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End to Rajdhani Express agony
INDIA'S PRIDE - THE RAJDHANI EXPRESS SHATABDI TRAINS AND JAN SHATABDI TRAINS
The RAJDHANI EXPRESS - India's superfast, fully air conditioned, deluxe trains give you the unique opportunity of experiencing Indian Railways at its best. Afternoon snacks and tea are offered after the trains begin their journey. Indian and continental cuisine, soft music and the train's rhythmic movements provides a comfortable journey. The trains link New Delhi (the capital or Rajdhani) to India's major cities.
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2. Superfast, Intercity trains known as the SHATABDI EXPRESS link major cities and offer facilities for quick and comfortable travel. While you relax, the Shatabdi hospitality treats you to meals and snacks. Before you are through, your destination has arrived.
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What Didi didn't say: Group that 'hijacked' train is her party allyExpressindia.com - 1 hour ago Kolkata First, she suggested that CPM cadres blocked the Rajdhani Express to malign her image. When confirmation came that it was the Maoist-backed PCAPA, ... 'Hijacking' Rajdhani, Maoists tease Mamata, Buddha and Centre Calcutta Telegraph Parties' spar over Rajdhani drama India Today No question of freeing criminals or withdrawing forces: BuddhadebHindu - 12 hours ago "It is now an issue of national interest since it involves the Rajdhani Express…the game of passing the buck between the Centre and the State regarding the ... Buddhadeb rejects agitators' demands Press Trust of India Naxalites broke glass to get into coachesEconomic Times - - 9 hours ago BHUBANESWAR: Orissa was in shock and disbelief for six hours, after Maoists abducted drivers of the New Delhi bound Rajdhani Express. ... Far from glare, lethal blockadeCalcutta Telegraph - 11 hours ago The 34-year-old blood cancer patient was not on the Rajdhani but on another train travelling from Assam to Chennai. The Dibrugarh-Chennai Express was held ... Patient dies on held-up train Times of India Cancer patient dies in train stranded due to agitation Press Trust of India Chhatradhar back in police remandTimes of India - 8 hours ago It came a couple of hours before armed PCPA cadres and Maoists laid siege to a Rajdhani Express demanding Chhatradhar's release. ... PCAPA has big following in Bengal's tribal belt India Today CM rejects release demand Calcutta Telegraph Maoists deny kidnapping of train driver, PCPA claims responsibility Little About (blog) Agitators armed, forced open doors: PassengersPress Trust of India - 17 hours ago Kolkata, Oct 27 (PTI) Passengers of the Bhubaneswar- New Delhi Rajdhani Express had a harrowing time as tribal agitators armed with axes, swords, ... Supporters of Maoists detain train for 5 hoursHindu - - 12 hours ago KOLKATA: The New Delhi-bound Rajdhani Express from Bhubaneswar on Tuesday was detained for nearly five hours from 2.35 pm by supporters of the Maoist-backed ... Rajdhani crisis, the work of Naxals not tribalsIBNLive.com - 7 hours ago A New Delhi-bound Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express was released from Naxal clutches by security forces on Tuesday evening, after Naxal-backed tribals stopped it ... Those 5 traumatic hoursExpress Buzz - 19 minutes ago BHUBANESWAR: When Himanshu Patro, programme officer of a city-based NGO, boarded the New Delhi-bound Rajdhani Express from here, little did he know that he ... Stay up to date on these results: |
News@glance: Naxals target Rajdhani, MJ's This Is It & more
Passengers of the New Delhi-Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express train wait after two of its drivers were abducted by Maoist rebels at Banstala, near Jhargram station in West Midnapore district of West Bengal state. The train was secured after dusk by CRPF and the state police who were rushed to the spot where it was under the control of the activists of the People's Committee against Police Atrocities (PCPA), five hours after the dramatic incident that started at about 2.30 PM. All the 1,200 passengers are safe. AP
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Calcutta, Oct. 27: Mamata Banerjee obviously intended it to be one more evidence of the failure of the Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee government, but her presentation of the families of Maoist victims at a news conference in Delhi had a more important political fine print: she seems to be distancing herself from the rebels. She also asked the Centre to use the army against the Maoists. This was the first time that she had publicly taken up the cause of the victims of Maoist violence. But there have been other signals in recent weeks that Mamata is increasingly finding the Maoists more a liability than an asset in her fight against the CPM. This explains why she only expressed her "shock" at the Maoist attack on Sankrail police station. Two policemen were killed in the raid and the officer-in-charge, Atindranath Dutta, was abducted. Uncharacteristically, she did not even use the incident to condemn the state government or the CPM. Mamata had problems with using ultra-Left associates even earlier. Her party activists recall an occasion when she had invited Siddhartha Shankar Ray, former chief minister, to attend one of her protest rallies in Calcutta against the CPM. Some of her Naxalite fellow-travellers strongly objected, referring to the killing of hundreds of Naxalites during Ray's regime in the Seventies. Mamata had to give in to their objections and called up Ray, who was already on his way to the rally, to tell him not to come. But her latest effort to debunk suggestions that she is in league with the Maoists has a different context. A few weeks earlier, the Maoists had killed a Trinamul Congress gram panchayat pradhan, Nishikanta Mandal, in Nandigram. Although Mamata had promptly blamed the CPM for the murder, the Maoists openly claimed responsibility for it. Mandal was a popular figure during the anti-land acquisition movement in Nandigram and his murder caused panic in the area. The Congress organised a protest rally in Nandigram, but Trinamul activists were upset that the party had not publicly denounced the Maoists for the murder. The Maoists, rather than the CPM, were proving to be the new terror, the Trinamul activists had realised, and put pressure on local leaders to tackle it. "We have been suggesting to Mamatadi that the party should not soft-pedal the Maoist issue and instead take a firm stand. Her decision to take the relatives of the two police constables, abducted by the Maoists, to the Union home minister has vindicated our position that she should take the threat from the Maoists seriously," said Trinamul president Subrata Bakshi. A Union minister who accompanied Mamata to Delhi confirmed that she had submitted to home minister P. Chidambaram documents to show how the Maoists had "dangerously" consolidated their base in Bankura, West Midnapore and Purulia, taking advantage of the deprivations tribal people face. But Trinamul leaders and activists know that Mamata is not used to changing her position under pressure from even her closest aides. If she is now distancing herself from the Maoists, she has her own reasons. According to Trinamul sources, the growing fear and resentment over the Maoist killings, especially in urban areas, has forced Mamata to change her stand regarding the rebels. Even many "intellectuals" who were with her in supporting the tribal revolt in Lalgarh are increasingly uncomfortable with the Maoists completely taking over the movement. It was one thing for them to support an agitation, even if violent, supposedly against the deprivation of poor tribals and quite another to defend killings by Maoists. The self-projection of Maoist leader Kishanji on the media also confused many of them. Mamata also does not want to completely alienate policemen in lower ranks, whose colleagues are mostly Maoist targets along with CPM activists. Yet another reason for Mamata's new stand on the Maoists is the rebels themselves. Of late, Kishanji and other Maoist leaders have increasingly criticised both the CPM and Mamata in the same breath. Even the day the Sankrail OC was released by the Maoists, Kishanji's address was laced with criticism of Trinamul. The Maoists know that her demand for withdrawal of the joint forces from Lalgarh or imposition of President's rule in Bengal is a political ploy and will not be conceded by the Centre. Another plausible reason, a Trinamul leader said, is Mamata's feeling that her party now had more public support than a much-weakened CPM. The Maoists have helped in weakening the Marxists for her and she feels that she can now do without the rebels in her race for capturing Writers' Buildings in 2011. |
"Whether in West Bengal or any other area, our view is that employing armed forces for internal security is the last resort. Only as the last resort we will deploy armed forces in Naxal areas," he said.
