Trinamul-Maoist Nexus Endangers National Security

THROUGH these columns, we had been repeatedly exposing the diabolic nexus between the Trinamul Congress and the Maoists in West Bengal. If any reconfirmation was ever necessary, it has now come in a resounding manner through voluntary declarations by leaders of both the Trinamul and the Maoists that have appeared in the media.

Trinamul Congress MP from the Jadavpur Lok Sabha constituency, Shri Kabir Suman, has recently launched his autobiographical narrative named `Nishner nam Taposhi Malik’ (the name of the flag is Taposhi Malik). The book, significantly, has been dedicated to Kishenji, the Polit Bureau member of CPI(Maoist) operating in West Bengal. In the book, Mr Suman has given an eye witness account of a meeting held in Trinamul Congress headquarters in Kolkata attended by two individuals – Raja Sarkhel and Prasun Chattopadhyaya – who are at present in judicial custody booked under certain provisions of the UAPA for their links with the Maoists. The concerned meeting, Shri Suman informs, was also attended by Ms Mamata Banerjee and Shri Sougata Roy who are currently ministers of the UPA government. The meeting discussed the possibilities of intervention in Nandigram in which implicitly the Maoists would also be involved.

The Maoists have earlier given detailed accounts of their involvement in Nandigram with the Trinamul Congress through public statements which have never been contradicted. The media reported on January 8, 2009 the following: “To wipe out CPI(M) from West Bengal, we must work together with all parties of the ruling class like, Trinamool Congress, Congress, BJP etc. The CPI(Maoist) document, titled `Some important problems and its solutions’ was circulated to the members after the incidents of Shalboni and Lalgarh. We must get all ruling parties associated as long they desire to be. We call CPI(M) as a Social Fascist organisation. Relations with Trinamool Congress and railway minister Mamata Banerjee must be strengthened.”

Such reports appeared periodically in various sections of the media all through the year. More exposures came in 2010. The Bengali daily, Aaj Kal, reported under the heading “Maoist leader detained from TMC leaders car” on November 10, 2010, the following: “Maoist leader Kanchan Deb Singh was arrested from Trinamool block president Nepal Singh’s car in Shalbani. Police stopped the car for checking and recognised Kanchan inside the car. Nepal Singh as well as Kanchan was taken to the police station though the block president was released within no time. Kanchan was associated with the PSBJC arms training in 2008. He was charged with various landmine blasts, looting of police van etc.”

The Delhi edition of The Hindustan Times has reported on January 5, 2011 a media statement : “purportedly signed by CPI(Maoist) West Bengal state committee member Vikram said: `We want our movement-oriented alliance with Mamata Banerjee to flourish…”. Further: “The declaration said both Maoists and TMC were silent on their alliance because of political compulsions, but they are coming out in the open as there is nothing more to hide. `We fought together during the struggles in Singur, Nandigram….”

It is now, clearly, beyond doubt that the Trinamul Congress had provided and continues to provide both the political cover and all assistance for the Maoists to penetrate into West Bengal in order to be used to mount terror attacks against the CPI(M) cadre and the common people aiming at extracting electoral benefit in the forthcoming elections.

We had drawn attention earlier to an irreconcilable contradiction within the UPA. On the one hand, the prime minister describes the Maoists as “posing the single gravest threat to India’s internal security”. On the other, in the union cabinet led by this very prime minister, there are members of the Trinamul Congress who are collaborating with the Maoists in order to achieve electoral gains at the expense of jeopardising India’s internal security.

Can this be allowed? Can such crass political opportunism (to retain a majority for the government) that endangers our country’s unity and integrity be permissible? Further, can such diabolic and cynical politics, for the sake of electoral gains that destroys democracy, peace and development so crucially required for creating better livelihood conditions for our people be tolerated?

Such politics, for the sake of not only Bengal and its people but for the sake of India and its people, needs to be defeated if the struggle for building a better India has to be carried forward. (January 5, 2011)

People's Democracy, January 09, 2011

Editorial

Trinamul Maoist Nexus Reconfirmed

PEOPLE'S DEMOCRACY EDITORIAL

15th AUGUST, 2010

THE rally held by the TMC – Trinamul Maoist Combine – at Lalgarh on August 9 reconfirms, if ever such a reconfirmation was required, that the Trinamul Congress and the Maoists have, indeed, been political collaborators in creating mayhem and anarchy in certain areas of West Bengal. The murderous assaults by this combine has already martyred 255 leaders of the CPI(M). Most, if not all of these, belong to the poorest of the exploited classes and tribals, whose interests, ironically, the Maoists claim to champion drawing the blind romantic adulation by some `intellectuals’ and `social activists’.

