Lalgarh: Tribals block roads in West Midnapore district

Midnapore (WB): Tribals protesting the detaining of 25 youths by security forces on Tuesday blocked roads leading to Lalgarh from the district headquarters town of West Midnapore.

Felled trees were used to block the Bhadutala-Pirakata road to block vehicles from the Kadasole camp of securitymen, the police said.

More than a thousand tribal women gheraoed the Kadasole camp to protest against the detaining of the youths from Mahultala, Ratanpur and Shalka villages near Lalgarh, they said.

The youths, who were detained for suspected Maoist links, were later released and the roads were being cleared, sources said.

Meanwhile, the police seized three objects which were believed to be landmines, but turned out to be empty cans. The Maoists chief on Sunday said there was no alternative to the "politics of consensus" and hinted at joining a political mechanism with the ruling alliance so as to break the five-month-long political deadlock.

"There is no alternative to the politics of cooperation and collaboration to find a way of the present political stalemate," Prachanda told reporters here after meeting Nepali Congress chief G P Koirala.

Describing President Yadav’s move to reinstate General Katawal as "unconstitutional and undemocratic", Prachanda had threatened to launch a people’s revolution after the end of the festival season.

The political standoff has put new stresses on Nepal’s reconciliation efforts after the end of the decade-long insurgency in 2006, amid fears that the stalled peace process may be derailed if the Maoists agitation is not ended soon.

The Maoists, who waged a decade-long insurgency, joined mainstream politics after a 2006 peace deal with the interim government led by G. P. Koirala.

CPN-Maoist formed Nepal’s first post-royal government on August 22 after the former rebels emerged as the largest party in the April 10 constituent assembly polls last year.

The government collapsed amid dispute with the President over the reinstatement of Gen Katawal. The ultra left party was also instrumental in the abolition of the country’s unpopular 240-year-old monarchy.

Bureau Report, Zee News