His comments on Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee's demand in this regard came at a media interaction on the sidelines of a Coast Guard Commanders' conference here.
The Trinamool Congress chief had yesterday demanded that the Centre should use army to recover arms allegedly taken away by "CPI(M) goons" from the state armoury in West Bengal. Antony said law and order issues should be handled by respective state governments and ruled out talks with Maoists before they abjure violence. The government would "not tolerate" attacks by the Left extremists, he said.
"What we are asking them is to abjure violence," Antony said replying to queries if talks with the Naxals should be unconditional.
Agreeing that Naxal violence was a serious threat to internal security, Antony said the Centre would render all help to the affected states. He said the government was of the view that tribal and Maoist-affected states needed more development.
"But that is not an excuse for violence and bloodshed. The government will not tolerate anyone taking law into their hands," he said.
Antony said the government had already chalked out a plan to counter Maoists violence in affected states and was monitoring its implementation.
Following the recent spurt in Maoists violence and abductions, including that of a police officer in West Bengal, both Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and Banerjee have met Home Minister P Chidambaram in the last fortnight to demand action against the Left extremists.
During her meeting with the Home Minister yesterday after two drivers of New Delhi-Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express were kidnapped allegedly by Maoists in West Midnapur district in West Bengal, Banerjee had demanded that the Centre should use the army.
Kishanji defends train detention
Raktima Bose
KOLKATA: "We want to teach the upper classes a lesson and change their narrow class outlook through this incident," Maoist Polit Bureau member Koteswar Rao alias Kishanji told The Hindu on Tuesday referring to the detention of the New Delhi-Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express near Jhargram in West Bengal's Paschim Medinipur district on Tuesday.
Though Mr. Kishanji denied that the Maoists had any role in the incident, he said he supported the cause of the People's Committee against Police Atrocities (PCPA) activists.
'Stop mortar firing'
Admitting that the local people sought his help to mediate in the issue, he demanded immediate stoppage of mortar firing and withdrawal of security troops from the area.
A national issue
"It is now an issue of national interest since it involves the Rajdhani Express…the game of passing the buck between the Centre and the State regarding the issue of development of the tribal people is over now. I am waiting for Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee [Chief Minister], Mamata Banerjee [Railway Minister], P. Chidambaram [Union Home Minister], Manmohan Singh [Prime Minister] and Sonia Gandhi to reply," Mr. Kishanji said, while speaking over phone from Lalgarh.
'Class oppression'
Slamming the security forces for opening fire at the site where the train was detained, Mr. Kishanji said: "Only because it was a blockade by the tribal people, not the educated middle class, that the police fired at them. It was a clear case of class oppression."
http://www.hindu.com/2009/10/28/stories/2009102859111200.htm
LF ministers lash ex-CPM MP for Mamata slurExpressindia.com - - 1 hour ago CPM Hooghly district committee leader and former MP Anil Basu, who made disparaging remarks about Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee, today came under severe ... Ambush derails Mamata bid to outscore CM Times of India Deploy army against Maoists, says Mamata Calcutta Telegraph Buddha on his knees, Mamata on their side, Maoists seize RajdhaniExpressindia.com - - 1 hour ago ... and their supporters wrote the script, cocking a snook at the Railways under Mamata Banerjee and the Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee government in the state. ... Mamata demands President's rule in West Bengal Hindustan Times Mamata asks for central crackdown in West Bengal Business Standard Mamata announces Railway recruitment exam in UrduBusiness Standard - 12 minutes ago PTI / Anantnag October 28, 2009, 14:35 IST Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee today announced a slew of measures for the benefit of people of Jammu and ... Mamata's probe pushCalcutta Telegraph - Oct 26, 2009 Oct. 26: Mamata Banerjee today said the demand for a CBI probe into allegations of corruption against the Visva-Bharati vice-chancellor was "justified". ... Cong demands removal of Visva-Bharati VC Press Trust of India Unions want VC to resign Calcutta Telegraph Graft slur shuts varsity Calcutta Telegraph J&K terror days nearing end: PMSify - 1 hour ago United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee, among several other dignitaries, were present on the ... Life paralysed across Kashmir valley due to strike Press Trust of India PM, Sonia arrive in Kashmir; separatists call bandh Times of India Train mishap: Mamata transfers DRMTimes of India - Oct 22, 2009 At a review meeting on Thursday, railway minister Mamata Banerjee firmly told her officials that safety of passengers could not be compromised. ... Mamata wants CBI probe into Mathura train accident Daily News & Analysis Train chain claim shifts glare on cause Calcutta Telegraph Mamata to accompany parents of missing WB police officials to DelhiEconomic Times - Oct 24, 2009 KOLKATA: Railway minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee has decided to take up the cause of two police officials who were abducted by the ... Mamata slams WB Govt over cop swap Times Now.tv Maoist sickle splits Cong & Trinamool India Today No rule of law in Bengal: MamataTimes of India - Oct 16, 2009 KOLKATA: With police "acting as cadres of CPM", there is no rule of law in Bengal, Tri-namool Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee said in Kolkata on Friday ... CPI(M) is the real Maoist, Says Mamata Hindustan Times When angry, Mamata turns to her punching bags Daily News & Analysis Mamata defends demand for Buddhadeb's arrest Press Trust of India Mamata's party in waiting game in Arunachal, eyes JharkhandExpressindia.com - Oct 24, 2009 Kolkata While Trinamool Congress waits for a signal from party chief Mamata Banerjee whether to join the new Congress government in Arunanchal where it has ... Party awaits Mamata nod Calcutta Telegraph Didi's 'magic' worked in Arunachal Times of India Mamata bats for Behala, runs out HowrahCalcutta Telegraph - - Oct 25, 2009 Mamata Banerjee's gift to her constituency may result in the scrapping of a project that one of her predecessors as railway minister had planned for Howrah. ... Stay up to date on these results: |
No question of freeing criminals or withdrawing forces: Buddhadeb
Special Correspondent
Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Tuesday ruled out conceding Maoist-backed activists' demand for calling off security operations against Left-wing extremists and releasing leaders of the Police Santrash Birodhi Janasadharaner Committee (PSBJC).
"We just cannot withdraw our forces [from the Lalgarh area where the operations are on]. We just cannot release the criminals [the arrested including PSBJC convener Chhatradhar Mahato]….We just cannot accept these demands," Mr. Bhattacharjee said.
The demands were raised by the PSBJC leadership, which is backed by the Maoists, as condition for releasing two drivers of the Bhubaneswar-New Delhi Rajdhani Express held hostage and for allowing the train, detained near the Jhargram station in Paschim Medinipur district, to resume its journey.
