West Bengal Chief Secretary Asok Mohan Chakrabarti visited Lalgarh on Wednesday, giving a green signal to the second phase of operations and ruling out any talks with the Maoists while they “held a gun to the head”.

The joint security operations against the Maoists have been on hold for the past couple of days. But as 10 more companies of Central forces arrived in Lalgarh on Wednesday, the Chief Secretary and other senior police officials accompanying him dropped enough hints that the second phase would be launched any moment.

“The Central and state forces will go ahead,” Chakrabarti said. “One must understand that it is not a question of capturing areas but providing a safe and secure atmosphere to residents therein.”

In fact, even as the Chief Secretary was visiting Lalgarh, about seven kilometres from the Block Development Office, in Dharampur, Maoists held a demonstration with around 200 local villagers.

Truckloads of motorbikes, barbed wire and logs being brought into Lalgarh and the hectic activity among security forces also indicated that the security operations are set to resume. The forces are said to be gearing up to take control of the road stretch from Lalgarh to Goaltore, via Ramgarh, which is still out of bounds.

Ruling out talks, Chakrabarti said: “One cannot hold talks with someone pointing a stengun to the head. The atmosphere here is not conducive for a dialogue.”

Asked if the Government would hold talks with the People’s Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCAPA) on July 14, he said: “It is all organised violence here. From the beginning the state Government was willing to talk. But they killed innocent people, doctors, nurses, poll personnel. Maoists have let loose a reign of terror. Ration shops, administrative offices, health centres, nothing was allowed to remain open.”

... contd.