THE MULTI PRONGED ROLE OF FEMALE MAOISTS

SMW News :: Exclusive Report

CHATTISGARH: Eighteen-year-old Radha looks too young to be called a comrade. But there’s no mistaking the gun she swings over her shoulder. Radha’s desire to be a part of the ongoing festivities in Dandakarnya forest’s Bhumkal divas is almost infectious. But it is a measure of her guerrilla discipline that she skips the festivities until her sentry duty is over.

For all her teenager-enthusiasm, Radha carries the significant mantle of being a third-generation Naxal fighter. Her grandfather joined the rebels and his two sons followed suit. Radha, her older brother and a sister are gun-toting comrades, familiar with the terrain, comfortable with their way of life. There are several young girl comrades in this group. On the one hand innocent, on the other trained to shoot and debilitate, these girls are a strange mix of girly behaviour and warrior grit. Comrade Soni, 18, transforms from soldier in olive fatigues to a dancer in a red-and-white sari, her gun resting on the ground as she takes to the stage, with the intensity of a focused soldier.

Not everyone is in fatigues here, although all the women are trained fighters. Comrade Sanjini for one doesn’t wear the olive uniform and could pass off as any other tribal woman if it weren’t for the black plastic holster she casually slings over her right shoulder. Sanjini heads the chetna natya manch.

Lalgarh: Mahato Remanded to Police Custody Till Oct 1

Tribal leader Chhatradhar Mahato, who was arrested yesterday near Lalgarh where he had been leading an agitation against alleged police excesses since last November, was today remanded to police custody by a special court till October 1.

The Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate also remanded eight others, arrested yesterday, to police custody till that date. The eight include persons arrested along with Mahato and those held during planting of a landmine at Katapahari.

Mahato, an alleged ally of the Maoists, was booked for three offences, including setting fire to Jhargram police outpost and torching of several other police stations.

Mahato, chief of the People’s Committee against Police Atrocities, who had evaded police arrest ever since he started the anti-police stir in Lalgarh in West Midnapore district, was caught at Pirka, near Lalgarh, while he was giving an interview to a journalist who was followed by policemen posing as TV journalists.

Mahato, who was kept in the Midnapore Police Lines after his arrest yesterday, was brought to Jhargram amid tight security this morning.

Initially, he was taken to Jhargram police station from where he was taken to the court around noon.

Move to neutralise Maoists’ top leadership

A file photograph shows a Maoist training drill

Manan Kumar
First Published : 25 Sep 2009 02:49:00 AM IST

RAIPUR: The recent arrest of CPI (Maoist) politburo member Kobad Ghandy in New Delhi wasn’t any fluke. It matured after a long hunt by the security forces, aided by the Andhra Pradesh police special cell on Naxals, and key support by others, including the Intelligence Bureau.Effecting a course correction in its strategy against the Naxals, besides taking them on in jungles, the Union Government has decided to pluck out the top leadership to render the Maoists rudderless and a disjointed lot. Yet it has a long way to go _ as even after neutralising or arresting eight top leaders and 22 central committee members in recent years,the politburo still remains at large.After Kobad Ghandy, agencies are on hot trail of nine PB members _ Ganpati alias Mupalla Laxman Rao, Mallojula Koteshwar Rao alias Prahlad, Prashant Bose alias Kishan Da, Nambala Keshav Rao aloas Gangana, Cherkuri Rajkumar alias Uday, Mullojula Venugopal alias Vivek, Rajesh Da, Balraj alias Arvind and Katakam Sudarshan alias Anand.

Chhatradhar Mahato’s arrest: – Cops in media garb draw criticism

OUR CORRESPONDENT

Midnapore, Sept. 26: Interview over, the “reporter” pulled out a revolver and pointed it at Lalgarh tribal leader Chhatradhar Mahato.

Two police officers disguised as journalists “from Singapore” today arrested the spearhead of the Lalgarh agitation at last, one holding him at gunpoint while the other grabbed him from behind.

The head of the Maoist-backed People’s Committee Against Police Atrocities had “eluded” the cops for nearly three months while moving freely around Lalgarh, giving sundry media interviews and even appearing on TV.

It was apparently one interview too many he gave at his hideout near his home village of Amlia in Lalgarh today. Maoist guerrilla chief Kishanji told The Telegraph the police had tried to trap him the same way but he had rejected their request for an interview and thus had had a “narrow escape”.

