Lalgarh Naxals strike again,kill 2 CPM ‘suspects’

According to the police,Tarini and Swapan,who were once CPM supporters,were abducted by suspected Maoists two days ago.

Police said the Maoist cadres had raided the house of local CPM leader Sudarshan Das and assaulted his father before they abducted the two. Police claimed the Maoists have since claimed responsibility for the murders,saying the duo used to work as police informers. Reports said the Maoists suspected the two were also helping the CPM on the sly. “We were constantly threatened by them. Several times we even informed the police but to no avail. Now I don’t know where to go with my son and daughter,” Tarini’s wife Anima told The Indian Express over phone.

“We are doing whatever we can to curb Maoist activities and earn the confidence of the people. However,a lot of work is yet to be done,” said DIG (Midnapore) Praveen Kumar.

On Friday,the Maoists had shot CPM supporters Baren Mahato and Gurucharan Mahato of Sirsi village. The armed Maoists then ransacked the CPM office and set it on fire. No one dared to touch the bodies and the family finally took the help of the police to take the bodies to Midnapore for cremation. Moreover,on Monday,the Maoists had attacked the camp of the joint forces at Dharampur and fired around 20 rounds.

Meanwhile,a high-level meeting of the Jharkhand and West Bengal Police was held in Purulia to work out on how to flush out the Maoists from both the states. The DGs of the states had met in Ranchi a few days back.

Lalgarh Manch wants govt-Maoists talks
The newly-formed Lalgarh Manch — a group comprising human rights activists and intellectuals — has asked the state government to hold talks with the Maoists instead of carrying out police operations in West Midnapore,Bankura and Purulia.

Sujato Bhadra,spokesperson of the Manch,accused the government of terrorising the area and arresting innocent villagers.

The Manch also demanded withdrawal of the central Act UAPA. Bhadra urged the Maoists to lay down their arms and be open for talks if the government takes any such initiative.

Buddha woos tribals with land rights
Keen to win over tribals many of whom have been lured the Maoists,Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Tuesdayhanded over pattas (document of land rights) to 1,284 landless tribals residing in the forest areas of Bankura,West Midnapore and Purulia.

A few tribals from Lalgarh were also brought in to take the pattas from the chief minister at a programme of “Forest Week” at Beliatore in Bankura. The programme was organised at the local forest range office. Inaugurating the “Forest Week”,the chief minister said his government would prepare a comprehensive development plan for the tribals living in the forests. He said though the Forest Right Act was passed in Parliament in 2005,the tribals have not been enjoying the benefits enshrined in the Act. The CM,however,made no mention to Lalgarh in his speech.

Bhattacharjee said his government would hand over Rs 20 crore to the Forest Protection Committees (FPC) in Bankura,Purulia,Burdwan and Birbhum. There are 370 FPCs functioning in the four districts to protect the forests. The members of FPC used to get a particular share from the sale of the forest produce. State Forest Minister Ananta Roy and Minister for Backward Class Development Jogesh Barman also attended the programme.