An embarrassed and cornered Manmohan Singh-led government tried to duck, unsuccessfully, the issue of one of its cabinet members being caught red handed in the open political collaboration with the Maoists. They took refuge behind the argument that they shall return to both the houses of parliament after having “ascertained the facts”. Ironically, the very next day, August 11, the minister of state for home affairs stood up in reply to a starred question in the Rajya Sabha on the involvement of Maoists in railway accidents stating: “Investigation conducted reveals that Police Santras Birodhi Janasadharaner Committee (PSBJC/PCPA), a frontal organisation of Maoists, was involved in damaging the railway track, thereby causing the accident. CBI has arrested 12 persons so far in this case”. It is the very same minister for railways, whose primary job, under oath of the constitution is to protect the life of passengers traveling on the Indian railways and to improve its safety standards, who is openly collaborating with the Maoists. She has openly advocated the withdrawal of the operations of the security forces against the Maoist violence. She, in fact, has gone to the extent of asserting that Maoist leader Azad was `murdered’ and not killed in an encounter as claimed by the security forces.

The Trinamul-Maoist nexus became abundantly clear when, according to media reports: “Maoist politburo member Koteswar Rao alias Kishanji once again batted for Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Azad issue. “There is no doubt that our politburo member and central committee spokesperson Charakuri Rajkumar alias Azad was treacherously killed by the members of Andhra Pradesh police special intelligence branch in a fake encounter. Mamata Banerjee spoke the truth and there is no reason behind the furore over the issue in parliament”. This comes from a Maoist leader whose party openly rejects parliamentary democracy and calls for a `people’s war’ against the Indian State!

Unable to defend the role of an important ally and cabinet colleague, the UPA-II government through its minister for home affairs, P Chidambaram, stated in the Rajya Sabha, “No one should support the Maoists and the government will certainly not encourage anybody who does so.” However, the UPA-II government, in a crass display of political opportunism, requiring the numbers of TMC MPs in the Lok Sabha for the survival of this government, is tolerating such `support to the Maoists’ making a mockery of its commitment to safeguard India’s internal security.

Through these columns, we had drawn attention to an irreconcilable contradiction that continues to plague the UPA-II government. The prime minister has repeatedly asserted that Maoist violence constitutes “the gravest threat to India’s internal security”. Yet, its own cabinet colleague, under the leadership of this very prime minister, openly collaborates with Maoist violence and defends the attempted subversion of parliamentary democracy.

The composition of the people gathered in Lalgarh clearly exposes the reasons for organising this meeting. The overwhelming bulk of the people were brought by huge number of transportation vehicles from outside of Lalgarh. The fact that the people of that area stayed away in large numbers shows the growing political isolation of the Trinamul Congress combine. It is precisely in order to strike terror and browbeat the local population into supporting them that this rally was organised.

Clearly, the Trinamul Congress has exposed itself to stooping to the lowest of levels in its quest to gain in the forthcoming assembly elections in West Bengal. In the bargain, neither the safeguarding of innocent life nor strengthening the unity and integrity of India are of any concern. If the UPA-II government and prime minister Manmohan Singh continue to turn a deaf ear to this threat, then India will have to pay a heavy price. Brazen political opportunism to continue to remain in office cannot be allowed to sacrifice the interests of India’s unity, integrity and internal security. Like in the late-sixties and early-seventies when the CPI(M) politically fought and defeated the mindless terror and violence unleashed by the Naxalites, so shall it do now with their latest avatar of Maoists.

The defence of India’s unity and integrity must rise above the petty electoral pursuits and crass political opportunism.

Maoists Unleash Orgy of Violence

EDITORIAL
PEOPLE'S DEMOCRCY

THE Maoists unleashed an orgy of violence when they attacked the East Frontier Rifles (EFR) camp at Silda in the West Midnapur district of West Bengal. Of the 36 jawans present at the time of the attack, the Maoists massacred 24 and left 7 others injured. Their main motive appears to be to loot the armoury apart from terrorising the area and making a blood-soaked statement with impunity that they shall defy all joint operations by the central and state forces to restore peace and normalcy in the area. The Maoists looted around 40 sophisticated firearms.