Chhatradhar Mahato’s Arrest: Maoists call Nationwide bandh on Oct 3

Kolkata, Sep 26 (PTI) The CPI (Maoist) tonight gave a call for a 24-hour country-wide bandh on October three in protest against the arrest of tribal leader Chhatradhar Mahato, who was spearheading agitations in Lalgarh area.

Terming the manner of the arrest as “unethical”, top Maoist leader Kishenji told PTI over phone, “The police disguised as journalists have arrested Chhatradhar and that is not only unethical but it also puts a question mark on the intergrity and honesty of the mediaperson in general.”

Kishenji, speaking from an undisclosed location, said, “The incident happened as we have always maintained a very good relation with the media and the police have taken the advantage of our faith.”

Earlier Mahato, the leader of People’s Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCAPA), was arrested from Pirka near Lalgarh when he was preparing to give an interview to a journalist, who was trailed by the police.

Let Us Raise Our Voice for Unconditional Release of Chaatradhar Mahato

Today police has arrested Chaatradhar Mahato, the popular leader of People’s Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCAPA) of Lalgarh. Police conducted an operation in disguise of journalists of Singapore TV. Shortly after engaging Mr. Mahato in a so called ‘phone in’ at Singapore TV, they arrested Mr. Mahato.

Chhatradhar Mahato has been leading the popular movement against state repression in Lalgarh since November last year. Their democratic demands attracted many people of different strata of the society and enjoyed mass-support. Actually it is the movement which has drawn in the mainstream media the issue of severe inhuman condition where people of Junglemahal including Lalgarh have to live. Condition of the people of Lalgarh after three decades of ‘leftist rule’ in West Bengal has opened the eye of the people. Arrest of Mr. Mahato can not make the end of the movement led by PCAPA.

Leading a democratic movement is not a crime in a civilized society. Rather ignoring the democratic and justified demands of the people of Lalgarh and PCAPA, the government has proved its anti-people and undemocratic character. Today, arresting Mr. Mahato, a leader of mass-movement it has once again showed its fascist face. His arrest shows that not a single progressive-democratic movement will be spared.

Let us raise our voice demanding unconditional release of Mr. Mahato.
Posted by Red Barricade

Lalgarh tribal leader Chatrodhar Mahato arrested

A file picture of Mr. Chatradhar Mahato, the convenor of Peoples’ Committee against Police Atrocities talking to the villagers at Daintikri village near Lalgarh.

KOLKATA: Elusive tribal leader Chhatradhar Mahato, spearheading an agitation since November last year against alleged police atrocities at
Lalgarh in West Midnapore district, was arrested on Saturday. ( Watch Video )

Mahato, the leader of People’s Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCAPA), was arrested from Pirka near Lalgarh when he was preparing to give an interview to a journalist, who was trailed by the police, a top police official said.

The tribal leader, who had been giving regular interviews to local television news channels when the anti-Maoist operations by central para-military forces and the state police at Lalgarh began on June 19, had gone underground shortly afterwards.

The tribals under him had “liberated” Lalgarh and had free run for nine months with the police withdrawing from camps before the central forces and the local police recaptured the areas from the grip of Maoists, who were assisting the tribal agitation.

West Bengal: Allies warn CPM on ‘Salwa Judum’ plans

With the CPM reportedly planning to pit volunteers against the Maoists in their bastion of West Midnapore district, the constituents of Left Front today voiced their fears saying an armed resistance would lead to “anarchy” and that the CPM should desist from any such move.

LF allies like the Forward Bloc and the CPI said these volunteer groups would create additional problems in West Midnapore, especially Lalgarh and the surrounding areas. “It is a fact that CPM supporters are being killed by the Maoists every day, but armed revenge cannot be an option for a political party or a front,” state’s Minor Irrigation Minister and CPI leader Nandagopal Bhattacharya said.

CPI sources said the state secretariat of the party has already decided to take up the issue with the CPM and would demand a discussion at the next Left Front meeting.

“I do not know whether the issue will figure at LF meet, but officially we will ask CPM to discuss… a bi-lateral meeting can also be held to discuss the issue,” said Bhattacharya.

Maoists: We control 5,000 villages in West Bengal

Sanjay Basak, Asian Age New Delhi

Sept. 25: The Maoists on Friday claimed they have been able to establish control in nearly 5,000 villages in and around West Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia in the ongoing battle with the security forces in West Bengal.

