People's Democracy

B Prasant

THE Chief Electoral Officer, West Bengal convened a tripartite meeting to ensure that the election process at Lalgarh is organised in a proper manner. The meeting was summoned on April 22, 2009.

It was decided that besides the representatives of the state government, the meeting would see the presence and participation of Chhatradhar Mahato the leader of the �Police Santras Birodhi Pratirodh Committee� (PSBPC) [�resistance committee�] who are in movement at Lalgarh, and other PSBPC representatives.

Called at the behest of the Election Commission of India (ECI), the state government was represented at the meeting by the special secretary (Home); joint secretary, Panchayat and Rural Development; joint secretary, Backward Classes Development Department; DM, Midnapore west; IG Police western range; DIG Police Midnapore division; and the SP, Midnapore west.

The PSBPC was represented by its president Lalmohan Tudu, secretary and squad member of CP (Maoist), Sidhu Soren, spokesperson Chhatradhar Mahato, and such other PSBPC members as Asit Pratihar, Jogesh Chandra Hansda, Pasupatideb Singha, Srabani Soren, and Mukhi Murmu. The third party was of course the CEO, Bengal

What is surprising is that throughout the course of the tripartite meeting a fourth party to the discussions remained present. They were, besides office-bearers of a �human rights organisation,� Sujato Bhadra, Jaya Mitra, Sumit Chaudhuri, and Sudipta Sen, Dr Nisha Biswas, and Rangta Munshi, the latter being a member of the Matangini Mahila Samity having close �Maoist� links.

Be it noted that none are residents of Lalgarh, nor they are members of the PSBPC, and none affected directly or indirectly by the evolving problem at Lalgarh and they should have had no place in the meeting.

It is recalled here that in the time past, there are numerous instances when these persons behind the guise of a particular political party have taken up a rabid anti-CPI(M) and anti-Left Front government position on such issues as Singur, Nandigram, Rizwan-ur Rahaman suicide case. They also kept in close touch with the Maoists. As is well-known, the Trinamulis and the Maoists work in tandem politically in the state as a political configuration or coalition.

We also note in this connection that the persons who were allowed to take part in what was originally a tripartite meeting are not politically neutral, for their faces adorn thousands of large-size posters plastered all over the state that clearly contains the slogan, �We Want Change! [Paribartan Chai!].�

We also recall how earlier in the assembly elections of 2006, under the name and style of �civil society,� these same persons, claiming themselves to be �non-political� had placed a demand that they would supervise the electoral process. The ECI with valid reasons rejected their demand.

It is to be noted that the members of the fourth party as mentioned above, have specified their political position clearly through their writings in various newspapers and other publications, and in their discussions and discourses in various audio-visual media.

Thus, the ECI must make it clear with its response to the issue how far their responsibility and role are desired and proper in tackling the situation that has evolved at Lalgarh. It must also clarify why the framework that was originally envisaged for the tripartite meeting could not be maintained. And why only the representatives of a particular anti-state government �human rights� organisation were allowed in the meeting. The ECI may also elucidate and make clear whether in the circumstances that were allowed to prevail, the secrecy of the meeting could be maintained at all.

EMBOLDENED

�MAOISTS�

Right after the meeting was over, a group of Maoists raided the Saluka village at Ramgarh under Lalgarh PS, abducted and severely beat up seven CPI(M) workers, including the local Gram Panchayat member Abani Bhuinya. Subsequently, one of those beaten up, Gopinath Murmu succumbed to his injuries. None of the six as well as the last remains of the person who died, would be allowed by the Maoists to be taken out of the village.

Is it not logical to believe that the very presence of the fourth component at the tripartite meeting, in the final analysis, encouraged this dastardly act by the Maoists?

CPI(M) VICTIM OF

DASTARDLY TERROR

The hard fact is that it is the CPI(M) that is the victim of dastardly acts of terrorism perpetrated by the Maoists with whom the PSBPC has close political-organisational links.

Below we give a list of acts of terrorism perpetrated on the CPI(M) by the Maoists with active support of the Trinamulis in Midnapore west alone.

• On April 21, 2009, two CPI(M) workers were beaten to death by the Maoists at the Nadadia village under Salboni PS.

• On the same day, Maoists entered the Andharia village of Salboni, extracted a �levy� of Rs 6,000 from the villagers, and looted two licensed guns.

• On April 14, 2009, Maoists entered the Rupaipur village in the same area, and threatened two CPI(M) workers including Rameswar Murmu to leave the village or else. They looted two motorbikes and two licensed guns

• On April 11, 2009, the Maoists organised an arms training camp at a place close to the Madhupur village.

• On April 10, 2009, the Maoists shot to death CPI(M) worker Asim Mondal, at Bhulaveda under Belpahari PS.

• On April 8, 2009, the Maoists shot at Chandi Karan, a local CPI(M) worker at Nachhipur at Lalgarh.

• On April 6, 2009, the Maoists along with Trinamuli workers kidnapped 20 villagers from Bejdanga, and then beat them up severely. They could be rescued after 12 hours of captivity.

• On April 1, 2009, the police intercepted a car near Salboni that was filled with arms from Monghyr and it was proceeding towards Lalgarh.

• On February 14, 2009, the Maoists shot dead CPI(M) worker Sujit Panda at Dharampur at Lalgarh.

• On February 1, 2009, the Maoists shot dead Nandalal Pal, a zonal committee member of the CPI(M) at Murar village of Lalgarh.

• On December 11, 2008, the Maoists killed former Sabhapati of Belpahari Panchayat Samity Sudhir Mandi of the Jharkhand Party for his opposition to digging up of roads and sabotaging acts.

• On November 18, 2008, the Maoists shot dead Ashok Haldar, a ration dealer when he refused to pay them a large quantum of �levy.� The tragic event took place at Bhulaveda under Belpahari PS.

• On November 2, 2008, the Maoists caused blasts targeting the convoys of chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, and union petroleum minister Ram Vilas Paswan.

• On October 31, 2008, the Maoists shot and killed a CPI(M) worker named Indrajit Murmu at Kashmer village under Belpahari PS.

In each incident as narrated above, Trinamuli workers accompanied the Maoists.

The above list proves beyond doubt how cruelly the Maoists and Trinamulis are bent on causing mayhem, killing, riot, and anarchy in the area and beyond. At the same time, the sitting down in a meeting of a group that calls itself �anti-Police-terror committee� [Police Santras Birodhi Pratirodh Committee (PSBPC)] is tragic as well as farcical.

The CPI(M) state committee has demanded that the Election Commission must come forward in taking a hard look at the developments going on and initiate appropriate measures immediately before things go out of hand. Its response to the letters written by the Bengal CPI(M) in this regard incorporating all the points above is awaited.