The Hindu : Front Page : Fresh violence rocks Lalgarh

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jun 18, 2009
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Front Page

Front Page

Fresh violence rocks Lalgarh

Raktima Bose and Marcus Dam

West Bengal government set for crackdown on agitators

— PHOTO: PTI/Swapan Mahapatra (More reports on PAGE 13)

DEMOLITION MEN: Activists of the People’s Committee Against Police Atrocities destroy the house of Chani Karan, a CPI(M) zonal committee member, at Lalgarh in West Medinipur district on Wednesday.

LALGARH/KOLKATA: A local leader and two activists of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) were gunned down by suspected Maoists in the Jhargram area of West Bengal’s Paschim Medinipur district, about 20 km from the strife-torn Lalgarh area that was rocked by a fresh wave of violence on Wednesday.

The State government said it was “ready” for operations against the trouble-makers following support from the ruling Left Front constituents for tough measures.

Three houses belonging to CPI(M) leaders were ransacked and set ablaze in areas adjoining Lalgarh, parts of which have been rendered inaccessible with roads dug up by activists of the Maoist-backed Police Santrosh Birodhi Janashadharaner Committee (People’s Committee Against Police Atrocities) to prevent the entry of Central paramilitary forces being deployed in the region.

“The ground situation at Lalgarh was reviewed and we are ready to put an end to the violence there,” Home Secretary Ardhendu Sen said here on his return from Lalgarh. “An operation will be launched. It will be led by the State police and with the Central forces as a back-up,” he added without going into details.

Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram had said in New Delhi that his impression was that while one section of the State government “was willing to take action” in Lalgarh, the other was “worried about the consequences.” This is a “judgment” that the Chief Minister must make, he had added.

However, Chief Secretary Ashok Mohan Chakraborty, said: “There is no question of any division in the State government; all are agreed on the matter.”

Cautioning the Maoists against “using innocent women and children as human shields” Mr. Chakraborty urged them “to put an immediate end to such inhuman tactics.”

Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee informed a meeting of Left leaders of the initiatives being taken to tackle the situation in Lalgarh. Mr. Bhattacharjee reportedly spoke of armed gangs of Maoist activists, trained in Jharkhand, being active in the Lalgarh area.

Related stories:

Problem at Lalgarh spreading: official

“PSBJC will accept democratic forces’ support”

Tribals hold rally in Lalgarh

Lalgarh situation worsens

3 bodies recovered from Lalgarh

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page