Unleashing a psychological war of words, the CPI ( Maoist) has shot off an “ abusive” letter to three allies of the CPM, asking them to sever ties with the party that has ruled West Bengal since 1977.
The three- page letter dated July 26, penned on behalf of the CPI ( Maoist) central committee by Kishenji, attacks the Communist Party of India ( CPI), Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) and All India Forward Bloc ( AIFB) for supporting the “ nefarious designs” of the “ mealy mouthed” Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee government.
The contents of the missive, which landed at the central office of one of the three CPM allies in the Capital on Wednesday, indicate that the Maoists intend to demoralise the Left Front constituents in the run- up to the state assembly elections, slated for early next year.
The four Left parties are facing their toughest ever electoral challenge in the state from the Trinamool Congress- Congress combine.
The timing of the letter is crucial because many social activists and Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee have planned a rally on August 9 in Lalgarh, the symbolic hotbed of Maoist insurgency and “ state repression” in Bengal.
The march is scheduled to end with the hoisting of the Tricolour on the Independence Day. The protesters’ pretext for doing so is to defy the “ unannounced curfew” clamped by the Left Front government through the imposition of Section 144 in the region.
The letter written in English, accuses the three Left parties of toeing the CPM’s line of holding the Maoists responsible for the May 28 Gyaneswari Express accident in West Midnapore district in which nearly 150 people were killed.
The letter describes the derailment as a “ conspiracy” hatched by the CPM but goes soft on Mamata.
A senior leader of the Left Front ally which received the letter said: “ Hasn’t the CBI probe pointed towards the involvement of the Maoists in the accident?” “ We take no cognisance of such abusive communication. What are they ( Maoists) doing? They are basically using the gun to kill innocent people. They have a habit of writing to us when they are in trouble,” the Left leader said.
In the letter, the Maoists have overplayed the fact that their activities were taking place in the tribal- dominated districts of Bengal, and used it as an alibi to charge the three Left parties with “ betraying” the Santhal revolt that rocked the region in the mid 19th century.
But the Left leader deflected the argument.
“ Who among their leaders is a tribal? Kishenji is not a Santhal, nor was Azad. Is Ganapathy, their general secretary, a tribal? Their so- called concern for adivasi s is mere lip- service,” he said.
Kishenji, who calls the Bengal CM an “ agent of Vedanta Corporation” in the letter, has attempted to provoke the allies for being hand- in- glove with the CPM, perceived as corporate- friendly in Bengal.
But the Left leader hit back saying the Maoists were soft towards corporate majors, which was evident from their selective targeting of the public sector undertakings in the violence- hit regions.
The Maoists know the three allies differed over some decisions of the state government, including the handling of the protests at Nandigram and Singur.
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