State govt feels the heat

From more Maoist attacks to increased vitriol from the intellectuals, the Buddhadeb govt is in a spot

KOLKATA: Call it the aftershocks of Nandigram. Individually they may lack the intensity of rattling the ruling Left Front in West Bengal, but collectively they pack enough power to put the Buddhadeb Bhattacharya government in a spot.

The sudden spurt in Maoist attacks across the state, increased vitriol from intellectuals and civil society and public shaming of CPI(M) district level leaders over the past two days indicate that the state government is losing out in containing the Nandigram fallout.

Over the past 48 hours, Maoists struck twice in the state. In a mid-night operation lasting over three hours, the extremists triggered off improvised explosive devices (IED) and set on fire a CPI(M) panchayat office in Baita village in West Midnapore, neighbouring Nandigram.

In a second attack, Maoists blew up a large portion of a railway track in Birhbum district. The blast which shook villages miles away is believed by the police to have been executed by using RDX.

Even as the state administration rushed to douse extremist fire, the CPI(M) is facing fresh attack from civil society. Staging a dharna in central Kolkata to protest Nandigram killings, Amlan Dutta, former vice chancellor, Visha Bharti University, said that the Buddhadeb Bhattacharya government was ushered in a fascist regime in West Bengal.

“Anybody who joins the fascists will be allowed to live. Others will not be allowed to live.” Poet Joy Goswami, theatre personality Bibhash Chakraborty and activist Medha Patkar joined Dutta on the dharna manch to sign a petition to Governor Gopal Krishna
Gandhi seeking central intervention in the state.

The CPI(M) is also facing the ire from the people. In party strong hold of Burdwan district, a mob tied and beat up five district CPI(M) leaders and let them go after putting garland of slippers on them.