People's Democracy

Left, TDP, JD(S) Submit Memo on Trinamul-Maoist Links

A delegation comprising representatives of the CPI(M), CPI, RSP, AIFB, TDP and JD(S) met P Chidambaram, minister for home affairs, on January 6, 2011. The following is the text of the memorandum they submitted.

IN the light of your recent communication with the chief minister of West Bengal, on behalf of the CPI(M), CPI, RSP, AIFB, TDP and JD(S), we, the undersigned, are constrained to draw your attention to certain facts  pertaining to the nexus between the Maoists and a major component of the UPA coalition – the Trinamul Congress party.

It is our contention that certain facts have come to light of late which further vindicate the reality of the nexus between the Maoists and Trinamul Congress and are in addition to the detailed references appearing in the media during the last three years revealing the nature of the nexus. 

Recently, the Trinamul Congress MP from Jadavpur Lok Sabha constituency, Kabir Suman,  has written a book,  an autobiographical narrative named Nishner nam Taposhi Malik  (the name of the flag is Taposhi Malik). The book, significantly, has been dedicated to Kishanji – reportedly the Polit Bureau member of CPI (Maoist) operating in West Bengal. In the book, he has given an eye witness account of a meeting held in Trinamul Congress headquarters in Kolkata attended by two individuals – Raja Sarkhel and Prasun Chattopadhyaya – who are at present in judicial custody, booked under certain provisions of the UAPA for their links with the Maoists.  The concerned meeting, Suman informs, was also attended by Mamata Banerjee and Sougata Roy who are currently ministers of your government. The meeting discussed the possible intervention in Nandigram in which implicitly the Maoists would also be involved. The Maoists have earlier given detailed accounts of their involvement in Nandigram with the Trinamul Congress through public statements which had never been contradicted. 

The media has also widely reported the confession of Madhusudan Mondal, since arrested, and who happened to be the Nandigram Zonal Committee secretary of the CPI (Maoist) confirming this association. 

The TMC is, however, now denying any links with Kabir Suman, MP. We are hereby attaching relevant portions of his book with its English translation as annexure, along with a media report. 

We would also like to attach herewith a copy of the statement of one Vikram – a state committee member of CPI (Maoist) – released to the media on January 4, 2011 claiming links with TMC and the functional  unity between the Maoists and TMC in joint agitational  activities. He has claimed that in the past, the Maoists were not in a position to openly come out with assertions about these links but now the situation has changed. He has further claimed that though he has some criticisms about TMC, he would like the Maoist-TMC association to continue to ensure the defeat of the Left Front in the coming assembly elections. In spite of some misgivings about the TMC, the continuation of the relationship is important – has been his assertion. He has also demanded that the railway minister must resign from the cabinet protesting corruptions on the union government. We are attaching media reports on Vikram’s statement as an annexure.

We would also like to remind you on this occasion that you had in the past confirmed on the floor of Rajya Sabha that the PCPA is a frontal organisation of the Maoists.  Now that the CBI chargesheet on the Gyaneswari Express tragedy has been filed which squarely charges the PCPA for having hatched the conspiracy which led to the tragedy, this totally refutes the insinuations by TMC leadership and intellectuals close to that party.  The insinuation itself was a vile attempt to deflect responsibility of the Gyanaswari disaster and further reinforces the nexus between the TMC and the Maoists in West Bengal. 

On the question of your description of CPI(M) activists as `harmads’ and your further justification with reference to the term being used by other political parties and sections of the media is not in keeping with the majesty of your office.  We would like to specifically inform you that it is the same Maoist leadership who use this word in their interactions with the media and which is caught on camera with covered faces.  Video recording of such interviews must be available with the intelligence establishment. To further inform you on the subject, we can add that this term is derogatorily used to describe hapless victims belonging to the CPI(M) activists who are eliminated through cowardly individual assassinations and through their self appointed kangaroo courts as declared in the posters left behind with the dead bodies. 

What is happening today in Jangal Mahal – the forest range areas of Bankura, Purulia and West Midnapur of West Bengal – is an awakening, a popular mobilisation and mass resistance of the people  against the murders, extortions, rapes, tortures and all such depredations of the Maoists. Not only the CPI(M) but all those who cherish democracy and rule of law must associate with such a fight backed by the common people. 

We must also inform you that the day  you were  reiterating your justification for the use of the term `harmad’ more than  one and half lakh local people converged in Lalgarh on December 31, 2010 to express their resolve to fight for peace, democracy and development in a rally organised by the Left Front. 

In spite of the prime minister’s assertion that  `Maoists are the single biggest threat to internal security’, why do you use the very same term that Maoists use to describe those very people who are part of a popular mobilisation and resistance to Maoist depredations? We are sure that the government’s intelligence apparatus must have kept you informed about the success of the joint operations because of the isolation of the Maoists from the people and the role of the villagers in apprehending and informing the security forces about the whereabouts and activities of the Maoists. 

In the light of all these reports, we  would urge you to spell out what do you propose in dealing with the TMC-Maoist nexus. The responsibility of overcoming the impact of the Maoist violence is not the responsibility of the state governments alone, it is a phenomenon which spans across several states.  Therefore, the union government also has a responsibility, which you have not only acknowledged but acted upon by taking some initiatives.  And, may we add that it is necessary to desist from taking positions which undermine the spirit of resistance that seeks to bring an end to Maoist violence and depredations. 

Signatories to the memorandum were Sitaram Yechury (leader of CPI(M) group in Rajya Sabha), Basudev Acharia (leader of the CPI(M) group in Lok Sabha), Shyamal Chakraborty (CPI-M, Rajya Sabha), Prabodh Panda  (CPI, Lok Sabha), Manohar Tirkey (RSP, Lok Sabha), Narahari Mahato (AIFB, Lok Sabha), Danish Ali (general secretary, JD-S), and Nama Nageswara Rao (TDP, Lok Sabha). Annexures and Vikram’s statement are not reproduced here.