Life paralysed at Lalgarh; Majhi Marwa calls bandh on Feb 11

bandh at lalgarh
Midnapore, Feb 6 :   Normal life was paralysed in vast tribal-dominated areas of West Midnapore today in response to the bandh called by a tribal forum to protest the death of three tribals in firing on February two at Lalgarh.


Reports said today’s bandh, called separately by People’s Committee Against Police Atrocities (Police Santras Birodhi Janaganer committee) and CPI(Maoists), evoked total response in Jhargram, Binpur, Belpahari and other contiguous areas with all shops closing and roads being blocked in a rerun of the Lalgarh siege towards the end of last year following alleged police atrocities on tribal women.

In another development, the Majhi Marwa Juan Gaota, a tribal organisation with large following, called a 24-hour Bangla bandh on Feburary 11 in protest against the “killings of tribals” in firing.

Majhi Marwa Convenor Nityananda Hembram demanded CBI probe into the February two incident and punishment of the guilty.

Three tribals, Raja Ram Mandi, Lakhwinder Mandi and Dukhiram Soren died on February two in a clash between supporters of the Committee and the CPI(M). The tribals belonging to the Committee had blocked Lalgarh, around 30 km from the district headquarters of Midnapore town, and other areas for a month from November seven last year in protest against alleged “police atrocities” during raids.

The police raids had taken place in the wake of November 2 landmine blast at Salboni in the district, which West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and Union Ministers Ram Vilas Paswan and Jitindra Prasada narrowly escaped.