As CM readies for Junglemahal visit,civil society makes peace appeal

“We have come to know from media reports that an agreement was signed on September 30 by your team of interlocutors and the Maoist state leadership of West Bengal regarding the unilateral cessation of armed action on the part of the Maoists for a period of one month on condition that the WB government would also maintain peace by cessation of armed action by the joint forces and the police both in letter and in spirit by keeping them within their camps. We welcome this move as a preliminary step to initiate a dialogue between the two sides,” stated the appeal.

They said dialogue should be opened with them without any further delay and a proper conducive atmosphere should be created to facilitate the process. “A conducive atmosphere can be created only when arbitrary and indiscriminate arrests and illegal detention of the sons and daughters of the soil by the joint forces are stopped,joint forces are

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withdrawn from the Junglemahal area and all political prisoners are released by withdrawing all cases registered against them,” the appeal said.

Such steps,they said,would instill confidence in the minds of the people. “We would wish you to personally take the initiative and talk to them,” the appeal further stated.

On the other hand,the CPI-Maoists have called a “Black Day” on October 15,when Mamata Banerjee is scheduled to visit Junglemahal,a statement,purportedly issued by Akash,the Maoists’ state secretary,said.

The CPI-Maoists asked the state government to come clean on the peace process. “We had given a proposal to the state government after the meeting between the interlocutors and us. But the government is yet to respond to our proposal. We want the government to come clean on its stand on the peace process,” the statement issued by Akash said.

“What wrong have we committed? We resisted the torture on us by the ruling party supporters. Should we bear everything silently always? People will protest against the armed cadres of Bhairav Vahini as under no circumstances will tribal people tolerate the mental and physical torture on them by the ruling parties. We will spearhead our movement and none can stop us,” read the statement.

Ashok Jiban Ghosh,convener of PCAPA,the frontal organization of the CPI-Maoists,also came down heavily on the CM. “She has deceived us. All of her pre-election promises appeared to be false and politically motivated. So,we have declared the day as a “Black Day” when she holds a meeting in Junglemahal.”

“The state government did not give us permission for our meeting. But the administration is giving permission for the CM’s meeting. No tribal man and woman from this area will attend this meeting,” he cautioned. The local administration had prevented a tribal women’s outfit from holding a public rally recently.