Later in the evening, the security forces reached the spot and by the time they cordoned off the train, the agitators had dispersed.
Recounting the incidents, Mr. Bhattacharjee said the drivers "were simply thrown out" of their cabin and surrounded by the agitators on a field near the track.
He pointed out that the agitators, who included Maoists as well as those belonging to the PSBJC, were armed when they held up the train. The police were instructed to close in on the train with the utmost caution, as the first such attempt had met with armed resistance from the extremists during which the driver of a police vehicle was injured.
Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram spoke to the Chief Minister twice over telephone. Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik also discussed the developments with Mr. Bhattacharjee.
Kishanji justifies detention
"We want to teach the upper classes a lesson and change their narrow class outlook through this incident," Maoist Polit Bureau member Koteswar Rao alias Kishanji told The Hindu referring to the detention of the Rajdhani Express near Jhargram.
Though Mr. Kishanji denied that Maoists had any role in the incident, he said he supported the cause of the People's Committee against Police Atrocities (PCPA) activists.
Admitting that the local people sought his help for mediation in the issue, he demanded immediate stoppage of mortar firing and withdrawal of security troops from the Lalgarh area.
"It is now an issue of national interest since it involves the Rajdhani Express…the game of passing the buck between the Centre and the State regarding the issue of development of the tribal people is over now. I am waiting for Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee [Chief Minister], Mamata Banerjee [Railway Minister], P. Chidambaram [Union Home Minister], Manmohan Singh [Prime Minister] and Sonia Gandhi to reply," Mr. Kishanji said, speaking on the phone from Lalgarh.
Assailing the security forces for opening fire at the site where the train was detained, Mr. Kishanji said: "Only because it was a blockade by the tribal people, not the educated middle class, that the police fired at them. It was a clear case of class oppression."
http://www.hindu.com/2009/10/28/stories/2009102859011000.htm
What Didi didn't say: Group that 'hijacked' train is her party ally
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Express news service
Posted: Oct 28, 2009 at 0856 hrs ISTMaoists hold Rajdhani Express hostage for hours in Bengal
Jhargram/Kolkata/New Delhi: A New Delhi-bound Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express was released from Maoist clutches by security forces Tuesday evening , after rebels held it and its 667 passengers hostage for over four hours in West Midnapore district. All passengers are safe, the union government said.
Demanding withdrawal of the joint security forces and release of some of their arrested leaders, around 500 members of the Maoist-backed People's Committee against Police Atrocities (PCAPA) held up the 2443A UP Express train by squatting on the tracks and forced out the drivers around 2.45 p.m. at the Banstala Halt station, near Jhargram station close to the Antapani jungle.
Jhargram is 155 km from Kolkata by train.
After several tension-filled hours, that saw a police team rushing to the spot ambushed by the Left wing rebels, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troopers and state policemen finally took over the train around 7 p.m.
Home Minister P. Chidambaram announced the end of the security operation in New Delhi.
"The CRPF and the state police have reached the spot and the train has been secured," Chidambaram told reporters.
"The relief train will move in the next few minutes. The train is safe and all the passengers are safe," he said.
Chidambaram denied reports that there was any exchange of fire with the guerrillas.
"I would like the media to show some restraint. Don't report rumours. A civilian driver has been injured. There was no exchange of fire. No CRPF person has been injured," he said.
State Director General of Police Bhupinder Singh told IANS in Kolkata: "My men have reached there. They have entered the train. There is no sign of the Maoists now".
The drama started soon after the train left the Jhargram station.
"A group of men stood on the railway tracks and stopped the train. They asked all of us in the driver's cabin to get down and wait near the engine. They did not beat us up, but asked us not to run the train till they gave the green signal," said K. Govind Rao, the assistant driver of the New Delhi-bound Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express.
The PCAPA has called an indefinite shutdown in West Midnapore district form Tuesday in support of its 33-point charter of demands.
"There were 667 passengers in the train," a railway spokesman said.
| Railway Minister remained in constant touch with Union Home Minister and Orissa Chief Minister |
Mamata Banerjee
NEW DELHI: Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed shock at the detention of the Delhi-bound Rajdhani Express from Bhubaneswar near Jhargram in West Bengal on Tuesday by the Maoist-backed activists.
As developments unfolded through the day, she maintained that safety of the passengers was the prime concern and it was her duty to coordinate with all concerned to secure the safety of the driver and the passengers, some of whom were reportedly injured in stone-pelting.
In the course of the day, Ms. Banerjee remained in constant touch with Home Minister P. Chidambaram and even told an upset Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik that she was as much concerned as he was at the safety of every passenger.
Railway Board Chairman and members formulated their strategy in tandem with the Union Home Secretary and West Bengal government officials and the exercise paid off as the People's Committee against Police Atrocities (PCPA) activists eventually allowed the festival special Rajdhani (2443A) with 475 passengers to resume its journey.
She spurned a demand for an immediate audience with her, saying that they should instead consider the plight of the innocent passengers whose political stake was limited to exercising their franchise. Her only grievance during the episode was refusal of civil authorities to permit RPF intervention.
The CRPF was rushed in as a precautionary measure. Two contingents moved in once the PCPA activists retreated and together escorted the Rajdhani Express on its onward journey. The journey commenced only after a relief train took care of the injured and relief materials were made available to the distressed passengers. While expressing relief at the PCPA allowing the train to move after detaining it for almost five hours, Ms. Banerjee said she would willingly talk to anyone should their demand relate to her department.
She refused to go into issues such as who were behind the incident. She said the concern of both the Centre and the West Bengal government was to ensure the safety of the passengers and they worked together as an emergency team with a specific goal in mind. Similarly, she avoided queries on the political ramifications of the episode. "There may be political differences and politicians will come and go, but more important are the lives of the passengers and the people."
http://www.hindu.com/2009/10/28/stories/2009102859111200.htm
TRIBAL writ on track
bhubaneswar=delhi rajdhani blocked near jhargram; Drivers, passengers held hostage for close to five hours
Statesman News Service
MIDNAPORE/KOLKATA, 27 OCT: Members of the People's Committee against Police Atrocities, backed by Maoists, hijacked the 2443A Bhubaneswar-New Delhi Rajdhani Express and held 667 passengers and two drivers hostage for nearly five hours near Banstala railway station, about 35 km from Kharagpur, a major railway junction in the heart of Bengal, giving a rude jolt to the state administration's claim of area domination by the joint forces.
A gun battle ensued as the security personnel tried to free the train from the armed intruders, leaving a police driver and two tribals injured.
The passengers' ordeal ended after nearly five harrowing hours, as darkness was engulfing the forested area, when Central and state forces surrounded the train and stormed it. By then the PCPA members and the Maoists had melted away.
The New Delhi-bound train was stopped at around 2.35 pm by nearly 500 activists of PCPA armed with traditional weapons for defying an indefinite bandh call in the Junglemahal area given by the PCPA demanding the release of Chhatradhar Mahato and withdrawal of joint forces from the entire area.
The train had left Bhubaneswar around 9.25 a.m and reached Kharagpur station at 1.45 p.m.
