Santosh Rana
First published: 27 August 2010.
Published on MIA: 10 December 2023.
Source: "Statement
of Santosh Rana, General Secretary of PCC CPI(ML), on Jangalmahal",
Radical Socialist (29 August 2010).
Copyright: This work by
Radical
Socialist is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India
License.
On 24 August 2010 evening, a Maoist squad launched attack on village
Lodhasuli in Jhargram p.s. Dt West Midnapur. With guns in hand, they forced the
villagers to assemle and five villagers were severely beaten up. They demanded
that Sm Rebati Chalak, the Gram-Panchayet member of Lohasuli should resign and
that they (squads) would run the Panchayet. They threatened the villagers with
dire consequences if
anybody gave shelter to Niranjan Bera ( the Secretary of Midnapur district
committee of CPI(ML) ) and Upanshu Mahato (the leader of the movement against
pollution of Sponge Iron factories).
On 26 August night, a Maoist squad accompanied by local Trinamool Congress
activists launched attack on village Chhota Gahira under Jhargram p.s.. They
severely beat up CPI(ML) members Guhiram Pal,
Durjodhan Mahato and Rajani Pal and other villagers. They threatened the
villagers that nobody should maintain links with any political party other than
the Maoists and Trinamool Congress.
The CPI(ML) severely condemns both these incidents.
The CPI(ML) is alarmed at the situation in Jangalmahal where in some areas armed
CPI(M) supporters are capturing villages with the help of Joint Forces while in
others, the Trinamool Congress is capturing
villages with the help of Maoist squads. None of them has any respect for the
democratic rights of the people.
The CPI(ML) has been active in the area for over forty years and led innumerable
struggles of the workers, peasants, Dalits and Adivasis on the issues of wages,
land, irrgation, Forest rights and Dalit-Adivasi
rights. In recent times, it has organized the people against atrocities by Joint
Forces and against pollution of Sponge Iron Factories. Upanshu Mahato was
recently in jail for launching movement against pollution. The rural reactionary
forces ( ex-landlords, usurers and bad gentry) who have always opposed
democratic movements have now become Maoist and Trinamool supporters and
attacking us.
In order to restore peace in Jangalmahal, the Joint forces should be withdrawn
and the CPI(M) on the one hand and the Maoist-Trinamool combine on the other
must stop capture of villages with arms. The
people’s fundamental right to life and right of expression must not be
suppressed.
Jhargram sub-division is now burning under severe drought. Many people are
starving. People need peace,food and jobs. Our appeal to ALL : Stop capturing
villages and stand by the villagers with
food,water and jobs
27 August 2010