Kolkata, July 09: The bandh called by the People’s Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCPA) in Lalgarh on Wednesday paralysed life in the area, which looked deserted. The relief work at the BDO office was also affected by the bandh.
Happy with the bandh’s response, PCPA leader Chhatradhar Mahato dared the state government to arrest him but said he was ready to talk to the state government to bring about an end to the violence in the area.
“I am in Lalgarh and I challenge the administration to arrest me. Lalgarh will burn if that happens,” he told The Indian Express over phone.
The PCPA had called the bandh in the tribal areas in three districts of West Midnapore, Purulia and Bankura to protest against the alleged harassment of villagers during the operation to flush out Maoists from Lalgarh.
“These are similar atrocities that forced us to start the movement one-and-a-half-years ago,” Mahatao said. “Now, we are preparing for a bigger mass movement. But if the government wants to stop this violence and is willing to sit for talks, I am also ready,” he added.
areas in Lalgarh, Goaltore, Kantapahari, Belpahari, Pirakata, Jhargram and Salboni witnessed a shutdown since morning. Shops and business establishments in towns remained closed. Only a few villagers and local administrative officials turned up at the Lalgarh BDO office, where the government is providing relief materials to people. Panchayat offices also remained shut.
Transportation too was hit, with both the state-run and private buses remaining off the roads. “We are trying to maintain normalcy here. We also held a meeting regarding relief and development work going on in the tribal belt,” said Narayan Swarup Nigam, the district magistrate of West Midnapore.
Top state officials, who are currently touring the area, however, went ahead with their schedule and held meetings over development works that are required to be carried out in the area.
Security forces, meanwhile, arrested PCPA member Kartik Debsingho from Manikpara in Jhargram. While Mahato claimed Debsingho is the district secretary of PCPA, the Trinamool Congress said that he was their leader but was forced to join the Committee.
“Debsingho is our leader. He joined the PCPA out of fear. The police are pinpointing our leaders and arresting them in false cases,” said Mrigen Maity, Trinamool Congress president of West Midnapore.
Newborn, mother return home
Jashomoni Mandi, the woman who had given birth to a child at a relief camp during the operations against Maoists in the Lalgarh area, went back to her home in Chotopelia village on Tuesday.
For the last one week, she and her child had to stay at the Narcha primary school, a relief camp. Her newborn girl child is doing well. A medical team visited them on Monday. Jashomoni, however, refused to go to the hospital and instead returned home.
–Agencies