Kolkata:
A letter by Maoist leader Kishanji to Mamata Banerjee has led to an awkward situation for the Railways Minister.
A week ago, Mamata Banerjee asked the Naxals to lay down their arms and talk to her. That offer was controversial and seen as encroaching upon the turf of the Home Ministry, which is in the midst of a gigantic counter-offensive against Naxals. Many asked whether Mamata had the Centre's permission to offer talks to the Maoists.
Now, the letter from a top Maoist leader to her has allowed the Left to claim, with renewed vigour, that Mamata's Trinamool Congress is closely linked to the Naxals. "Mamata wants a short cut to Writers. Kishenji is ready to provide her that short cut but as pressure mounts to make the relationship clear, I think both Mamata and Kishanji are in trouble," says MD Salim of the CPM.
In the letter, Kishanji says he won't surrender arms but is ready to talk to Mamata if she agrees to help those arrested for the Lalgarh movement.
Other pre-conditions: that the government stop its counter-offensive against the Naxals, and that security forces be withdrawn from Lalgarh and its surrounding areas. In fact, Kishanji wants Mamata to come for talks to Lalgarh without a police escort - a move unlikely to be allowed.
Lalgarh in West Midnapore has been tense since November 2008, when an explosion seemed to Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee who was visiting the area. The police started raiding homes in the area, the tribals alleged their rights had been violated and asked the police to apologize. Supported by the Naxals, the tribals retaliated against security forces and workers of the ruling CPM in the area. In June last year, specialized forces trained to fight Naxals finally wrested control of Lalgarh. The area, however, remains tense.