The sixth phase polls covered 14 seats in the Maoist-infested Jangalmahal area spread over West Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia districts end peacefully in Bengal on Tuesday (May10). According to Election Commission, besides the 41 para-military companies permanently stationed in the three districts to avoid any untoward incidents, 614 additional companies had been deployed for the polls besides a huge number of state police forces
The houses and offices of Marxists in and around Lalgarh,a tiny hamlet about 200 km away from Calcutta were attacked and burned down by protesters backed by Maoists.Lalgarh and surrounding areas became free zones for Maoists for seven months.Top ranking Maoists leaders appeared before the media (without facing the camera).Protesters alleged that corrupt Marxist leaders exploited tribals for years.Trouble started (Nov.2,2008) when two union ministers and chief minister of Bengal, Buddhadev Bhattacharya narrowly escaped from an explosion.Investigations by the police revealed that the Lalgarh squad of the Maoists were behind the attack. Three of the six people arrested in connection with the Lalgarh blast in West Midnapore District were school going boys.On Nov.9,a tribal outfit had set a series of conditions against the arrests of ‘innocent villagers’ to the District administration.Local people cutoff 25 out of 100 villages in Lalgarh,disconnecting them from the rest of the district.They also cut off the last road connecting Lalgarh to the rest of the state.Maoists threatened an armed resistance in the area.On Nov.14,Pulishi Santrash Birodhi Jonosadharoner Committee(PCPA) a new outfit was formed.Inaction of Police helped to spread out the violence and anarchy
On June 18 2009, Bengal government launched a counter-offensive against the Maoists or Naxals.Central security forces and a unit of Commando Battalions for Resolute Action (COBRA) led by Bengal police started counter offensive.On June 19,The Indian Home Minister P. Chidambaram asked West Bengal to ban the Maoists.On June 23,the spokesperson for the Maoists in West Bengal, Gaur Chakraborty, was arrested by the Calcutta police.Counter offensive is going on in Maoists infested Lalgarh and surrounding areas without much success.
The officer in charge of a police station Atindranath Dutta was abducted by armed Maoist cadres on Sept.20 afternoon.Maoists also looted weapons from the police station.They killed two police personnel and also looted a nearby bank.The OC belongs to the Sankrail police station in West Midnapore ,one of the three Maoists infested districts of West Bengal.
On Sept.21, the wife and parents of the abducted police officer met the chief minister of Bengal. After spending 50 hours as ‘prisoners of war’ , the abducted police officer Atindranath Dutta returned home on Friday (October 22, 2009) after West Bengal government agreed to release 14 women earlier arrested by the Police.This ends the 50 hour long hostage drama. In the forests of Domohini in Lalgarh, Maoists handed over Dutta to media persons.In exchange 14 elderly tribal women, suspected to be Maoists, were released on conditional bail by a Midnapore court.
Earlier in West Bengal, two Police constables, Siteshwar Prasad and Shishir Kanti Nag, who were abducted on September 26 by Maoists demanding the release of Chttradhar Mahato, were set free late in the night of Sept.26 at Jamtalghera in West Midnapore distric.A leader of Maoists backed organization PCPA, Chhtradhar was arrested by Policemen who posed as journalists on Sept.26.
On July 30,the Maoists abducted two Policemen, Sabbir Molla and Kanchan Bauri, Assistant Sub-inspectors of the State Armed Police.They were part of the team who were part of the joint forces engaged in anti-Maoists operations in Lalgarh.They are not yet released by the maoists.On June 18, Bengal government launched a counter-offensive against the Maoists or Naxals.Central security forces and a unit of Commando Battalions for Resolute Action (COBRA) led by Bengal police started counter offensive.On June 19,The Indian Home Minister P. Chidambaram asked West Bengal to ban the Maoists.On June 23,the spokesperson for the Maoists in West Bengal, Gaur Chakraborty, was arrested by the calcutta police.Counter offensive is going on in Maoists infested Lalgarh and surrounding areas without much success.
On September 30,Six Maoists cadres abducted Police Inspector (Special Branch) Francis Induwar, posted in the Khunti District of Jharkhand,neighbouring state of Bengal .Later Maoists claimed that they carried out the beheading of Police Inspector. On Oct. 6,the Jharkhand Police found the beheaded dead body of the abducted Police Inspector Francis Enduwar.
On September 21,2004, three left-wing Extremist groups to form a new outfit,the Communist party of India-Maoist(CPI-Maoist).After the merger, CPI-Maoist’s area of operation extended from Nepal, Bihar,Jharkhand to forest regions of Central India.Maoists also active in Andhra Pradesh in the South and West Bengal(three districts)in East.According to Maoists,their immediate intention is to advance ‘new democratic revolution’ in India.Maoists want to overthrow’ the semi-colonial, semi-feudal system under the neo-colonial form of indirect rule, exploitation and control’.According to Maoists this revolution will be carried out and completed through armed agrarian revolutionary war.Naxal movement derived its name in Bengal from Naxalbari,tiny hamlet in Northern part of Bengal in March 1967.It became known as Naxalbari movement and spread across the state and continued for long six years.It finally crushed in 1973.This movement revived on July 9, 2005 when Marxist leaders and a policeman were killed in two separate attacks by ultra left extremists.After the incident scores of policemen and Marxist leaders and innocent people were killed in landmine blasts by Maoists also called Naxals.Maoists spread their wings in tribal areas of West Bengal because democratically elected government failed to provide basic amenities.Government failed to provide basic amenities lie water,electricity,road,heath center.
Maoists in India generally use gelatin sticks and other explosives, detonators.They also use rocket launchers AK47s,INSAS,SLRs.They frequently use improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) to attack security forces.Maoists have the access of large number of country-made weapons regularly supplied by illegal arms dealers.Maoists run around 80 training camps in deep jungles all over India.They also use high-tech communication equipments.
Total affected districts in India are 195 affected states 16,highly affected districts 58,less affected districts 54.Highly affected states Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh.India’s Home Minister P Chidambaram has made it clear that security forces would engage Maoists groups.
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