Click to play videoLalgarh (West Bengal): Away from the gunbattle in Lalgarh between the Maoists and the police, the politicians are playing a different game.
CPI-M has been hitting out at Union Minister for Railways and the Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee for being on the same side as the Maoists. Home Minister P Chidambaram, too, issued a statement asking for people to keep off conflict zones.
An upset CPM has now shot off a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh accusing Central Ministers of irresponsibility.
“The statements and actions of some ministers are not done. If they are going to adversely affect the situation or complicate the matter then it will not be in the country's interests,” CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said.
Meanwhile, the fourth day of the operation by security forces to recapture Lalgarh was marked by sporadic violence between paramilitary troops and tribals in Belpahari.
The forces have now consolidated their base at Lalgarh police station. But along the way, Lalgarh's backyard wore a desolate look as many have fled their villages and the few who stayed back are living in fear.
“The situation is very bad here. It was better yesterday (Saturday) after the security forces came in but violence again started in the evening,” a villager said.
While security forces have camped at the edge of tribal villages in Lalgarh waiting to breach the no-entry point, villagers have received solidarity from a section of Kolkata-based cultural personalities.
They apprehend that things might just turn for the worse and appealed for a ceasefire between the Government and the Maoists.
“It seems like they are caught between two fires. On the one hand there are the Maoists and on the other there are the police,” filmmaker and social activist Aparna Sen said.
Meanwhile, Lalgarh gets ready for the final assault. Troops are moving towards the Ramgarh police outpost which is 22 kilometers away from Lalgarh. Once that is captured, the forces will surround the 42 villages in the zone which had banned police entry for the past eight months and storm it from both sides.
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