Shortly after leaving Kharagpur the driver Mr K Ananda Rao and his co-driver Mr KG Rao noticed tree trunks with red flags and posters tied to them on the railway tracks. The drivers pulled the emergency brakes and the train came to a grinding halt close to Banstala, around 3 kms from Jhargram.
As soon as the train stopped, armed activists of the PCPA forced the two drivers and the guard of the train to come out of their cabin and ordered them to wait close to the tracks. Thereafter, they ordered all the passengers to get down and switch off their mobile phones. Later on, they were asked to board the train, but keep their phones switched off.
Meanwhile, the two drivers of the train and another railway employee, identified as Mr BB Rao, were forced into the dense forest along the rail tracks, where they were detained till news spread that the police were closing in.
The activists of the PCPA looted blankets and food from the Rajdhani Express and put up posters in support of their demands. Mr Santosh Patra, vice president of the PCPA took responsibility for the siege.
Police and paramilitary forces advanced from Jhargram shortly after the siege started and encountered stiff resistance from the PCPA activists and Maoist extremists. A gun battle ensued, which left a driver of a police van, Kamal Mahato, severely injured. He was rushed to Jhargram hospital for treatment.
Self-styled Maoist commander Kishenji claimed that two PCPA activists were killed in the gun battle. He told The Statesman that the Maoists would stand by the families of the dead tribals and warned that the situation in Junglemahal would turn ugly after this incident.
A senior police officer said that as land mines were planted all along the road leading to Banstala, they had to change their route and move through the jungles. Around 7 p.m. the forces reached the site and took control of the train.
Mr Manoj Verma, superintendent of police, Midnapore West, said no passengers were injured and the police, along with the CRPF and RPF conducted extensive search operations in the area.
Bomb squad and dog squad were also pressed into service to sanitise the railway track.
Later at night, a special relief train and pilot engines were rushed from Tatanagar to escort the Rajdhani Express. The train left Banstala at 10.10 p.m. Several long distances trains on Kharagpur-Tatanagar section of South Eastern Railway (SER) were either diverted or cancelled following the incident.
With the safety of the hundreds of passengers of the hijacked Rajdhani Express hanging in the balance, railway minister Miss Mamata Banerjee
(Continued from page 1)
of South Eastern Railway (SER) were either diverted or cancelled following the incident.
The train left Banstala at 10.10 p.m.
When the security and safety of hundreds of passengers of the hijacked New Delhi-bound Rajdhani Express was hanging in the balance today, railway minister Miss Mamata Banerjee said the need of the hour was to rise above narrow politics and not to play with the lives of innocent people. But the respective political agendas of the players involved in the unprecedented hostage drama came to the fore.
The state minister looking after the development of the three Maoist-dominated districts, Mr Sushanta Ghosh, bluntly put his political perspective: "When the leaders (Miss Mamata Banerjee) are lobbying in New Delhi for withdrawal of joint forces, the grassroot (People's Committee against Police Atrocities responsible for the train hijack) must also join the chorus." Minutes after the security personnel took possession of the train, the union home minister Mr GK Pillai said : "All the train passengers and the drivers of the train are fully in control of the central government. The Centre has rushed a train to bring the passengers."
Union home minister, Mr P Chidambaram and chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, however, adopted sober postures trying to strike a balance between the conflicting political viewpoints. "The train is safe. All passengers are safe... good news is the train is safe. CRPF and state police have reached the spot and the area has been secured. There is no no sign of any other adversary there," Mr Chidambaram said.
Apparently he didn't claim credit exclusively for the "central forces" for reaching the train first. "There was firing and a civilian driver (belonging to the state police) was injured, but there was no injury to CRPF personnel, " Mr Chidambaram said. Mr Bhattacharjee said though the PCPA was in the forefront, the Maoists had also joined in. He outright rejected the PCPA demands for withdrawal of the joint forces and differentiated in clear terms between the demands for the release of the OC Sankrail a few days back and those of the train hijackers.
Mr Bhattacharjee spoke twice to Mr Chidambaram and his Orissa counterpart, Mr Naveen Patnaik who expressed concern over the safety of passengers. The railway ministry has sought a report on the incident from the state government.
The state PWD minister, Mr Kshiti Goswami had his bit of politicking too giving the RSP perspective : "The situation is becoming alarming with union home minister issuing threats everyday and the Maoists heading for a confrontation." The chief secretary, Mr AM Chakraborti, said development activities could not be carried out in full swing till peace was restored. He held a meeting with senior districts officials at Midnapore circuit house during the day.
Speaking to reporters, the chief secretary said there were some bottlenecks at the ground level in taking up development work in the area. "However work of some projects are on after the chief minister convened a meeting with the officials of the all department in Midnapore in August this year. And the rest of the projects will be completed in five months as safety and security of the staff of those departments has been ensured in the presence of joint forces in the area", he claimed.
Security for trains passing Maoist areas to be upgraded
MHA meeting over Rajdhani hostage incident
Train attacked by Maoists
| Deploy army against Maoists, says Mamata - Minister against police role | |||
| OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT | |||
New Delhi. Oct. 27: Mamata Banerjee today asked the Centre to deploy the army against Maoists instead of a joint operation with Bengal police in Lalgarh, the change of stand coming on a day a Rajdhani Express was blocked by a Maoist-backed outfit. The Trinamul Congress chief, who is the railway minister, said she had told Union home minister P. Chidambaram: "Don't use the assistance of the state government to combat Maoists. Only use the army for the task." Trinamul had opposed joint operations by central paramilitary forces and Bengal police in Lalgarh from the very beginning, arguing that the offensive would lead to human rights abuses. "The security forces are torturing villagers in the name of a joint operation," Mamata had said in July. Sources in Trinamul said the change in stand was triggered by Mamata's realisation that the party's current position on Maoists was indirectly drawing the Congress, which is her ally, and the CPM, her arch-enemy, closer. The Congress and Trinamul have had differences over seat-sharing in several local-level elections over the past few months. Last month, the Congress tied up with the CPM to bag the mayor's post in Siliguri when Mamata refused to give up claim to the post The tension between the allies was evident today, too. Mamata suggested that the home ministry was deliberately turning a blind eye to the crimes by alleged CPM cadres in the state. "I asked the the home minister... where else in India does such violence occur? If these things had happened in Gujarat, the Centre would have intervened. Then why not in Bengal?" Mamata said. The CPM and the Maoists are "brothers", she said. "I don't know how much of the violence in Bengal is thanks to the Maoists and how much because of the Marxists. But they are brothers." She added that she had repeated her party's demand for the imposition of Article 355, a warning, followed by Article 356, President's rule, unless the state government "corrects" itself. The Trinamul chief asked why the home ministry was was not agreeing to the demands when her party leaders were receiving complaints everyday of violence against ordinary people and her workers. "Is Bengal an exceptional child (among the states)?" she asked. Mamata also suggested that the CPM may have a role in railway mishaps. "They (the CPM) are creating all these problems for the railways. Why do you think I ordered a CBI probe into the Mathura accident?" she asked, referring to the crash of two trains near Mathura last week. Relatives of two constables, Sabir Mollah and Kanchan Garai kidnapped by Maoists three months back, accompanied her when she spoke to Chidambaram. The home minister, Mamata claimed, told her and the relatives of the constables that the Centre had no information to suggest that the duo had been killed. She also criticised chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, who "inadvertently" said the cops had been killed. |
