Thursday, June 18, 2009
Communist Party of India (Maoist)s aim is to break CPM shackles
He is leading the Lalgarh offensive in West Midnapore district of West Bengal (India). Around 24 years old, he is a veteran in Maoist ranks, serving as zonal committee secretary of Communist Party of India (Maoist) for West Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia districts. Sukumar Mahato speaks to firebrand Maoist Bikash about his party's plans:
- What are your immediate plans?Our aim is to break the shackles that the ruling CPM has put on the people of this area. For nearly two decades, the people have not reaped the so-called benefits of parliamentary democracy. Gradually, everything began to be controlled by CPM. Its leaders even had a say in marriages and other social and personal matters. There are many leaders against whom FIRs are pending. The police have taken no action against them. We will punish them. Those who have spent money or used political connections to avoid justice will be tried by people's courts.
- The government is preparing to strike in a major way How will you counter this? We have seen media reports in which government officials have spoken about bringing in Central forces, COBRA or Greyhound personnel. We are prepared for any strike. PCPA is with us. In Purulia, Bankura and West Midnapore districts, we have set up gram committees in over 250 villages. We shall ultimately liberate Keshpur and Garbeta. The state cannot stop us by using force.
- Why have you resorted to violence? We were forced into taking up arms by the administration. When we had guns pointing at us, one can't expect us to respond with flower petals. Violence was started by CPM. We took up arms to counter this. Many of them are educated unemployed youths. Family members of CPM leaders have got jobs that were meant for them.
- Why do you target the police? Many of the constables belong to poor families. We have appealed to the police a number of times, not to blindly follow the diktats of CPM. We have asked the police not to torture poor villagers. There are some who heeded our appeal. Those who we targeted worked at the behest of CPM and paid a price.
- What is your ultimate goal? We want public funds to be used by the people's committee. They will be accountable for all development work done. We have already done a lot of development work in the villages. CPM talks a lot about land reforms. Anuj Pandey and his two brothers owned 40 bighas of land. We shall distribute such land among the poor.
Inactive administration and a corrupt CPM Govermment in West bengal leads to Lalgarg violence
LALGARH a well-planned strategy and a perfectly executed warplan, using tribal grievance against an inactive administration and a corrupt CPM government in West Bengal state in india.
That, in a nutshell, sums up how the Maoist movement gathered momentum in West Midnapore, Purulia and Bankura with Lalgarh as the base. The insurgent outfit has been steadily spreading its tentacles and extending its strongholds almost every day at a furious pace over the last seven months. It has reached areas like Jhalda, Bagmundi and Ayodhya in Purulia and Ranibandh and Jhilimili in Bankura. If Salboni which is believed to be the next target falls, then almost the entire western part of the state would be lost. The Maoists did not win the area overnight. In fact, they found it difficult to make headway initially. Till the merger of People's War Group (PWG) and Maoist Communist Centre (MCC) the Left radicals were active only in pockets of Binpur block II and in the area from Belpahari to Banshpahari and were never a force to reckon with. Then the merger took place in 2004 and the Maoist movement took a leap ahead. The two groups galvanized perfectly with the armed wing of PWG the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) providing a militant edge to the theoretical and political campaign of MCC. It helped Maoists spread their base in the Jharkhand-Orissa border areas that served as a transit point. Things took another turn with the arrest of Somen, the CPI(Maoist) state secretary in 2008. It intensified the PLGA's militant campaign. The landmine attack on the chief minister's convoy in Salboni on November 2 served as a flashpoint. It shook the police into action and a combing operation.
was launched at Salboni, barely 9 km from Midnapore town. Three PLGA squads were active in the area by then the Belpahari squad under Madan Mahato, the Lalgarh squad under Shashadhar Mahato and the Dolma squad in Purulia. Police charged Shashadhar and raided Chhotobelia, his village. The combing operation which had led to excesses alienated the locals. It fuelled a movement and led to the formation of People's Committee against Police Atrocities (PCPA) which became the frontal organization helping to shield the Maoists who worked from behind the scenes. The tribals united on an anti-police and anti-government plank joined PCPA spontaneously and it helped Maoists form a network over a larger area. The movement spread like wildfire across Jangalkhand. Using the PCPA local committees, Maoists gained access to information and logistical support from every corner of the region. From November 12 when PCPA was formed at a rally at Kantapahari the 14 km road connecting Lalgarh police station with the Ramgarh outpost remained blocked for a month. Maoists used the time to strengthen their network, taking advantage of the fact that neither the administration nor police could enter. Soon, all three roads leading to Lalgarh through Pirakata forest, from Midnapore town through Dharampur and from Goaltore were cut off. With PCPA in the forefront, senior Maoist leaders and armed outfits started infiltrating. Leaders like Chandrasekhar and Akash camped there, helping strengthen the base. It was in this period that the PCPA influence spread to Binpur I and II, Jamboni, parts of Jhargram block and Salboni. Now, all areas in a 30-km radius of Lalgarh have been captured'. Strengthened by the local support base, they now went on uniting all the anti-CPM forces. Between January and June, several CPM leaders were killed. The Maoists finally came out in the open with a procession at Madhupur village, which led to an attack on several CPM leaders' houses. Ever since, a new area has been added to the Maoist territory every other day. Babuibasha, Shaluka, Ramgarh, Belatikri and its adjacent areas fell soon. And finally, the entire stretch from Lalgarh to Dherua, including Dharampur, has been captured last Sunday. It could be mission Salboni next. For that's just about the only area where CPM still exists. If that happens, Maoists could shift their base to Garbeta and Keshpur.