The attack took place in broad daylight on the day of the weekly bazaar, “haat”, that assembled near the camp. West Bengal director general of police has gone on record to state that the jawans found it difficult to retaliate fire in the fear of collateral damage as thousands had gathered for their weekly purchases. The West Bengal state government has ordered an official enquiry to establish if there was any case of intelligence failure or other factors which could have possibly prevented such an attack. This attack has only redoubled the resolve to put an end to this mindless violence that has gripped the area generating terror and anarchy.

On February 9, the union home minister had convened a meeting of the chief ministers of West Bengal, Orissa, Jharkhand and Bihar at Kolkata to discuss joint operations that need to be launched by the respective state forces along with the central forces to combat Maoist violence. By now it is clear that Maoist squads move across the borders of the adjoining states in order to avoid confrontation with the police and paramilitary forces of one particular state after they mount an attack in the other state. Since law and order is a state subject, the forces of one state cannot operate in the other except when explicitly permitted to do so. In order to prevent the Maoists from taking advantage of this situation to carry out their violent terrorist attacks it is necessary that all the four state governments and the centre act in unison to combat this menace. Media reports suggest that even in this attack on the EFR camp in Mednipur the Maoist squads returned to their hideouts in Jharkhand after the attack.

After the February 9 meeting the union home minister had publicly told the Maoists, “Once you halt violence, we are ready to talk to you. My earlier appeals were spurned by them and we had to continue with the operations and if the appeal is spurned again we will again start operations”. With this outrageous attack on the EFR camp it is clear that the Maoists have once again spurned the appeal of the union home minister. Repeatedly in the past the prime minister has stated both on the floor of the parliament and in public that Maoist violence constitutes the gravest threat to India’s internal security. It is time to meet this threat squarely in the interests of the nation and the people.

The Trinamul Congress continues to play footsie with the Maoists as clearly demonstrated by its chief unwilling to name the Maoists as being responsible for this attack. This despite the fact that the Maoist leaders themselves have publicly acknowledged in the media that they are responsible for this attack and this was their answer to the joint operations to be launched by the centre and various state governments. That the Maoists reciprocate the Trinamul Congress’s softness became clear when their spokesman informed sections of the media that the Maoists “will not attack or target the Trinamul Congress”. Two days before this attack on the EFR camp, the Maoist leader of West Midnapur announced, “We have decided that there will be no action or punishment of any kind against Trinamul functionaries”. A few days earlier Maoist leader Kishenji had extended support to the Trinamul and welcomed its leader’s move to demand the withdrawal of security forces from West Midnapur. (Asian Age, February 17). By now it is well-known that the Trinamul Congress has openly called for a halt of all operations by security forces against the Maoists so that the latter can continue to terrorise the people through their violence and browbeat them into opposing the Left Front in the forthcoming elections to the state assembly in 2011.

The union home minister had earlier sounded a little sympathetic to the Trinamul Congress demand when he said on February 9 that “she (Mamata) is concerned that the general people would be affected by the joint operations and it is a genuine concern. We have to take note of her concern and we would act accordingly.” With this latest outrageous attack it is clear that the Maoists are bent upon perpetuating their violence and are finding a high degree of solace and comfort to carry out their murderous attacks given the stand taken by the Trinamul Congress. The Congress Party and the UPA-II will have to take a call on explaining to the people how a union cabinet minister can act in defiance of the prime minister’s public utterances that the Maoist violence constitutes the gravest threat to India’s internal security.

While the Maoists have decided that they would not take any action or punishment against Trinamul functionaries, they have so far since the general elections murdered in cold blood 168 cadre belonging to the CPI(M). All these comrades belonged to those very exploited and oppressed classes whose interests the Maoists claim to espouse. The targeting and killing of key CPI(M) cadre is part of the gameplan to terrorise the general public and in turn favour the prospects of the Trinamul Congress in the forthcoming assembly elections. The Trinamul Congress is pursuing such a diabolical electoral agenda at the immense cost of human life and spread of anarchy.

