Talk with Naxalites in the backdrop of growing violence

The stage is being set for the state government appointed interlocutors to sit with the Naxalite leaders to find ways to end the ongoing violence in Junglemahal. To felicitate the movements of the Naxalite leaders who would have to come out from their hideouts, the government has also agreed to give them safe passage. On behalf of the interlocutors a formal letter has also been sent to the Naxalites inviting them to come for the talk. The talk will be held some time between August 27 and 31. Sujato Bhadra will lead a two member team of civil society in that talk. From the Naxalites, it is expected that Ashim Mondal alias ‘Akash’, the state secretary of CPI (Maoist) will lead their delegation. If the talk makes some progress then there is a chance that the state industry ministry Partha Chatterjee might join the talk. This has been approved by the chief minister Mamata Banerjee in a meeting which she held with the interlocutors at Writers Buildings on Friday.

While reiterating her appeal to the Naxalites to abandon the path of violence and join the mainstream society, the chief minister also indicated that she was under tremendous pressure from the Centre and the neighboring state Jharkhand, implying that the government could not sit idle indefinitely while the Naxalites would go on killing poor people in Junglemahal.

But while the government has supported the move to initiate dialogue with the Naxalites, the question of offering them ‘safe passage’ might create some problem for the state government. The Naxalite leaders, who would be coming for the talk, have a number of serious criminal charges against them in West Bengal, Jharkhand and elsewhere.

Already the state government’s bid to release two Naxalite leaders was successfully objected to by the union home ministry. The union home minister P Chidambaram will be in Kolkata tomorrow to take part in a joint inspection of Bangaon-Petrapol checkpost. He might be surprised to know this development.

There are indications that the chief minister is getting increasingly worried over the recent developments in Junglemahal.

Taking advantage of the relative inactions on behalf of the joint forces place in Junglemahal, the Naxalites have started regrouping fast.

In the last one week the Naxalites have again started killing people, this time the TMC activists are being made their target.

In on Friday’s meeting when the chief minister was commenting on the developments, the DG of West Bengal police Naparajit Mukherjee informed her that bodies of two TMC men who had been abducted by the Naxalites two days back at Binpur in West Medinipur district, has been found on Friday.

The chief minister informed the meeting that the Naxalites are running four armed camps in Nayagram and Ayodhyapahar.

Also, they are trying to close down the ration shops in Bandoan and Baghmundi areas in Purulia district, claiming that they would take charge of the responsibility of distributing food grains to poor people.

Incidentally, the Naxalites also increased the heat by issuing a statement on Friday accusing the TMC leaders of organizing armed outfits to combat the Naxalites in the area. The statement issued by Baha Tudu, a spokesman of the Naxalites named Mukul Roy and Shubhendu Adhikary claiming that they were behind this new development.