Mahato believes supporting TMC can help weave magic

Chattradhar Mahato was once the convenor of the People’s Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCPA) and today is a state committee member of the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal. The BJP has bagged seats in the Junglemahal belt in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, but this does not stop Mahato from believing that the opposition parties are not strong enough to unearth the TMC in this belt in the 2021 Assembly elections in West Bengal.

What makes Mahato so confident, especially when he garnered just about 20,000 votes while contesting from jail in the 2011 Assembly elections? Mahato was jailed in 2009 under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and was considered to be a Maoist sympathiser during the erstwhile Left Front regime.

The former PCPA convenor was also accused in the 2009 Rajdhani Express train attack in West Midnapore and the murder of CPIM leader Abir Mahato.

The past not-withstanding, Mahato believes it is a fresh start and his support for West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has always been strong. Mahato believes that Mamata understands people and issues of the Junglemahal belt and that the West Bengal Chief Minister has seen people of Jungle Mahal and trusts the people there, unlike CPIM leaders who were part of the former Left Front government in West Bengal.

According to sources, Mahato is grateful that Mamata has given him a big responsibility of strengthening the TMC support base in tribal areas, within 6-7 months of his release from jail and making him a TMC state committee member. It is more of an honour of the indigenous people of Jungle Mahal belt as Mahato feels Mamata gives respect to the people in the tribal belt.

What makes Mahato believe in the TMC moreso, is the inclusive nature of many small communities like the tribal population that have their own culture and language. For instance, there is post-graduate education in Ol chiki language of Lalgarh. The Kurmi society too has it’s own language and font. The tribal leader hopes that if majority of people in the Junglemahal region lend their support to Mamata, other indigenous languages will be recognized as well.