Way back on January 15, the Trinamul Congress chief told a public meeting that she was giving a seven day ultimatum to the Maoists to come to the negotiations table. “Or else, I shall launch padayatras to restore peace and rule of law.” Even after six weeks there has been no padayatra and it is clear that such utterances were only for public consumption. Revealing the real motive she said at the same meeting: “if necessary, I shall try my best to prevail upon the union government to meet your demands including withdrawal of joint forces from Lalgarh.” (Telegraph, January 16)

It is clear that such political maneuvering at the cost of bloodshed and at the expense of loss of human life, spread of terror and anarchy, posing a grave threat to peace and normalcy as well as to India’s internal security cannot be allowed to succeed in the interests of our country and the future of our people. It is imperative that the joint operations with the central forces and a coordinated action by the four concerned state governments must be intensified to ensure that peace and normalcy returns to these areas and the threats to internal security are squarely met.

(February 21, 2010)

‘Maoists’ Unabated Barbarism in Jangal Mahal Area

By N S Arjun

LALGARH(WEST MEDINIPUR),13th September,2009: RATAN Mahato, a school teacher in Pirakata village, 25 km away from Lalgarh town, was a CPI(M) supporter. And for this ‘crime’, the ‘Maoists’ had made him hold his ears and do squats publicly in July 2009, ordering that he immediately quit the Party. Although Mahato had distanced himself from the Party, he did not put up posters proclaiming his quitting the Party as was demanded. Around 20 of these blood-thirsty goons returned to Pirakata on the night of August 25, 2009, and brutally slit his throat after severely beating him up for not obeying their order.

This gory incident is only one example of continuing barbarity of ‘Maoists’ in the jangal mahal area comprising the forest areas of West Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia districts. Despite the central and state police forces' joint operation and presence in Lalgarh area, the killings, the burning down of CPI(M) offices, the looting of houses of CPI(M) supporters beatings and kidnaps etc continue unhindered. After sunset when the forces return to their base camps, the armed 'Maoist' squads take over. They conduct marches in the villages, flashing their AK-47s and INSAS rifles, terrorising the poor tribals. And among those in the killer squads are members of the 'People’s Committee Against Police Atrocities’ comprising Trinamuli, Jharkhand Party activists. Trinamuli/Jharkhandis in day-time and Maoists by night! This nexus, of course, had become clear when Trinamuli activist Chatradhar Mahato became secretary of the People’s Committee. His younger brother Sasadhar Mahato is a zonal commander of ‘Maoists’ while the secretary of the committee is a ‘Maoist’ action squad member.

But why is this reign of terror continuing even after deployment of central and state armed forces in good strength in these areas? After the first phase of joint operations against the ‘Maoists’ in Lalgarh in mid-June, there was some improvement in the situation with the state administration bring able to make entry and establish apparent control of the area. Some relief was provided to the people in terms of delivering food rations and rendering health services. The people gave good reception to the security forces. However the situation deteriorated from the first week of July as the security operations got bogged down and entered into such a mode that their actual purpose was not being served. Occasionally, encounters do take place but the hot pursuit and neutralisation of the criminals is not happening.

It is pertinent to recall here the hue and cry raised by the Trinamul chief and key union cabinet minister Mamata Banarjee immediately after the first phase of joint operations started yielding results. She openly demanded cessation of these operations and withdrawal of central forces from Lalgarh. Disregarding the advice of the state government, two union ministers, Sishir Adhikary and Mukul Roy, accompanied by the leader of opposition in the state Partho Chatterjee went to Lalgarh on July 28, 2009 along with a jumbo team and held public meetings demanding withdrawal of security forces. They charged that the central government was strengthening the CPI(M) by sending these forces. On the same day they held a closed-door meeting with activists of People’s Committee, among whom were known ‘Maoist’ elements. What transpired in the meeting is not known but the consequences have been very clear. There has been a spurt in the killings of CPI(M) supporters, their torture, looting, burning of property etc after this closed-door meeting. It is clear these elements were reassured by the central ministers presence and backing.

