Mamata Banerjee faces Maoist music
Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee prefers to ignore Maoist threat by denying the presence of the red rebels in Bengal. But Friday's attack on railways will hopefully refrain her from hobnobbing with the ultras.
MAMATA BANERJEE receives a massive jolt when the Maoists, her ally in Nandigram, Singur, Khejuri and Jangalmahal, blow up a portion of the railway track triggering an accident that killed at least 65 people and injured over 200 passengers in West Bengal early Friday (May 28).
Official sources said at least 65 people were killed and more than 200 injured when the engine and 13 coaches of a Mumbai bound passenger train derailed following a Maoist blast and were hit by speeding goods train near Jhargram.
Maoists have been targeting the railways in Chhatishgarh, Orissa, Jharkhand, Bihar and West Bengal for quite some time. But Mamata Banerjee chose to ignore the threats. The Maoists had earlier held up Rajdhani Express and blew up portion of railway tracks in West Bengal. But she refused to take lessons from those attacks.
The attacks on the railways have virtually forced the ministry to think about suspension of night movement of trains in the Maoist dominated areas. If night movement of trains is suspended it will be a great set back to the country’s stability and unity. But who cares?
On the contrary, Mamata Banerjee continues to defend the Maoists by saying, “There is no Maoist in Bengal. All attacks are being carried out by the Harmad Bahini (killers’ gang) of the CPI(M).”
The Maoists have killed over five hundred people, including security personnel, in Jangalmahal in the past few years but she failed to realise the danger of hobnobbing with the red rebels. She had apparent reasons to do so because most of the victims belonged to her rival, the CPI(M), the major partner of the ruling Left Front.
The Maoists leaders had time and again confirmed their participation in Trinamool Congress agitations in Nandigram, Singur, Khejuri and Jangalmahal. But Banerjee denied all these claims.
The Maoists even killed two important Trinamool Congress members of Panchayat on charges of corruption and refusal to return arms and money given by the red ultras during Nandigra agitation.
“Banerjee has virtually declared a crusade against the CPI(M) and has become successful in stalling a number of development projects, including new industries, in the state. We have seen how Bengal’s growth was retarded during the Naxalite Movement in late 60s and early 70s. Her hobnobbing with the Maoists may lead to a similar situation in the near future,” says a social scientist.
The social scientist feels that Banerjee may have received some tacit support from her cabinet colleague P Chidambaram, who has failed to chalk out a proper coordinated action against the Maosists despite repeated warnings from the Prime Minister.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has repeatedly described the Maoist insurgency as the single largest threat to the country’s internal security. But Chidambaram and his ministry remain unmoved.
After every major attack by the Maoists, Chidambaram vouched for strong actions. But later he dilutes it by offering talks. But the red ultras have time and again rejected such offers outright. Then follows the stunning silence and every one waits for the next attack for the red rebels.
“Peace is the foremost condition of development. You can’t go ahead with development without ensuring peace and stability. Therefore, there is an urgent need for restoring peace with strong actions against the propagator of violence and killings,” the social scientist pointed out.
Critics, however, alleged that Chidambaram is reluctant to take strong actions because the Maoists had been operating mostly in non-Congress ruled states. “Chidambaram prefers to avoid the situation by saying that law and order is a state subject. Everybody knows it. But when the Prime Minister repeatedly describes the Maoist insurgency as the single largest threat to the country’s internal security his Home Minister can’t afford to ignore it and dilute the situation by virtually terming the depredations of the red rebels as simply a state subject,” they observed.
Maoists have been targeting the railways in Chhatishgarh, Orissa, Jharkhand, Bihar and West Bengal for quite some time. But Mamata Banerjee chose to ignore the threats. The Maoists had earlier held up Rajdhani Express and blew up portion of railway tracks in West Bengal. But she refused to take lessons from those attacks.
The attacks on the railways have virtually forced the ministry to think about suspension of night movement of trains in the Maoist dominated areas. If night movement of trains is suspended it will be a great set back to the country’s stability and unity. But who cares?
On the contrary, Mamata Banerjee continues to defend the Maoists by saying, “There is no Maoist in Bengal. All attacks are being carried out by the Harmad Bahini (killers’ gang) of the CPI(M).”
The Maoists have killed over five hundred people, including security personnel, in Jangalmahal in the past few years but she failed to realise the danger of hobnobbing with the red rebels. She had apparent reasons to do so because most of the victims belonged to her rival, the CPI(M), the major partner of the ruling Left Front.
The Maoists leaders had time and again confirmed their participation in Trinamool Congress agitations in Nandigram, Singur, Khejuri and Jangalmahal. But Banerjee denied all these claims.
The Maoists even killed two important Trinamool Congress members of Panchayat on charges of corruption and refusal to return arms and money given by the red ultras during Nandigra agitation.
“Banerjee has virtually declared a crusade against the CPI(M) and has become successful in stalling a number of development projects, including new industries, in the state. We have seen how Bengal’s growth was retarded during the Naxalite Movement in late 60s and early 70s. Her hobnobbing with the Maoists may lead to a similar situation in the near future,” says a social scientist.
The social scientist feels that Banerjee may have received some tacit support from her cabinet colleague P Chidambaram, who has failed to chalk out a proper coordinated action against the Maosists despite repeated warnings from the Prime Minister.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has repeatedly described the Maoist insurgency as the single largest threat to the country’s internal security. But Chidambaram and his ministry remain unmoved.
After every major attack by the Maoists, Chidambaram vouched for strong actions. But later he dilutes it by offering talks. But the red ultras have time and again rejected such offers outright. Then follows the stunning silence and every one waits for the next attack for the red rebels.
“Peace is the foremost condition of development. You can’t go ahead with development without ensuring peace and stability. Therefore, there is an urgent need for restoring peace with strong actions against the propagator of violence and killings,” the social scientist pointed out.
Critics, however, alleged that Chidambaram is reluctant to take strong actions because the Maoists had been operating mostly in non-Congress ruled states. “Chidambaram prefers to avoid the situation by saying that law and order is a state subject. Everybody knows it. But when the Prime Minister repeatedly describes the Maoist insurgency as the single largest threat to the country’s internal security his Home Minister can’t afford to ignore it and dilute the situation by virtually terming the depredations of the red rebels as simply a state subject,” they observed.
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