Acting on a tip-off that some West Bengal state level Maoist leaders may conduct a confidential meeting at a football field near Kanjimakli forest in West Midnapore district of Bengal for recruiting new cadres, police nabbed four people with suspected Maoist links.
The four arrested are — Sabyasachi Goswami, Sanjib Majumdar, Arkadip Goswami, and Tipu Sultan.
Interestingly, a leaflet has been found allegedly on them signed by Akash alias Ashim Mandal — state secretary of CPI (Maoists) and sole surviving member of Kishenji’s squad. The last time Akash issued a press statement was in 2011 and this is for the first time in the last seven years, after Kishenji’s death in operations by joint forces, that he has come up with a statement.
The leaflet, in possession of Zee Media, begins with self-criticism of Maoists and how the people of Jangalmahal has lost faith in the guerrillas. For the first time since Kishenji’s death in 2011, Akash admits of excesses on people. He also admits that the ‘gun politics’ took the better of them.
“The communists are not scared of self-criticism. Real communists accept their mistakes and then move on. In the Lalgarh movement, we made a few mistakes. We committed mistakes where “gun politics” took the better of us. We committed murders that could have been avoided. As a result of which, we have lost a lot of support among the people of Jangalmahal. I want to apologise to them,” the leaflet reads.
For the first time, Akash accuses BJP of converting tribals into Hinduism. “All of you know that BJP engages in Mandir-Masjid politics. In Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh tribals are being attacked by BJP. Demonetisation has hit small businessmen and common men. BJP and RSS are also converting tribals into Hinduism through their Ekal Vidyalayas,” it further read.
Reacting to Akash’s allegations on Ekal Vidyalaya, the RSS state secretary, Jishnu Basu said, “These are baseless allegations. We take education to those who cannot reach schools. Be it tribals or any other caste or creed, the sole purpose of Ekal Vidyalaya is imparting education.”
Friends of Tribal Society, Purbanchal Kalyan Ashram and Viswa Hindu Parishad (VHP) run the Ekal Vidyalayas in Bengal.
In the letter, Akash then urged the people to come forward and launch a movement against the state and the central government. “I’m requesting the comrades of Jangalmahal to come forward and support this movement. Reject the rehabilitation packages offered by the government and Hindutva politics. Take up the red flag and join the movement,” the statement reads.
On the other hand, a growing concern for the Bengal government is the former city committee members and Maoist sympathisers connecting with Akash’s squad. Sabyasachi Goswami was arrested in 2013 by Kolkata Police’s STF for having alleged links with Maoist leaders. Since then, he has almost remained inactive. This arrest has left the security agencies concerned as Maoist recruitment drives have surfaced.
After Kishenji’s encounter in the year 2011, the state committee ceased to exist. Reports say that Akash’s squad is in the preparatory stage for building the state committee.
West Bengal is no longer a guerrilla zone in Maoist parlance that it used to be just eight years ago. Close to 500 guerrillas, more than 10 squads of the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) once existed, Purulia alone had a platoon of 34 guerrillas. Now, not a single such squad exists. Akash’s squad is the sole existing squad and is presently trying to revive old contacts, develop a strong information network and regain lost hold.
Source: Zee News