Simultaneously there has been a lag in the security forces’ operations. The CRPF adopted a particular modus operandi here which not only prevents speedy pursuit of culprits but also could alert them about the impending search operation. After the experiences in Chhatisgarh, the CRPF decided to move only in large formations here for any operation. Also, there is a condition that an equal strength of state police force should accompany them. The forces have so far arrested around 45 persons but only very few among them are ‘Maoists’. This situation is being utilised by the ‘Maoists’ to expand their areas of domination. In the recent past they could extend to two more Gram Panchayats. The 15-day long strike called by them from August 18-31, 2009 demanding withdrawal of security forces saw some areas of Jhagram also getting affected. It is learnt that they are conducting around seven armed training camps in the surrounding jungles in which even 16-year olds are being imparted weapons-training. Is there a linkage between the spurt in the incidents of violence and a perceptible lag in the operations of the central security forces? Has Trinamul Congress pressure for cessation of all operations by security forces and their withdrawal worked? At this stage one can only surmise.

PEOPLE’S RESISTANCE

Unlike in any other state they are operating in, the ‘Maoists’ face organised people’s resistance in Bengal to their barbarities against the poor and the weak. This resistance is led by the CPI(M). This, in part, explains the entire thrust of 'Maoists' on terrorising the villagers from any form of association with the CPI(M). That the ‘Maoists’ are not entirely succeeding in this is apparent from an incident in Nepura village, 10 km away from Lalgarh, on September 7, 2009. A former CPI(M) MLA and member of CPI(M) West Midnapore district committee, Durga Tudu, was sought to be attacked by five armed ‘Maoists’. Even as they were approaching his house with guns slinging on their shoulders, more than 40 villagers spontaneously resisted them with whatever they could lay their hands on – axes, sticks, rods etc. Clearly outnumbered and seeing the rage of the villagers, the ‘Maoists’ tried to beat a hasty retreat. But three of them were caught by the villagers with their guns and thrashed and later handed over to the police. The media has commented that this is the first instance in Lalgarh where the 'Maoists' had to face such a situation. But even earlier also such incidents of resistance took place. During our visit to Salboni recently, we met with one such comrade from Babubasha village under Salboni PS limits. On June 23, 2009, six armed “Maoists’ came to his house and called him out. They beat up his two sons who were sitting on the verandah when they tried to obstruct them. Both the sons bravely fought the ‘Maoists’ with bare hands. Hearing the commotion, hundreds of villagers gathered and chased away the armed goons some 2 km into the forests. Now, the Party is sheltering the entire family of this comrade. CPI(M) West Midnapore district secretary Professor Dipak Sarkar said that the Party has moved out around 5000 such comrades from these areas and is taking care of them. He said the Party is campaigning all over the district against the terror unleashed by these forces. A one-lakh strong procession under the aegis of the Left Front was held in the district headquarters, Medinipur, on August 16 which created a good impact on the people. Similarly all mass organisations have been conducting mass programmes mobilising the people against terror and anarchy. However, he underlined that this problem is a very serious one and needs to be tackled with much patience and sacrifices. He expressed the confidence that ultimately the people will overcome these forces of terror and anarchy.

Anuj Pandey, CPI(M) Binpur zonal secretary, (under which zone Lalgarh falls) expressed similar resolve. As the man top most on the hit list of these goons, he is remarkably unassuming and unnerved. He reeled off the names of comrades killed or kidnapped, by the 'Maoists' in his zonal area. His own home in Bharatpur village has been razed to ground and looted. Under precarious conditions, he is immersed in organising people's resistance to the 'Maoists'. Many people in the villages under 'Maoist' control are dissatisfied and angry due to various reasons. Primary among them is the stoppage of all sort of development activity or services by the administration due to this terror. Moreover, there is blatant extortion/looting by these elements. In fact, recently the 'Maoists' shot dead two of their Jharkhandi colleagues over a dispute about extortion money. There are also serious charges of siphoning of government money by the panchayats ruled by Trinamuli/Jharkhand Party leaders to procure arms for the 'Maoists'. But to channelise this dissatisfaction into a fight against these forces requires the presence of the CPI(M) in these areas. There is talk of a coordinated 'major offensive' against 'Maoists' by security forces stationed here along with the forces in neighbouring Jharkhand. It remains to be seen when that is going to happen and how successful it is going to be in creating confidence among the people.

Some Recent Incidents of Violence

Every other day in Bengal, some or other CPI(M) leaders / activists / sympathisers / supporters are being shot or hacked to death or kidnapped by the murderous goons of Trinamul-'Maoists' combine. Below we give a list of a few of these recent attacks.