| Royals show off power of the Raj - With a helping hand, President begins UK visit | |
| AMIT ROY | |
Windsor, Oct. 27: Pratibha Patil was greeted today with a 41-gun salute and a ceremonial at Windsor Castle the like of which neither she or those Indians lucky enough to be present will witness again in their life time. The British put on a spectacle of such breathtaking military precision that the Queen's Indian guests were left dumfounded. A British royal photographer, who has shot ceremonials at Windsor Castle from every conceivable angle, was deliberately nonchalant. "Well," he said, eyeing the cavalry, the soldiers and all the Queen's uniformed men that went into welcoming India's First Citizen, "let's say they have had a bit of practice." The president was not taking any chances with the British weather at the start of her state visit to the UK even though it was relatively mild today. Over a pale sari, she had donned a white coat and had her pallu wrapped firmly round her head in a style she has made all her own. She also wore white gloves, as opposed to the black ones which she showed off on arrival. As she stepped down gingerly from the dais to inspect a guard of honour, the Duke of Edinburgh gallantly reached out and steadied her lest a moment's carelessness should cause a diplomatic event. In the event, all was well. Patil made it back safely to the dais after walking past a long line of soldiers who towered above her. The Queen and Prince Philip left Windsor Castle at 11.40am by car to go and collect their guests from a point outside the castle not far from Eton College. She returned in some style after guns had boomed a 21-gun salute from the Royal Palace and a separate 20-gun salute from the Royal Park. First to emerge into the Quadrangle at Windsor Castle in the "Australian state coach" were the Queen and the president. This was followed by the Scottish State Coach which carried Prince Philip and the president's husband, Devisingh Ramsingh Shekawat. The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall followed them in the "Semi-State Landau", which also brought Daggubati Purandeswari, minister of state at Human Resource Development, and Lord Vestey, Master of the Horse. The No 1 Ascot Landau was given over to Dr Christy L Fernandez, secretary to the president, Nirupama Rao, the Foreign Secretary, Nalin Surie, the High Commissioner, and his wife, Poonam. The No 1 Ascot Landau is so called because there is a No 2 which brought Lt Gen Vinod Chopra, Military Secretary to the president, Sunil Lal, chief of protocol in India, Vijay Thakur Singh, Joint Secretary and social secretary to the president, and Pradeep Bhardwaj, Chief Security Liaison. The British had their women in top jobs, too – Sara Thornton, Chief Constable of Thames Valley Police; Dr Christine Hill Williams, High Sheriff of the Royal County of Berkshire; and the Hon Mrs Bayliss, Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire. Precisely at 12.15pm, the band of 1 st battalion of the Irish Guards struck up Jana Gana Mana…and in tune, too, followed by God Save the Queen. The Guard of Honour was mounted by the Irish Guards who had practised to ensure every man Jack was in a straight line. Then came the heart-stopping thunder of hooves, led by the Mounted band of The Blues and Royals, the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery, the March Past and the Sovereign's Escort of the Household Cavalry Rank Past. The Raj was back in business – or so it seemed this morning. The red of the uniforms contrasted with the stone of Windsor Castle, which is 900 years old, the monarch will tell the president. The Queen did not make the mistake of helping Patil down from the dais. The two elderly grandmothers then walked off slowly off, side by side, through the Sovereign's Entrance for a spot of lunch. |
| Bandh beast bites its guardians 'Hijacking' Rajdhani, Maoists tease Mamata, Buddha and Centre |
| OUR BUREAU |
 |
| Oct. 27: Maoist sympathisers today "hijacked" a Rajdhani Express in Bengal for several hours, using a bandh with telling effect on the patent-holder and a key mentor of the mode of disruption. By the time "the publicity stunt" played itself out on TV screens, the perpetrators had managed to tease Mamata Banerjee with talks and Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee with a fresh swap demand and traumatise hundreds of passengers and families. Nearly 400 villagers owing allegiance to the People's Committee Against Police Atrocities — and allegedly aided by Maoists — blocked the Delhi-bound Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express at Banstala halt in West Midnapore's Jhargram this afternoon. The blockade was being enforced as part of an indefinite bandh in the district to protest an alleged reign of terror by security forces. The protesters proceeded to replicate diligently what the bandh champions of Bengal — the CPM as well as the Trinamul Congress and, lately, the Congress — have perfected to a fine art: force drivers out, smash windowpanes and generally run riot. Some passengers suffered injuries from the flying shards of glass. But reports began spreading soon that the drivers had been "kidnapped", probably because memories of last week's hostage situation are still raw. The protesters — security officers said they were led by 25 Maoists — added fuel to the fire, scrawling lines in English as well as Hindi extolling the arrested committee leader, Chhatradhar Mahato, and some telling passengers that the train would be released only after the government freed him. The threat, passed on by passengers over phone to television newsrooms, changed the complexion of the blockade that graduated into a "hostage situation". In Delhi, home minister P. Chidambaram, home secretary G.K. Pillai and the Naxalite management division went into a huddle. In Calcutta, chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee ruled out either freeing Mahato or halting the operation of the joint forces in Lalgarh, the epicentre of the bandh in West Midnapore. Mahato was remanded in police custody for nine days today. Orissa chief minister Naveen Patnaik spoke to Bhattacharjee and Chidambaram as the train had started out from Bhubaneswar with 346 passengers. The rest of the 459 passengers had boarded from Kharagpur. Around 2.35pm, the blockade stranded them in the middle of a jungle. Joint forces headed to the area, encountering gunfire and felled trees on the way, which has strengthened the feeling that the Maoists had planned the "publicity stunt" — a term used by Union home secretary Pillai. A police driver was wounded. Some protesters demanded that Mamata Banerjee — the train is her responsibility as railway minister — hold talks with them. Maoist leader Kishanji denied a hand but demanded that Mamata intervene. Mamata, squeamish about references to past association with Naxalites, said: "I earnestly appeal to them to release the drivers. If someone wants to talk to me, he can fix an appointment." Between 5.30pm and 6pm, possibly after learning that security forces were advancing, the protesters melted away, prompting Pillai to declare: "The train has been secured." The train resumed its journey towards Delhi at 10.08pm — the unscheduled halt lasting over seven hours — with doctors on board. Spare drivers from Kharagpur replaced the stressed-out drivers. The original driver, Ananda Rao, said the train was moving at 110kmph when he noticed a red flag in the middle of the tracks. "I could not stop and drove over the flag. Suddenly, stones were hurled and I could see a pile of logs and branches on the tracks. I had to slam the brake." A passenger, Tapas Kumar Nayek, said many people fell on each other. "People armed with bows and arrows, axes and spears entered. We thought they were dacoits." "The agitators took away blankets, bed sheets and pillows from the compartments and food kept in the pantry car. No guard could be seen," said Anchal Das, a passenger and former MP from Orissa. However, the agitators assured the passengers that they would not be harmed and asked them to come out. But Asit Mahato, the committee's spokesperson, told the passengers: "We wanted to take you to Jhargram town but we are unable to do so as security forces are advancing." Assistant driver K. Govinda Rao said: "We are safe and we were not kidnapped. We were standing in front of the engine." |
