People's Democracy

SFI Observes Protest Day Against Its Activist�s Killing of Comrade Abhijit Mahato

ON June 17, the Students Federation of India (SFI) strongly condemned the brutal killing of Comrade Abhijit Mahato, a Jhargram rural zonal committee member of the SFI in West Bengal. Comrade Abhijit Mahato was a BA Second Year student of Manikpara College and was also the cultural secretary of the Manikpara College Students� Union. He was killed by an armed gang of the Maoists who are on a killing spree against the Left activists and local leaders in West Midnapore district. Abhijit, who had his exam from 10 am on the day, was sitting in a roadside teashop when a gang of Maoists on motorcycles came there. They first pumped bullets into the local branch secretary of the CPI(M) and another leader who died on the spot. When Abhijit tried to save his life, he was chased by the murderers who first shot a bullet in his leg and then in his back. When he fell to the ground, his head was thrashed with rifle butts. His body was left lying there when the killers were certain that he was also dead.  

The SFI called a student strike on the day in West Midnapore district in protest against this brutal killing. On the next day, a student strike was observed throughout West Bengal.

He SFI is of the opinion that Comrade Abhijit�s killing was part of the murderous campaign which is being waged against Left activists after the declaration of the Lok Sabha election results in the state. An unholy alliance of the Maoists and  Trinamool combine is unleashing a reign of terror and making attempts to physically eliminate local level leaders and activists of the Left. Armed gangs are trying to encroach and capture student union offices in different colleges by using violence and terror against the democratically elected student unions. During this period four students, namely Sekh Babua, Bibek Burman, Apurba Ghosh, Sayantika Rakshit, have been killed by these miscreants.

Condemning this politics of terror and murder, the SFI said it is determined to fight this battle tooth and nail. It has strongly demanded that both the state and the central governments take sternest possible measures to put an end to the ongoing violence in the state. It has appealed to the democratic student community throughout the country to see through the nefarious designs behind these acts and unite to strengthen the pillars of democratic politics and student movement which the SFI has always stood for. It called upon all its units to observe an All India Protest Day on June 18 against the killing of Comrade Abhijit Mahato.