August 30: 'Maoists' beat up a woman panchayat chief in Purulia, Latika Hemambra because she had not obeyed their diktat a year ago to quit the CPI(M). Around 8 p m, about 30 goons, armed with rifles, single-barrel guns and revolvers, marched to Nodudi village in the Ayodhya hills of Purulia. When they reached the village — Latika lives there — they warned the people not to step out of their houses.

On reaching Latika’s hut they kicked open the door. Latika, 32, and her husband Gopal, a CPI(M) worker, were sleeping in the courtyard. “We asked you to quit the CPI(M) a year ago. But you did not,” the Maoists yelled at her. Then they started hitting the couple using their rifle butts. “‘If you don’t quit the party now, you will be murdered’, they proclaimed and went away firing their guns in the air.

From there they marched 10 km to Jitinglahar village to CPI(M) branch secretary Debiprasad Hansda's home. Debiprasad was sleeping with his father Hiralal, 68. As soon as his mother opened the door, about 10 rebels rushed in, pushing her aside. Debiprasad’s parents fell at the feet of the Maoists, begging for their son’s life. They kicked the 45-year-old CPI(M) leader awake, then shot him twice in the chest. He died on the spot. “They told him this was the price of his association with the corrupt CPI(M). Then they shot him twice,” wept Hiralal, according to newspaper reports.

August 29: Two CPI(M) supporters were shot dead by 'Maoists' in West Midnapore and Purulia, both rebel strongholds. Lakshmi Kanta Kumar, a 50-year- old CPI(M) local committee secretary was waylaid by a group of Maoists when he was returning home in Arsa, Purulia, about 360 km from Calcutta. He was murdered near a CRPF camp in Mudali, which is near Arsa. According to reports, five assailants on motorbikes fired at Lakshmi from a close range, killing him on the spot. The assailants fled under the cover of darkness, In another incident, an armed gang of Maoists killed Bidyut Baran Das in Binpur, West Midnapore. The assailants stopped Bidyut, 48, a poultry seller and supporter of CPI(M), when he was returning home on his bicycle and pumped bullets into him,

August 28: Mangal Soren, DYFI activist in Binpur, who was mobilising public opinion against a Maoist-backed bandh was gunned down while he was tilling his land. Five 'Maoists' came on motorcycles and shot him from close range. The blood-thirsty hoodlums then hacked him with axes. An axe flew out of the hand of one of the attackers and hit another farmer at a distance. After the gang left, villagers put the two on a trekker and rushed them to hospital, but Mangal Soren died on the way. Soren was actively campaigning against the strike in West Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia called by the People's Committee demanding withdrawal of security forces from Lalgarh.

August 19: The houses of CPI(M) local committee member Bankim Singha and chief of the Baita gram panchayat Suman Singha were attacked by ‘Maoists’. This despite both the leaders announcing that they had quit the party a month ago following Maoist threats. Fortunately, both of them were not present at the time of these attacks. After ransacking and breaking the furniture with axes and rods, the goons looted jewellery and money. On the same day the CPI(M) local committee office in Malbandhi was also attacked and burnt.

August 15: ‘Maoists’ shot dead a CPI(M) leader, Ramkrishna Duley, in a Bankura village about 25 km from Lalgarh. The 47 year old leader was returning home from his field in the afternoon when two men cycled up to him on a dirt road and opened fire. Duley was killed 500 metres from his home in Sarenga. He is the first CPI(M) man to be killed in Bankura since the security forces moved into Lalgarh.

Singur Siege: Meet This Challenge Politically

THE siege of the Tata Motors project in Singur, West Bengal by a grand alliance of disparate forces led by the Trinamul Congress’s Mamta Banerjee continues to disrupt normalcy and all developmental activities in the area. The Durgapur Expressway, one of the main road arteries in the region, continues to remain blocked completely disrupting the flow of goods and public transport. It has severely affected normal life by preventing patients and sick people from rural Bengal to reach hospitals in Kolkata. With dwindling public support, calls have been given to disrupt traffic and rail communications all across the state.

