“We will never support the decision to bring Central forces and state police into tribal areas to suppress mass movements. The continuous oppression by the CPM-led government has led to discontent among tribals. Their demands are justified and the issue should be resolved democratically,” said Jayeeta Das, a student of Jadavpur University and a member of Matangini Mahila Samiti (MMS). “The Maoists are not spearheading the movement in Lalgarh, they are only supporting it,” Das added.

Interestingly, the state government had once accused the MMS of having links with the Maoists. According to Das, the protest carried out by the People’s Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCPA) is a feature of mass movements.

“Before Independence, it was the British, then the Congress and now the CPM has oppressed tribals in the state. The reaction of the adivasis is the result of years of resentment. However, the agitation failed to achieve its motive. If the movement had spread across the state, it would have become a people’s movement,” said Chhandak Chatterjee, a student of Presidency College and member of Independent Consolidation (IC).

“The spirit of the movement has been lost by limiting it to Lalgarh. A mass movement has transcended into a tussle between the state and the Maoists,” added Chatterjee.

According to Abhigyan Sarkar, a former Democratic Students Federation member, another anti-Left student body, the PCPA has been able to usher in development in Lalgarh and the common people were against the CPM. “The government is responsible for the situation. If the movement in Lalgarh is stopped, another Lalgarh will be born,” said Sarkar.

In a related development, Left’s students’ wings, Students Federation of India (SFI) and Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), held a joint rally and protested against the alleged Trinamool-Maoist violence in Lalgarh and supported the government’s decision for armed intervention.

“When Maoists ask for help from Mamata Banerjee, a link between the two is evident. The attack on our cadres and innocent people can only be stopped by (armed) intervention. The government had tried negotiation but they (the tribals) did not come forward,” said Rajib Majumder, president, DYFI district committee.