Midnapore: Three tribals were killed in restive Lalgarh in West Midnapore today in a clash between a resistance group and CPM activists carrying the body of a leader slain by suspected Maoists.
The tragedy is threatening to reopen the wounds in Lalgarh that was under a Nandigram-style blockade for over a month from November 7.
Today’s bloodletting traces its roots to the Maoist attack on the chief minister’s convoy on November 2. The alleged police excesses that followed gave birth to the People’s Committee Against Police Atrocities in Lalgarh. The committee had declared the area out of bounds for the police even after the blockade with felled trees was lifted in December.
However, in today’s CPM cortege of at least 12 cars and 40 motorcycles, there were some policemen.
“Our supporters stopped the policemen escorting the convoy. Our intention was not to stop the convoy. But some CPM workers and policemen started shooting. Those killed are our supporters,” committee leader Chhatradhar Mahato said.
The CPM, which suspects Maoists backed the tribals in the clash in which bullets and arrows flew, alleged the committee’s supporters had fired first. Mahato denied the allegation.
West Midnapore police chief Rajesh Kumar Singh did not say who fired first but insisted it was not the police.
The victims were identified as Rajaram Mandi, 55, his son Lakhiram, 25, and Gopinath Soren, 37.
The CPM activists were returning with the body of zonal committee member Nandalal Pal, shot dead by suspected Maoists yesterday, after the post-mortem.
“When the procession reached Khas Jangal around 2.30pm, it was stopped by the committee’s supporters, including women,” a police officer said. The agitators allegedly smashed the windscreen of a police jeep.
“The tribals opened fire and shot arrows at our workers. Our supporters managed to flee with Nandalal’s body,” said Dahareswar Sen, a CPM leader.
Later in the evening, the agitators placed tree trunks on the main road connecting Lalgarh with Ramgarh, the site of a police camp, in about 15 places. “We will block roads across Lalgarh again tomorrow,” Mahato said, demanding that the camp be abandoned.
During the month-long blockade in November, security officials had expressed the fear that Maoists from Jharkhand were using the cover to replenish supplies.
CPM leaders said this evening they would not let the situation escalate. “We don’t want more trouble. We want the tribals with us. But we must remember that our partymen cannot just sit back and take all the beating,” state secretariat member Benoy Konar said.
Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee dubbed the killings “state-sponsored terrorism”. She said she would visit Lalgarh if the situation did not improve in a day or two.
Source: The Telegraph
The tragedy is threatening to reopen the wounds in Lalgarh that was under a Nandigram-style blockade for over a month from November 7.
Today’s bloodletting traces its roots to the Maoist attack on the chief minister’s convoy on November 2. The alleged police excesses that followed gave birth to the People’s Committee Against Police Atrocities in Lalgarh. The committee had declared the area out of bounds for the police even after the blockade with felled trees was lifted in December.
However, in today’s CPM cortege of at least 12 cars and 40 motorcycles, there were some policemen.
“Our supporters stopped the policemen escorting the convoy. Our intention was not to stop the convoy. But some CPM workers and policemen started shooting. Those killed are our supporters,” committee leader Chhatradhar Mahato said.
The CPM, which suspects Maoists backed the tribals in the clash in which bullets and arrows flew, alleged the committee’s supporters had fired first. Mahato denied the allegation.
West Midnapore police chief Rajesh Kumar Singh did not say who fired first but insisted it was not the police.
The victims were identified as Rajaram Mandi, 55, his son Lakhiram, 25, and Gopinath Soren, 37.
The CPM activists were returning with the body of zonal committee member Nandalal Pal, shot dead by suspected Maoists yesterday, after the post-mortem.
“When the procession reached Khas Jangal around 2.30pm, it was stopped by the committee’s supporters, including women,” a police officer said. The agitators allegedly smashed the windscreen of a police jeep.
“The tribals opened fire and shot arrows at our workers. Our supporters managed to flee with Nandalal’s body,” said Dahareswar Sen, a CPM leader.
Later in the evening, the agitators placed tree trunks on the main road connecting Lalgarh with Ramgarh, the site of a police camp, in about 15 places. “We will block roads across Lalgarh again tomorrow,” Mahato said, demanding that the camp be abandoned.
During the month-long blockade in November, security officials had expressed the fear that Maoists from Jharkhand were using the cover to replenish supplies.
CPM leaders said this evening they would not let the situation escalate. “We don’t want more trouble. We want the tribals with us. But we must remember that our partymen cannot just sit back and take all the beating,” state secretariat member Benoy Konar said.
Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee dubbed the killings “state-sponsored terrorism”. She said she would visit Lalgarh if the situation did not improve in a day or two.
Source: The Telegraph
No comments:
Post a Comment