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There was confusion after state Home Secretary Ardhendu Sen stated on Wednesday that Chhatradhar Mahato, the leader of the People’s Committee against Police Atrocities (PCPA), might not be considered a Maoist. The Congress slammed the state government on the issue and demanded Sen’s dismissal for making a statement which will put a question mark on the joint operation in Lalgarh.
“How can the Home Secretary make such a statement? The CPM state secretary is regularly saying that Chhatradhar Mahato is a Maoist, the Union government has sent Central forces to combat the Maoists, now your home secretary is insisting that Mahato has no link with the Maoists,” said Manas Bhuniya, leader of the Congress Legislative Party.
The CM, defending the Home Secretary, said, “I have talked to the Home Secretary. He has said officially Chhatradhar Mahato is not a Maoist. But he would be booked whenever and wherever he is available. Mahato may not be a Maoist, but he opened the door of Lalgarh for the Maoists. Mahato’s committee was used as a front by the Maoists.”
The CM said one Congress leader had reached the PCPA-run relief camp with rice (as relief material), but the Congress leader will not be considered a Maoist either.
“The CM has told the government that the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) should be used on those who are directly with the CPI(Maoist), which is a banned organisation. But the Act cannot be imposed in a doubtful case. If we get enough evidence about Mahato’s direct link with the Maoists, he will be booked under UAPA, otherwise criminal cases against him will be initiated,” said a senior official of the CM’s secretariat.
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This is a very serious statement and made by a CM in assembly. A few days back union Home minister said that West Bengal govt's indifference led to Maoist surge in the state. Mamata is a cabinet minister in the centre and Buddha is state chief minister. It does not augur well for India that responsible persons make such statements and get away with it. It is a matter of national security and all these allegations must be probed and the guilty must be brought to book.
Buddha's personal traits were known to general public since quite long. Even as he dreamt of having satellite townships in Southern Bengal and lost no efforts to publicise his wildest dreams, the writing of the CPI-M's destiny was on the wall. A political organisation that was to have upheld only issues faced by the poorest and marginalised sections of people, suddenly took a U-turn and started sympathising with corporates. He is not alone in his dreams - there were leaders who went ahead and corporatised their initiatives. These leaders, in their fancied ambitions, have ruined a setup which had been painfully built over decades of hardwork and sacrifices of many poor but ideologically committed people who were thoroughly dissatisfied with the injustice meted out in social world. Now, there is no coming back, its very hard to resurrect the vision the party once upheld close to its heart. The party workers should now decide whether to pull on with this dead visionaries or start afresh.
buddhadeb bhattacharya is a fascist.