Wanted Maoist leader holds regular rallies at Bhangar
KOLKATA : West Bengal CID and the police in South 24 Parganas and North 24 Parganas are in the lookout for Alik Chakraborty since January this year, when the Maoist leader was slapped with several sections of the IPC and the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). Chakraborty, however, has not changed base and addresses public gatherings on a regular basis.
Chakraborty moves around a dozen villages in Bhangar – barely 25km from Kolkata – where locals are protesting the construction of a power grid which they suspect will adversely affect their health and the environment.
The battle has turned bitter in the past few months with Trinamool Congress’ local leaders allegedly launching armed attacks, resulting in a series of clashes during which bullets were fired, bombs were hurled and people were injured. A Trinamool leader also died, reportedly due to accidental firing from his own gun at a marketplace.
Asked if the police are showing restraint to avoid triggering stiff resistance from the villagers, Chakraborty told HT, “I guess so. They know that the villagers, who are fed up with the unholy nexus between the police and the ruling party, will resist.”
Senior district police officers, however, differ. Arijit Sinha, superintendent of police, South 24 Parganas, said, “The law will take its own course and no wrongdoer will be spared.”
Chakraborty, a leader of the CPI(ML) (Red Star) and the man behind the Bhangar movement, addresses gatherings mostly along a busy state highway.
Chakraborty took to the dais in all major gatherings organised by Bhangar protesters — on May 1 at Machhibhanga, a three-day hunger strike at Notun Haat between June 30 and July 2, a rally on July 30 and the latest meeting at on August 27.
Chakraborty was seen sharing the dais with Left leaders like CPI(M)’s Biman Bose, state secretary Surya Kanta Mishra, and Sujan Chakraborty, assembly leader. “Three organisers are in jail. Isha Haque Mollah, Mahadeb Mondal and Haider Mollah were all picked up from the villages by TMC’s raiding teams and later hander over to the police,” Chakraborty told HT.
THE BATTLE HAS TURNED BITTER WITH TMC LOCAL LEADERS ALLEGEDLY LAUNCHING ARMED ATTACKS, RESULTING IN CLASHES