| India sleeps on lessons of 1962 - Vantage hill in China hands | ||
| NISHIT DHOLABHAI | ||
The Sentinel hills, that round us stand, bear witness that, we love our land, almost shattered rock, and flaming fire, on Namti plain. Lohit gently by us glide, pale stars above softly shine, as we sleep here, in sun and rain. Deputy commissioner Bernard S. Dougal's tribute to soldiers martyred in the October/November 1962 Battle of Walong Kibithu, Oct. 27: Forty-seven years on, the lump that forms in the throat in Walong at the memorial to the soldiers who died fighting the invading Chinese, turns into alarm as you move closer to the border. Memories of that 1962 incursion have come flooding back with China virtually taking over Hundred Hill, a vantage point near Kibithu, a small hamlet in Arunachal Pradesh, barely a kilometre from the McMahon Line. The Hill, which towers over the Indian Army post here, is in a disputed area. Two smaller hills, Eighty Hill and Ninety Hill, are in Indian possession but Hundred Hill is apparently out of reach. Beijing has nearly finished building a road on the northern face of the hill on the Chinese side where People's Liberation Army trucks and Jeeps move up and down without even blowing up clouds of dust. Although not tarred, the road is of "very good quality" and can be used round the year, witnesses said. It means, nearly five decades after the 1962 war, a tragic watershed in India's military history, Delhi has again failed to pre-empt Chinese moves. Control of Hundred Hill not only gives tactical advantage to the Chinese in this strategically important area close to the India-China-Myanmar tri-junction, it also shows a symbolic repeat of 1962 where India took a drubbing in this eastern theatre of war. "Almost 90 per cent work on the road is over," a source who witnessed the construction from the eastern side of the Lohit river while on patrol, told The Telegraph. Although work on the road up Hundred Hill was apparently stopped in September, there is no doubt the hill is practically in Chinese hands even if there is no PLA post atop. Through the year, Chinese trucks carried construction material up the hill. One summer day, local sources said, they heard as many as 90 gelatine blasts that showed how fast development was taking place across the Lohit, one of whose countless tributaries separates Kaho, the last settlement on the Indian side, from China. "The Lohit turned brown and muddy for days," said a source at Walong, some 30km inland. From May this year, the Chinese began construction at a frenetic pace. "Curiously, it was after a flag meeting in May between the PLA and the army at the forward post that the pace of work abruptly increased," said a government source at Kibithu, where the first move of the Battle of Walong began on October 18, 1962. Between Hundred Hill and Walong, hundreds of Indian soldiers laid down their lives in Namti plain, about 700km from Tezpur in Assam. If the Chinese have a post on top of the hill, they would get an unhindered view for close to 10km as the crow flies with the Dong plateau in clear sight. Dong village, a beautiful table-top on a small hill, is where the sun rises first in India. Facing the Hundred Hill is Madan Ridge. It was occupied by 2 Assam Rifles in 1962 but is "disputed" now. There are fears that the Chinese would take over the Ridge too and cut off a vital route from Kibithu to the India-China-Myanmar tri-junction, three days of patrolling away. "An area of almost 70sqkm threatens to be cut off if they (the Chinese) register their presence on the Ridge," said a local source. Residents, unwilling to be named, also said the army and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police were not seriously exploring patrolling routes from Kibithu to Goiliang, from where Hayuliang, the sub-divisional headquarters in Anjaw district, is just 15km away. |
| Officer abducted in Hazaribagh |
| VISHVENDU JAIPURIAR |
| Hazaribagh, Oct. 27: Armed Maoists abducted the circle officer of Keredari while he was returning to his house here on a day the rebels blew up two schools in Giridih and observed a bandh in five districts. The officer's driver, who was released after being beaten up, reported the incident to the block office who asked police to send out search parties from Barakagaon and Keredari that's on the Hazaribagh-Chatra district border, a Naxalite stronghold. Nirmal Kumar Toppo, who resides in Deepppugarha of Hazaribagh with his wife, an income-tax officer, was returning home around 4.10pm as usual when his SUV was stopped by a man just as it was crossing the narrow Patra bridge, around 32km from here. Four armed men appearing from nowhere asked him and his driver, Dwarika Singh, to get off the vehicle and begin walking towards the nearby forests. After walking for about a kilometre, the rebels searched them. Dwarika's mobile and Rs 2,950 was taken away from him. He was then beaten up and released with a warning. BDO Ranjeet Das confirmed the abduction and said that on the basis of Dwarika's initial report to the police, a massive search operation had been launched under the leadership of DSP Naushad Alam. However, he added, Dwarika was in a state of shock and couldn't speak. Keredari has been a victim of Maoists terror for long, the most sensational attack coming in 2001 when 14 villagers were killed in Beltu. |
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1091028/jsp/frontpage/story_11667101.jsp
Come one, come all... to Lalbazar
Rajib Chatterjee
KOLKATA, 27 OCT: A day after the home secretary said that Kolkata Police has been put on alert following reports that Maoists have their "links" in the city, a mentally challenged woman, posing as an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, walked straight into a senior police officer's chamber at Lalbazar yesterday without her identity being checked by the "watchful" cops.
Interestingly, the woman ~ aged around 45 years ~ was released without being interrogated. The incident, that put a serious question mark on the alertness of the city cops, has created a flutter among a section of police and ministerial staff at Lalbazar.
Sources at Lalbazar said the woman entered the police headquarters around 5.30 p.m. claiming to be an IPS officer. The policemen on duty did not feel it necessary to verify her identity and allowed her to go inside.
She walked straight to the Wireless Building, located opposite the main building where the chambers of top police officers including the commissioner of police are located. Upstairs, she first barged into the chamber of the officer-in-charge (building) housed on the second floor of the building. Claiming to be an IPS officer, she shouted at a police officer in the chamber, demanding: "Where is my car?".
The officer ~ who was stunned by the sudden appearance of the woman "IPS officer" ~ told her to meet the assistant commissioner (headquarters), Mr Anjan Ganguly, whose chamber is located on the same floor.
After that, she walked into Mr Ganguly's chamber. "I noticed some abnormality in her behaviour when she was talking to me. From her attitude, I realised later that she was suffering from a mental disorder," Mr Ganguly told The Statesman.
Asked if the woman was interrogated, he said there was no need to quiz her as it was clear that she was not mentally stable. Though sources at Lalbazar claimed that the woman had occupied the assistant commissioner's chair, Mr Ganguly denied this.
When contacted, Mr Javed Shamim, joint commissioner (headquarters), said he has no knowledge about the incident. "I will enquire if this really happened," Mr Shamim said.
http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=1&theme=&usrsess=1&id=273119
Under their nose, with impunity
Statesman News Service
KOLKATA/MIDNAPORE, 27 OCT: If anything, the Maoist-backed operation on the Delhi-bound Rajdhani Express today succeeded in exposing the egregious security lapses despite the presence of joint forces, top bureaucrats and police top brass monitoring the tackling of the Maoist menace.
