On 4^th January 2001, armed gangs of CPI(M) attacked the Chota Angaria village in Gorbeta in Midnapore district and killed a number of people. The victims have been the members and sympathizers of People’s War Group (PWG). The incident occurred in the house of one Mr. Abdur Rehman. Bodies of the victims had been removed by the CPI(M). As usual police reached late and even then they did nothing to collect evidences against the marauders. This has by now become a familiar pattern in which the CPM and the police act in unison to liquidate their political opponents. As the race for the coming assembly elections hots up, the incidence of such killings in the rural areas have increased.

CPM initially denied the incident altogether. Later they claimed that an explosion was responsible for the incident. They denied that there were any casualties. Only later Chief Minister Budhadev Bhattacharya admitted the fact of killings. Chief Minister could not find time to visit Gorbeta. First he turned down the demand for even CID enquiry. Though this was later conceded, the demand for judicial enquiry continues to be rejected by the CPM led Govt.

The bodies of the dead have not been found. Even if we go by the CPM version of the incident, the bodies should have been found. Undoubtedly all fingers point to the CPM for hiding the bodies to hide their crime. It is not the first time that dead bodies have ‘disappeared’ during last 24 years of CPM’s rule of terror in West Bengal. There have been several of such incidents.

However strongly CPM denies its involvement, all evidence accumulates to show their culpability. Their rejection of judicial enquiry further adds to the evidence of their guilt.

Even as the CPM did, and continues to do, every thing to hide their involvement, Trinamool Congress has tried to do everything to utilize the incident to buttress their demand for imposition of President’s rule in West Bengal. Trinamool tried to project the incident as an example of their conflict with CPM, launching a big propaganda drive. Claiming that 18 of their activists had died, Mamta Banerjee’s team reached the spot followed by an NDA investigation team coming back exhibiting a number of ‘evidences’.

Obviously all this was done by Trinamool to further their electoral prospects with an eye on coming elections. For the ruling class parties the plight of the people is an issue to be exploited without there being any sympathy for the victims.

According to PWG “On January 4 an armed squad of PWG took shelter at the residence of Abdur Rehman at Hemnagar”. (Biplabi Jug, January 2001, translation ours) Later, this very Abdur Rehman contacted Trinamool and was introduced as Trinamool activist. This Abdur Rehman denied any knowledge of PWG and portrayed the victims as belonging to Trinamool.

According to PWG’s report “A section of Trinamool activists contacted the PWG and expressed their willingness to join them. 35 such activists were selected in last October for five day long political classes …. The PWG, which was attacked by the CPM on January 4 included some such activists earlier belonging to Trinamool.” (Biplabi Jug, January 2001) It appears from the report that Abdur Rehman was one such activist who has gone back to Trinamool out of the fear after the killings.

On disappearance of the bodies the report In Biplabi Jug has this to say “The team, after discussion with people in the village on 4^th January night, went to take food. After food they were supposed to shift to another village…. The villagers in the morning had seen the police in khaki taking away the bodies.” Obviously the account in the PWG magazine gives an exaggerated account of their strength in the area considering the fact that they could not prevent the CPM hoodlums from taking away the bodies. The report has claimed “The resistance under the banner of PWG created a new chapter in the history of Gorbeta” while the leaflet issued by their Midnapore DC goes a step further to claim “The entire Gorbeta area in united behind us.”

According to PWG account they had first struggled against the terror tactics of Trinamool-BJP in the area. They have reported an intense struggle in the area from April 2000. Around a thousand armed people of Trinamool-BJP attacked the villages organized under PWG leadership. PWG developed armed resistance in the area in which CPM cadres also joined the resistance to Trinamool-BJP. After some struggle the strength of Trinamool-BJP broke down in the area in the period between April to June 2000.

After “the hounds had fled”, back came the CPM. It resorted to intimidatory tactics to re-establish its control over the area and launched an all round attack to achieve the same. Similarly a new equation emerged amongst the activists and supporters of Trinamool during the struggle against this attack by CPM.

After the incident CPM has been propagating a Trinamool-BJP-PWG pact to uproot CPM from the area. This allegation is ridiculous and is an oft-repeated charge of the CPM against the Naxalites in West Bengal.

The revolutionary forces in West Bengal are firmly condemning the CPM attacks and expressed their solidarity with the PWG comrades against this dastardly attack.

Since long CPM has been targeting all other forces in rural Bengal and killing cadres of other parties not sparing even the cadres of their allies. Leaders and cadres of the communist revolutionary organizations have been their special targets. There is urgent need to mobilize democratic public opinion against the terror let loose by the CPM.

Terming the killings of Chota Angaria as “a well-planned cold-blooded murder” West Bengal State Committee of the CPI(ML)-New Democracy called it a “result of the joint action of the CPI(M), the goondas and the police.” The statement issued by the West Bengal State Committee recalled how the massacres in Baranagar, Kashipur, Barasat etc. during Congress regime were used by the CPM led ‘Left’ Front to come to power in 1977 and accused the Left Front govt. of having committed massacres at Badkulla, Muluk etc. incidents. The statement further said the “Chota Angaria killings are an attempt to wipe out revolutionaries.” The statement accused the ruling class parties of issuing confusing statements to hide the truth and to bid for votes like in 1977.

Condemning “the killings of revolutionaries throughout the country” the Statement called upon all the revolutionary, progressive and democratic people to condemn the killers and fight for exemplary punishment to them.