Maoists are back in Jangalmahal, but in disguise

KOLKATA: Maoists are back in Jangalmahal, but in disguise. Maoist sympathisers have set up a new outfit called "Janaganer Samabay" (Peoples Co-operative) to regain public sympathy in many pockets of Jangalmahal after Kishenji's death.

Peoples Co-operative has already held several meetings in areas like Dulkuti, Chiruri, Kuilapar, Kunchia and Gurur. All these areas are located in Belpahari, Banspahari under West Midnapore district and Bandwan in Purulia district.

Both West Midnapore and Purulia are part of Jangalmahal where Maoists were very strong till 2011.

Intelligence sources said that activists of the new outfit under leadership of Ranjit Pal, a Maoist action squad member met the villagers of all those areas and urged them to fight the ruling Trinamool Congress.

It is learnt that members of the Peoples Co-operative have also collected money from the villagers for their organisation and also urged them to send the village youths to the adjoining Jharkhand state for arms training.

Intelligence agencies have already informed the state home department under the control of chief minister Mamata Banerjee about this new development.

It is learnt that the new outfit "Janaganer Samabay" is trying to sympathise with the poor villagers, assuring them of financial help and other sort of support to cultivate their land. Interestingly, not a single youth from these villages have been selected by the West Midnapore district administration for getting jobs in the state police force.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee had decided to recruit 10,000 Jangalmahal youths in the state police force. But no single youth from these villages have been selected and the new Maoist outfit is making it a ploy to instigate the villagers against the state government.

A senior state police official said that the sole intention of the Maoists is not to carry out any armed operation in Jangalmahal. "They are here to recruit local youths in several Maoist units in Jharkhand and Orissa. For this, they are trying to be friendly with the local villagers and offering them financial support too.

As far as I know, the members of Janaganer Samabay are carrying with them several lakhs of rupee and seeds of some high quality rice which they promise to gift the villagers once the latter agree to allow their sons and young relatives to go to Jharkhand or Orissa with the activists of the Samabay to get arms training.