, an area haunted by TMC terror, people showed their determination to thwart the forces of anarchy and thronged in thousands to a rally addressed by Biman Basu. 

BRIGADE

RALLY

The march towards forming Eighth Left Front government will formally start with a rally in Brigade Parade Grounds , Kolkata on February 13. The rally will take place after a 40-day intensive political campaign throughout the state, which had began from January 4.  The campaign to make the Brigade rally a massive one as part of a determined political battle, has already started in districts.  In the 40-day campaign till February 12, the Front constituents would highlight the soaring price rise, unchecked corruption of the Congress-Trinamul coalition government at the centre and Trinamul-Maoist violence and terror in the state.