Elsewhere in this issue, CPI(M) Polit Bureau member and industries minister of West Bengal gives the details of the project and an exposure of the preposterous charges and demands raised by the opposition. Also reproduced is a map showing the irrationality of demanding a portion of the land to be returned to the farmer owners as these plots are scattered and do not form any contiguous area. The West Bengal state government is engaged in dealing with the situation despite the opposition’s repeated refusal to accept invitations for talks. Let us consider some of the important issues thrown up by this agitation.

Firstly, those spearheading this agitation have used as one of their fundamental pillars of opposition, the canard that industrialisation in Bengal is impossible under the Left Front government. This has been their constant refrain for the last three decades. Now when concrete and significant industrialisation efforts are successfully advancing, these very forces seek to thwart them. The politics of this is not far to seek. If industrialisation advances in Bengal under the Left Front government, then the raison d’etre of the opposition’s political existence will simply cease. Hence, for their political survival, they need to prevent industrialisation in Bengal and, therefore, to sabotage greater employment opportunities and better livelihood for the people. They, thus, emerge as the enemies of Bengal’s prosperity.

Secondly, this opposition comes from those very political forces in Bengal that had violently opposed land reforms and openly sided with the landlords protecting their illegal possession of vast amounts of land above the legal ceiling. Since the Left Front government came into existence in 1977, West Bengal has distributed more land to the landless than any other state in the country. While its population is only 8 per cent of that of India’s, 22 per cent of all land distributed in the country is in West Bengal. The 29.7 lakh beneficiaries of land reforms in Bengal account for 55 per cent of all beneficiaries in India. During the last three years, over 2 lakh hectares (nearly five lakh acres) of cultivable land has been compulsorily acquired for non-agricultural uses all over India as compared to a few thousand acres in Bengal, much of which has been for highways. The compensation for such acquisition in Singur in West Bengal compared to elsewhere in the country is highly favourable. Not only were the peasants given three times the current market price, for the first time anywhere in the country those non-owners of land but dependent on the land for their livelihood, like tenant farmers, were also given compensation.

During these very three years, between 2005-08, as against the less than thousand acres acquired in Singur, nearly 30,000 acres of land was distributed to the landless in West Bengal. This has not happened anywhere else in the country. Those who are opposing the industrialisation efforts in Bengal by charging the Left Front of forcibly acquiring cultivable land deliberately seek to conceal such facts.

Despite such successes of the land reforms, the future development of the state rested mainly in rapid industrialisation. Amongst various reasons, one important issue was the fragmentation of land following the distribution some decades ago. For the 997.11 acres of land acquired, the number of owners eligible for compensation were over 13,000 apart from the tenant farmers. This means that nearly 13 families were surviving on one acre of land. In reality, only one or two families would cultivate, while the rest would eke out their livelihood by doing sundry jobs outside. Clearly, therefore, without rapid industrialisation that will generate employment, the future of Bengal and the prosperity of its people is impossible.

Finally, the success of such efforts for Bengal’s industrialisation and the consequent improvements in people’s livelihood, the opposition feared would lead to the further consolidation of the Left Front and its support base. From the opposition’s point of view, for their very survival, this had to be thwarted at all costs. This is precisely what they are attempting. In the process, a grand alliance led by the Trinamul and including the Congress, BJP, some Muslim fundamentalist organisations, 'Maoists', SUCI, foreign-funded NGOs and sections of the corporate media has been forged to oppose the Left Front. All these outfits represent the interests of one or the other who seek to weaken the Left forces in India today.

The opposition to imperialist efforts to convert India as its `subordinate ally’ comes from the Left. The opposition to neo-liberal economic reforms that are aimed at creating super profits for domestic and foreign capital comes from the Left. The Left’s protection of the public sector denies the access to quick profits through privatisation to corporate India. The RSS/BJP see the Left as the main bulwark preventing their return to power. Extremist elements of all other hues and reactionary forces see the Left as the main champion of India’s unity, integrity and social harmony. Foreign-funded NGOs, of course, have the agendas of their mentors to further.

It is, therefore, not unnatural for all these forces, disparate as they may appear, to unite to thwart the further advance of the Left. Thus, they target West Bengal as it is the strongest bastion of the Left in India. What is happening around Singur today is, thus, a political challenge being mounted against the CPI(M) and the Left by this grand alliance. This is not the first time that this is happening. It has been met before. It shall be met once more.

EDITORIAL,

People's Democracy,

August 31, 2008