Hundreds of cadres of the People's Committee against Police Atrocities (PCPA) hailing from Lalgarh and adjoining areas, armed with traditional weapons, blocked the railway tracks close to Jhargram and virtually took passengers of the 2443A Bhubaneswar-New Delhi Rajdhani Express hostage.
And all this happened when the state chief secretary, home secretary and DGP were huddled in the West Midnapore circuit house to take stock of the security operations in and around Lalgarh, and the development projects initiated as one more tool to combat the Maoists.
What was even more ironical was that the joint forces have a base camp at Jhargram, barely three kilometres from the spot where the train was detained for more than 4 hours.
The chief secretary would only say that he had heard of the incident and that police had been rushed there.
Initial reports suggested that there was no armed security guard on board the Rajdhani Express even though both the state government and the railway authorities had prior information about the indefinite bandh call in the area.
Questions were raised whether the train was at all being escorted by a pilot engine from Balasore station, after it entered the vulnerable section dominated by Maoist extremists in Orissa and thereafter in West Bengal.
According to Railway Board directives it is mandatory to provide armed RPF escorts to all Rajdhani Express trains. The question being asked was why there were no RPF personnel on the ill-fated train.
However, the chief security commissioner (CSC), South Eastern Railway, Mr AK Singh. had a ready explanation : "Armed security guards are not provided to trains during the day".
The need for providing armed escorts to premium trains such as the Rajdhani and Shatabdi Express was felt after a Howrah-New Delhi Rajdhani Express train got derailed and plunged into the Dhawa River close to Rafiganj in Bihar September 2002. Inquiries revealed that Maoist extremists had tampered with a signal and the tracks, which led to the derailment, killing more than 100 passengers.
Soon after the incident, the Indian Railways came out with a White Paper on Railway Safety and the then Railway minister Mr Nitish Kumar had categorically made it mandatory that all premium trains should be escorted by armed RPF personnel and pilot engines should run ahead of all these trains, as an advance safety measure.
In fact, the Union home ministry had sent a missive to SER authorities in November last year, identifying 11 stations in the zone for installing an integrated security system, keeping in view the terror perspective. A high-level committee constituted by the railway ministry in consultation with the Union home ministry and the Intelligence Bureau had surveyed the existing security system of the railways and recommended improved security arrangements at several stations. Kharagpur,Tatanagar, Ranchi, Bokaro, Rourkela, Adra, Midnapore, Purulia, Muri, Jharsuguda and Chakradharpur stations across Jharkhand, Orissa and West-Bengal were identified as vulnerable.
http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=1&theme=&usrsess=1&id=273120
'I just had to stop the train...'
KOLKATA/BHUBANESWAR, 27 OCT: "Just as the train was about to cross Banstala halt, I saw some red flags on the track ahead and a few hundred armed tribal people with posters, I had to stop the train," remarked a visibly shaken Mr K Ananda Rao, the driver of the 2443A Bhubaneswar-New Delhi Rajdhani Express, soon after the siege ended.
"One of them asked me to stop the engine and disembark. They were armed. They also asked the assistant driver Mr KG Rao, to leave the train," Mr Rao said over the telephone. "We were taken a few yards away from the train and they asked us not to shout. They were shouting slogans. Near about 300 armed supporters were there," said Mr Ananda Rao. The PCPA members however gave them water when they felt thirsty.
The train passengers too had a harrowing time as tribal agitators armed with axes, swords, bows and arrows smashed glass panes of the AC train and forcibly opened the doors before abducting the drivers.
"There was a loud sound, suddenly the train stopped and I could hear stones hitting the compartment," said Mr Aswini Swain, a PhD student travelling in the B-2 coach. At 2.35 p.m, Mr Swain said, the train stopped and before passengers could realise what was happening, hundreds of people armed with traditional weapons stormed the compartments asking passengers to get down. "We will set fire to the train, get down," they shouted. "It was after 6.30 p.m. when CRPF jawans reached us and claimed to have taken complete control," Mr Swain added.
Mr Himansu Patra, another passenger working as a programme officer in an NGO, said the armed villagers did not harm the passengers. "They were all very cordial. In fact after a while, they asked us to board the train since it was getting cold outside," he said. They were raising slogans demanding the release of Chhatradhar Mahato and were describing him as a national leader not a criminal, he added.
Mr Swain and Mr Patra were all praise for the railway staff on the train and said they were very helpful and supplied food, drinks etc. Some of the CRPF people told us that there was a exchange of fire and a few had sustained injuries, but we are not sure about this, added Mr Swain. SNS
http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=1&theme=&usrsess=1&id=273118
CID sleuths interrogate O-C
KOLKATA, 26 OCT: Sleuths of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) are conducting a background check of the abducted Sankrail O-C, Mr Atindranath Dutta including his service records and even Maoist links, if any.
A senior CID officer said a team of officers have already visited Sankrail and Banspahari outpost under Belpahari police station in West Midnapore, where Mr Dutta was posted two years back, to inquire against him. Sleuths are also trying to get information on Mr Dutta's stint at Jadavpur University, where he had studied Economics. The senior officer said sources revealed that Mr Dutta did not conduct any raids or operations and was not known as an 'active' officer.
Senior CID officers today spoke to Mr Atindranath Dutta, at Bhawani Bhavan. When contacted, Mr Raj Kanojia, ADG (CID) said not much vital information regarding the Maoist leaders and their strength was revealed from Mr Dutta's statements. Mr Dutta was asked to narrate in detail how he was abducted and where he was kept hostage. He, however, failed to give any concrete information as he was blindfolded and taken away on a bike, added Mr Kanojia. Another CID officer said they initially planned to prepare a sketch of Kishenji after getting details of his description from Mr Dutta, but this could not be done as the latter claimed that he was blindfolded.
Mr Dutta told CID officers on Wednesday night (21 October) after the negotiation was made, Kishenji came and spoke to him. The Maoists leader asked him about his political ideology and briefed him about the Maoists ideology. He also hinted at his release the next day, Mr Dutta told the sleuths. CID has recorded all the statements made by him today and will verify these with his earlier statements made on several occasions after his release, said the officer. SNS
http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=6&theme=&usrsess=1&id=273035
PCPA calls bandh in Junglemahal
Statesman News Service
MIDNAPORE, 26 OCT: The People's Committee against Police Atrocities (PCPA) has called an indefinite bandh in the Junglemahal area from tomorrow throwing a fresh challenge to the state government even as a CPI-M leader was killed by suspected Maoists in Binpur today. Pratap Nayek, a CPI-M gram panchayat member, was shot dead by suspected Maoists at Singpur in Binpur this afternoon.
Interestingly, the PCPA agitation begins at a time when the chief secretary accompanied by the home secretary and the director general of police is slated to arrive at Midnapore tomorrow to review the situation in the aftermath of the PCPA leaders' arrest and their jail custody.
The call for the bandh and road blockades has been given harping on withdrawal of joint forces and also release of Chhatradhar Mahato and others. It has already been proved that Mahato has been framed in false cases as charges of amassing vast wealth by unscrupulous means and a Life Insurance Policy of Rs 1 crore against him have not yet been substantiated in the court by the police, the PCPA spokesman pointed out.
