In its first response after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee issued an ultimatum to the Maoists to lay down arms at a public rally in the heart of Junglemahal,the CPI (Maoists) has called a strike in the region on October 22. Interestingly,one of the reasons cited for calling the bandh is to protest against the suspension of IRB jawans at Salboni who had recently revolted against poor facilities. Through a press statement signed by Naxal commander Akash,the ultras cited three more reasons for calling the bandh. To protest against the rape of Sibani Singh of Junglemahal allegedly by the security forces on October 14,the torture of Bhairav Vahini and for not releasing water through Kanshabati canal. Significantly,24 hours after Banerjee had asked the interlocutors to get a written statement from the central committee of the CPI (Maoists) for not threatening and forcing the villagers to join the meeting and rallies held by them,Akash through the statement,dictated all the villagers of Junglemahal to join the meeting and rallies,which will be held by the Maoists frontal organisations on October 22. Interestingly,Akash does not mention a word regarding Mamata Banerjees seven-day ultimatum to the Maoists for joining the peace talk. Meanwhile,Committee of Democratic Rights Organizations (CDRO) has condemned Banerjee supari killers remark about Maoists. The announcement coming on the heels of raids and arrests of local activists,beating up of organizers,harassment and detention of fact-finding members,including doctors and sealing of Junglemahal with a gag order on public demonstrations,is a clear indication of the opportunistic attitude of the Trinamool Congress towards people of Junglemahal, the CDRO said in a statement. Till date,the joint forces have not been withdrawn and the political prisoners have not been released. The conditional cease fire offered by the Maoists in early October has been simply dismissed, it added. We wish to remind Mamata Banerjee of the promises she made before she assumed power. If the promises were opportunistic and meant to be broken,then the chief minister should know that Junglemahal cannot be ruled by an elected government with the use of force.
