Left caught between the devil and the deep sea

The Lalgarh massacre has put the West Bengal government, especially CM Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, on the “horns of a dilemma”.

On one hand, there’s no other way to combat the Maoist guerrillas without bringing in the forces, since these “ultra-Red” forces are slowly taking over the whole of West Midnapore, one of the few remaining CPI(M) strongholds after the recent Lok Sabha elections. On the other, the government is worried that a full-fledged assault could lead to significant numbers of local people losing their lives, which would further dent the rapidly-eroding Left vote bank.

Faced with this situation, Bhattacharjee has taken a diplomatic route to redressal, after Union home minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday shifted the entire responsibility of handling the Lalgarh massacre on the West Bengal government. On Thursday, Bhattacharjee hurriedly rushed to New Delhi to hold meetings with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Chidambaram.

According to political analysts, Bhattacharjee will try his best to get Singh and Chidambaram to acknowledge that Lalgarh is a internal security threat not just for Bengal but the entire country. “Once the prime minister and the defence minister acknowledge that, tackling the Maoist upsurge will become the joint responsibility of the state and central governments and not any individual,” a senior political analyst here said.

Well-informed sources in the Left Front told DNA that if Bhattacharjee is unable to convince Singh or Chidambaram, as a last resort, he might turn to finance minister Pranab Mukherjee to bail him out. “Mukherjee, Irrespective of his political affiliation, has always been sympathetic towards anything that affects his state — whether its a development or security issue. Considering the rapport that Bhattacharjee and Mukherjee share, we believe something fruitful will happen,” a senior Left Front leader told DNA.

Should Buddha fail to get Mukherjee on his side, one former chief minister might be roped in to persuade Mukherjee. If Jyoti Basu works the telephone to request the finance minister to intervene, Mukherjee won’t find it easy to turn him down.

Who are Maoists? 
What started as a peasant revolt in Naxalbari village of West Bengal in 1967 is today a full-blown movement. Maoists regrouped in the ’80s and armed the poor to continue their fight. Their leaders Koteshwar Rao and Ganapathi remain hidden in forests.

How big is the threat?
Maoists have declared a ‘liberated zone’ close to Kolkata to scare off investors. The Lalgarh attack by the rebels, who are fighting for the rights of poor farmers, is among the most brazen in years. They get weapons from other militant groups in the country.

Can they hit stability?
The prime minister has said the insurgency is the biggest internal security challenge since independence. Over 1,000 attacks happened in 2008, as the rebels targeted politicians, police and informers. Recent attacks have been closer to cities.

How strong are they?
The rebels have 22,000 combatants in 180 districts. They operate across a ‘red corridor’ from Andhra Pradesh to Chha-ttisgarh and into Bengal. They attack railway lines and factories, aiming to cripple economy. Their base gives them control of mineral rich areas.