Speaking exclusively to this newspaper, one of the Maoist leaders wanted most by the security forces, CPI (Maoist) politburo member Kishenji, claimed that the “Maoists have established people control in areas like Lalgarh, Goaltor, Shalboni, Belpahari, Balrampore, Sorega among others”.

He said they now plan to “levy taxes” on any big companies operating or coming up in these areas. “Generally we levy between eight to 10 per cent taxes on the big companies operating in areas controlled by the Maoist government,” Kishenji revealed on the phone. While rejecting the state government’s terms to come to the negotiating table and giving up their arms, Kishenji said, “Before any talks we also want the release of all Maoist prisoners from jail.” The Maoists also want those arrested in the Lalgarh operation freed without delay.

Kishenji claimed that in its protracted war against the state, the Maoists have established themselves strongly in at least 50 per cent of the districts in Orissa, 60 per cent of the districts in Chhattisgarh, 25 per cent in Bihar, 10 per cent in Maharashtra and 25 per cent in Andhra Pradesh. He claimed the Maoists still have a considerable presence in north Andhra.

Ready to face any offensive: Maoist leader Kishanji

Raktima Bose Share · print

“The Centre and the West Bengal government willing, our movement in Lalgarh on people’s behalf will continue for another three years or maybe even 30 years. The onus is on the government to choose what it wants,” said the top Maoist leader Koteswar Molajella Rao, alias Kishanji.

He was responding to the State government’s decision to seek additional Central forces to flush out Maoists from the Lalgarh region.

Speaking to The Hindu over telephone from an undisclosed spot in the Lalgarh area on Friday, Kishanji, who is a member of the Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Maoist), said: “Let the State government send as many contingents of Central forces as they want to to Lalgarh, I can assure them that none in the force will go back home.”

Bengal CPM welcome army deployment in Maoist zone

Bengal CPM for army role in Maoist zone OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

Calcutta, Sept. 25: The CPM finds “little scope for debate” on the Centre’s plan to deploy the army to tackle Maoists, but the party is not sure if the Left Front partners would be as welcoming.

“Let the Centre decide and put the proposal before the state. But there is little scope for debate on this issue among us. The Maoists are operating as a regular army and they can be dealt with effectively by an army response,” said CPM state secretariat member Benoy Konar.

Party sources said Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today told his comrades at the weekly party state secretariat meeting that the matter of army deployment in Maoist areas was likely to come up in his meeting with Union home minister P. Chidambaram next month. Bhattacharjee is scheduled to visit Delhi on October 10 to attend a CPM politburo meeting the next day.

Remembering the Maoist leader Anuradha Ghandy

She was born into privilege and could easily have chosen the easy life. But Anuradha Ghandy chose guns over roses to fight for the dispossessed.
BY Rahul Pandita EMAIL AUTHOR(S)

Kumud Shanbag at her Mumbai flat, with a picture of Anuradha on her wedding day (Photo: RITESH UTTAMCHANDANI)

On a muggy April evening in 2008, somewhere in Mumbai, a doctor was trying desperately to get in touch with his patient. The patient happened to be a woman in her early 50s, who had come that morning with high fever. The doctor had advised a few blood tests, and, as he saw the reports, he started making frantic calls to the phone number the patient had scribbled in her nearly illegible handwriting. The number, he soon realised, did not exist. He was restless. The reports indicated the presence of two deadly strains of malaria in the woman’s bloodstream—she had to be admitted to a hospital without delay. Time was racing by and there was no trace of her.

A female Naxal leader addressing a public meeting in Dandakaranya. Anuradha had also worked hard to create awareness about the rights of female cadres who were part of the Naxalite movement (Photo: AP)

By the time the woman contacted the doctor again, a few days had passed. The doctor wanted her placed under intensive care immediately. But it was too late.

The next morning, on April 12, Anuradha Ghandy was dead. She had suffered multiple organ failure, her immune system already weakened by systemic sclerosis, an auto-immune disease responsible for, among other things, her bad handwriting.

The news spread quickly among friends and followers of Anu, as she was fondly called. Before long news had reached Indora, a Dalit basti in Nagpur where Anu had lived for seven years. This was before her name appeared in the Home Ministry dossiers as Janaki alias Narmada alias Varsha – the only woman in the CPI(Maoist)’s Central Committee, the highest decision-making body of the Naxalites.