[Reader-list] Trinamul ‘role’ in Rajdhani blockade

[prakash ray]

hi,

here is the text of a news report published in Telegraph today:
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1091101/jsp/bengal/story_11685508.jsp

PKR

Trinamul ‘role’ in Rajdhani blockade
BARUN GHOSH
A Rajdhani window smashed during the blockade

Calcutta, Oct. 31: A Trinamul Congress probe has found the involvement of
several party activists in Tuesday’s Raj-dhani blockade, suggesting that
either Mamata Banerjee’s efforts to distance herself from the Maoists had
not percolated to the grassroots or they are too petrified to snap ties with
the rebels.

The party’s Jhargram unit had conducted the probe at the instance of state
leaders following internal reports that many Trinamul activists had joined
the siege at Banstala.

“Banstala comes under the Trinamul-controlled Bandgora gram panchayat and
many of our supporters were with the People’s Committee (Against Police
Atrocities) during the siege,” said Gauranga Pradhan, a Trinamul general
secretary from West Midnapore.

The probe report has been sent to district leaders in Midnapore town and
state leaders in Calcutta, he added.

West Midnapore Trinamul president Mrigen Maity refused to reveal the
contents of the report but admitted that “a considerable number of
lower-level party workers were with the People’s Committee under pressure”.

“Party members and workers are helpless in the Jhargram, Binpur, Belpahari
and Salboni areas of West Midnapore. The People’s Committee has been using
them as a shield to step up their anti-government movement. Tell me, what
will our activists do in the face of constant threats?” he asked.

State Trinamul leaders preferred not to comment on the report. “I am not
aware of it. I don’t know if it has been sent to Mamatadi (Mamata
Banerjee),” said state party president Subrata Bakshi.

According to a section of Trinamul leaders, besides party activists’
involvement in the blockade, three other factors have added fuel to the CPM
campaign to “establish our links with the committee”.

First, East Midnapore district president and junior central minister Sisir
Adhikari’s public admission that he was aware in advance of the impending
train blockade.

“Being a party veteran from East Midnapore, Sisirda should not have made
such a statement. CPM leaders, including the chief minister, have cited it
as proof of our links with the committee,” said a Trinamul vice-president.

Second, the role played by two Naxalite leaders now associated with Mamata
to end the siege. “The blockade would have lasted longer had they not
initiated a dialogue with the committee,” said a Trinamul leader from south
Calcutta.

These Naxalites had joined Mamata’s Save Farmland Committee during the
Singur-Nandigram movement. “But they have been calling the shots in the
organisation of late with Mamata’s support,” alleged a Trinamul secretary
from North 24-Parganas.

Finally, the railways’ failure to lodge an FIR naming those who had led the
blockade.

Railway minister Mamata has been accused of trying to shield the culprits.