Earlier, Sen and several other intellectuals from Kolkata, including actor and playwright Kaushik Sen, Arpita Ghosh and Saonli Mitra, had openly sympathised with the tribals and had visited Lalgarh soon after joint operations were started there against the Maoists. They had also interacted with PCAPA members, including Chhatradhar Mahato.

The train disaster in which 150 people lost their lives, however, seems to have changed Sen’s mind. “Whoever is behind the killing of so many innocent people should be punished, be they Maoist or anyone else,” said Sen.

“I have no support for Maoist killings, I am against any violence,” said the celebrity who had earlier showed solidarity for the ‘tribal upsurge’ led by the PCAPA.

“Now I have no idea whether they (PCAPA) would work to improve the lives of the Lalgarh tribals. The movement was initiated against police torture on innocent tribals in the area. Do you recall the name of Chitamoni Murmu, who had lost her eye after the police beat her? We went there to show solidarity for the innocent people. We had no intention of doing politics over the issue,” the actor-director said.

“Later when they (Mahato and others) came to stage a sit-in-demonstration in the city, I had a meeting with them. They told me that they fear the Maoists, so they are unable to speak against the Maoists,” said Sen. “I do not know what are they doing now,” she added.

“I feel that the PCAPA is now being controlled by the Maoists. Moreover, this is my conviction that the political agenda to overthrow a state through armed battle is a utopia and is not possible in a country like India,” said Kausik Sen.

However, Saonli Mitra, the playwright whom Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee had appointed the chairperson of Railway Heritage Committee, differed with Kaushik Sen. “I cannot comment on PCAPA role sitting in Kolkata,” she said.