That, in a nutshell, sums up how the Maoist movement gathered momentum in West Midnapore, Purulia and Bankura with Lalgarh as the base. The insurgent outfit has been steadily spreading its tentacles and extending its strongholds almost every day at a furious pace over the last seven months. It has reached areas like Jhalda, Bagmundi and Ayodhya in Purulia and Ranibandh and Jhilimili in Bankura. If Salboni which is believed to be the next target falls, then almost the entire western part of the state would be lost. The Maoists did not win the area overnight. In fact, they found it difficult to make headway initially. Till the merger of People's War Group (PWG) and Maoist Communist Centre (MCC) the Left radicals were active only in pockets of Binpur block II and in the area from Belpahari to Banshpahari and were never a force to reckon with. Then the merger took place in 2004 and the Maoist movement took a leap ahead. The two groups galvanized perfectly with the armed wing of PWG the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) providing a militant edge to the theoretical and political campaign of MCC. It helped Maoists spread their base in the Jharkhand-Orissa border areas that served as a transit point. Things took another turn with the arrest of Somen, the CPI(Maoist) state secretary in 2008. It intensified the PLGA's militant campaign. The landmine attack on the chief minister's convoy in Salboni on November 2 served as a flashpoint. It shook the police into action and a combing operation.
was launched at Salboni, barely 9 km from Midnapore town. Three PLGA squads were active in the area by then the Belpahari squad under Madan Mahato, the Lalgarh squad under Shashadhar Mahato and the Dolma squad in Purulia. Police charged Shashadhar and raided Chhotobelia, his village. The combing operation which had led to excesses alienated the locals. It fuelled a movement and led to the formation of People's Committee against Police Atrocities (PCPA) which became the frontal organization helping to shield the Maoists who worked from behind the scenes. The tribals united on an anti-police and anti-government plank joined PCPA spontaneously and it helped Maoists form a network over a larger area. The movement spread like wildfire across Jangalkhand. Using the PCPA local committees, Maoists gained access to information and logistical support from every corner of the region. From November 12 when PCPA was formed at a rally at Kantapahari the 14 km road connecting Lalgarh police station with the Ramgarh outpost remained blocked for a month. Maoists used the time to strengthen their network, taking advantage of the fact that neither the administration nor police could enter. Soon, all three roads leading to Lalgarh through Pirakata forest, from Midnapore town through Dharampur and from Goaltore were cut off. With PCPA in the forefront, senior Maoist leaders and armed outfits started infiltrating. Leaders like Chandrasekhar and Akash camped there, helping strengthen the base. It was in this period that the PCPA influence spread to Binpur I and II, Jamboni, parts of Jhargram block and Salboni. Now, all areas in a 30-km radius of Lalgarh have been captured'. Strengthened by the local support base, they now went on uniting all the anti-CPM forces. Between January and June, several CPM leaders were killed. The Maoists finally came out in the open with a procession at Madhupur village, which led to an attack on several CPM leaders' houses. Ever since, a new area has been added to the Maoist territory every other day. Babuibasha, Shaluka, Ramgarh, Belatikri and its adjacent areas fell soon. And finally, the entire stretch from Lalgarh to Dherua, including Dharampur, has been captured last Sunday. It could be mission Salboni next. For that's just about the only area where CPM still exists. If that happens, Maoists could shift their base to Garbeta and Keshpur.
Times of india 18th june20009
Monday, June 08, 2009
India can surprise the world that it can move ahead even in this global recession period
The growth rate for the global economies since 45 years has shown towards 3.7%. Now the prediction is about half of it. Historically whenever the global growth rate has gone below the threshold of 2.5%, global recession has happened. The global growth trend is likely to be at less than 2% over the next 3 years.
1 It may be sub prime crises/indebtedness/war; the world growth rate has fallen below 2.5%, resulting in global recession.
2 American consumer is the highest purchasing consumer in the world. America accounts 4.5% of world's population, consumed $10 trillion in 2008.Consumers in India and China combined close to 40% of the world population collectively consumed $2 trillion ! Over the next 3 to 5 years the growth rate of consumption in US won't go more than 1.5%; a dramatic slow down from the pre recession period norm of 4%.
3 It is predicted by economists that it is unnatural to think that India can go back to growth rates above 8% in the current environment; it will take next 2 to 3 years (2010to 2011) to reach that mark.
4 India has massive capital and high budget deficits. The stable Government of Indian can take firm decisions to iron out the recession. It can economise on expenditures. Raise resources.Accelerate the manufacturing sector to grow at a much faster rate. India can surprise the world that it can move ahead even in this recession period
