Mamata warns of fire if intellectuals ‘touched’

Recently,names of intellectuals like Saonli Mitra and Mahasweta Devi,members of the Lalgarh Sanhati Manch,had come up in the context of having “links” with Mahato and the PCAPA in Lalgarh.

“They are playing with fire,” Banerjee said,warning against such a move.

“People will answer them. We are also ready to give them a reply if Bengal’s intellectuals are touched. Nobody will be able to control the fire.”

Drawing a line between the Maoist movement and the tribal agitation,she said those were two entirely different things. “The Lalgarh movement is a tribal agitation. Those who are supporting the tribal agitation are right. We also supported the tribal agitation as atrocities were committed against them in Lalgarh,” the railway minister said.

The Trinamool chief also asked what was wrong in having links with the PCAPA. “Did the government ban the People’s Committee? No,” she said.

Hours later,CID picks up two of them
Two city-based intellectuals were arrested by the CID late this evening for alleged links with Chhatradhar Mahato. Prasun Chatterjee and Raja Sarkhel were picked up from their Jadavpur homes by the officials.

Ajay Ranade,Deputy Inspector General,CID Operations,said: “They have been arrested for their links with Mahato and helping him spearhead the movement in West Midnapore and having connections with him.”

The duo was among the first city intellectuals to be arrested after the state government declared it would arrest anybody extending support to the tribal leader and book them under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.

CID officials said the two were members of the Lalgarh Sanhati Mancha and had been to Lalgarh a number of times to meet Mahato. ENS

Unfazed,intellectuals dare govt
Undeterred by the state government’s threat that they might be booked under the UAPA for their support to arrested PCAPA leader Chhatradhar Mahato,city intellectuals today challenged the state to arrest them and vowed to back the tribal leader.

Magsaysay award winner and writer Mahasweta Devi said,“We will continue to fight and if the state government wants to take action,let them do it. I welcome them to arrest me. My weapon is pen and I shall continue to use it for protests.”

Theatre personality Bibhash Chakrabarty said the state government was trying to destroy the movement in Lalgarh.

“If the state government wants to arrest us,let them do so. They are merely trying to create confusion and scare people by saying we are Maoists as people are a little apprehensive of the tag,” he said.

Theatre personality Saonli Mitra,who had visited Lalgarh along with other intellectuals in June,said,“The state government knows nothing about us… so why should we react to such statements. If they feel that arresting us will solve the issue,let them do so. It is the state government’s lack of understanding that has led to the present problem in Lalgarh,” she said.

Human rights activist Sujato Bhadra,however,said the intellectuals’ support to the PCAPA was within their democratic rights as it was not a banned party. ENS