Indefinite bandh called by the PCPA in the Junglemahal area on 18 August over their 23-point charter of demands, including withdrawal of joint forces, was lifted for three weeks before Durga Puja. But members had to renew their demand for withdrawing the joint forces as the latter resorted to torture on the villagers since this morning, Mr Asit Mahato alleged.
Today, the joint forces ransacked at least 12 houses belonging to the tribals at Bakshi, a village surrounded by forests, in Midnapore Sadar block. They looted important documents pertaining to their land, houses and other matters. They threw away cooked food, broke utensils and beat up the inmates. Even 70-year-old Mrs Kahanu Mahato was not spared, he further alleged.
Similar raids were conducted at Bhulagera and Lakshmanpur in Lalgarh and Mathurapur, Gadra and Hatilodh in Salboni block. In all the places, Maoists hiding in the forests challenged the joint forces leading to an hour-long gunbattle between them. Mr Sahebram Murmu, who came to visit his relatives suffered bullet injuries at Bakshi and was rushed to Midnapore Medical College and Hospital. The PCPA spokesman said that the man came to visit his relatives' when a bullet hit him.
When contacted, the SP, Mr Manoj Verma, remained tight-lipped over the PCPA's allegations.
http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=6&theme=&usrsess=1&id=273036
Maoists stop train, hold India to ransom
Rajdhani crisis, the work of Naxals not tribals
Suspected Maoists gun down CPI(M) leader
Rajdhani passengers safe, train leaves for Delhi
Rajdhani crisis timeline
Rajdhani held hostage in Naxal land; secured after five hours
Trains face regular threat in West Bengal's West Midnapore district
Top News
A New Delhi-bound Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express was released from Maoist clutches by security forces Tuesday evening, after rebels held it and its passengers hostage for over four hours in West Midnapore district. All passengers are safe, the union government said. Home Minister P. Chidambaram announced the end of the security operation in New Delhi.
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| Pressure from Obama strains ties with Pak | ||
| JANE PERLEZ | ||
Islamabad, Oct. 27: The Obama administration is putting pressure on Pakistan to eliminate Taliban and al Qaida militants from the country's tribal areas. However, the push is straining the delicate relations between the allies, Pakistani and western officials say. The Pakistani military's recent heavy offensive in South Waziristan has pleased the Americans. However, it has left large parts of Pakistan under siege as militants once sequestered in the country's tribal areas take their war to Pakistan's cities. Many in the country blame the US for the country's rising instability. When secretary of state Hillary Rodham Clinton arrives in Pakistan this week, as she is scheduled to do so, she will find a nuclear-armed state consumed by doubts about the value of the alliance with the US and resentful of ever-rising American demands to do more, the officials said. The US is also struggling to address Pakistan's concerns over the conditions imposed on a new American aid package of $7.5 billion over five years that the Pakistani military denounced as designed to interfere in the country's internal affairs. The Obama administration has endorsed the Pakistani Army's recent offensive in South Waziristan, suggesting it showed overdue resolve. But it has also raised concerns about the army's long-term objectives. How South Waziristan plays out may prove to be a bellwether for an alliance of increasingly divergent interests. The special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard C. Holbrooke, said on Friday that the Obama administration would be trying to find out whether the army was simply "dispersing" the militants or "destroying" them, as the US would like. From the number of troops in South Waziristan, it was not clear that the army wanted to "finish the task," said a western military attaché, who spoke on the condition of anonymity according to diplomatic protocol. The army would not take over South Waziristan as it had the Swat Valley, where the military is now an occupying force after conducting a campaign in the spring and summer that pushed the Taliban out, the officials said. It remains to be seen how the campaign will play out in a region where the army has failed in the past, analysts said. The army has sent about 28,000 soldiers to South Waziristan to take on about 10,000 guerrillas, a relatively low ratio, according to military specialists. In all, of the roughly 28,000 soldiers, there are probably about 11,000 army infantrymen, said Javed Hussain, a retired army brigadier. Instead of a ratio of one to one, he said, the ratio should be at least five to one. The army appeared to have no plans to occupy South Waziristan, but rather to cut the militants "to size," said Tariq Fatemi, who served briefly as Pakistan's ambassador to the US in 1999. With the uncertainty of American plans in Afghanistan, and the strong sentiment in Pakistan that India was "up to no good" in the restive province of Baluchistan and the tribal areas, Fatemi said, the army would not abandon the militant groups that it has relied on to fight as proxies in Afghanistan and in Kashmir against India. Brigadier attacked Two suspected militants on a motorbike fired shots today at Brigadier Waqar Ahmed, his mother and the driver in Islamabad but missed, police said. "No one is hurt, everyone is fine," senior police official Khursheed Khan said, adding that the assailants escaped. | ||
| NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE |
| LOOK FOR THE METHOD - India is partly to blame for the dip in its relations with China | |
| Diplomacy | |
| K.P. NAYAR | |
The time has come to do some plainspeaking. The prime minister, Manmohan Singh, who met his Chinese counterpart, Wen Jiabao, in Thailand on Saturday and external affairs minister S.M. Krishna, who played host to China's foreign minister, Yang Jiechi, in Bangalore yesterday, appear powerless to stop the deterioration in Sino-Indian relations, which are being micro-managed beyond the control of the government in New Delhi. Those in India outside the government, who want to roll back the progress — slow, but steady — since Rajiv Gandhi's visit to Beijing in 1988 have hijacked the agenda for Sino-Indian engagement: they must take the entire blame for the incipient war hysteria that came to dominate public discourse on bilateral relations in the run-up to the meeting between Singh and Wen on the one hand and between Krishna and Yang on the other. For this columnist, whose adolescence followed the crushing Indian military defeat at Chinese hands in 1962, growing up in a state where the largest political party blamed India for that border war, it is not easy to point a finger at the Indian side for the latest deterioration in relations with Beijing. But the bizarre truth is that influential sections of the Indian media and manipulative elements in New Delhi's strategic community are responsible for creating a situation where the government's hands are now tied in any effort in the immediate future to take Sino-Indian relations forward. Take, for instance, a widely circulated report in a print medium on September 15, which gave a very detailed account of firing by Chinese soldiers from their side of the Line of Actual Control in north Sikkim. The report claimed that two members of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police had been injured in the incident, which was painted as a turning point in the deteriorating Sino-Indian border management, if only because guns had been silent in that area for 47 years. Besides, it was alleged in the report that by opening fire on ITBP personnel, the People's Liberation Army had reneged on a key Sino-Indian understanding 13 years ago not to open fire, whatever the gravity of any provocation. The ministry of external affairs immediately looked into the report, as did the ITBP, only to find that no such incident had taken place, as both agencies insisted the very next day. While it is possible to cover up an incident of firing that has left no trails, it is not that easy to deny injuries to personnel on the ground, especially if the injuries are serious and the death of those injured is likely. Sadly, there has been a pattern to such lies in sections of the New Delhi media about Sino-Indian relations and such deliberate distortions have been building up for some years now, slowly poisoning the atmosphere between the two countries in public opinion, less so in bilateral engagement. Perhaps the most damaging of such concocted stories in terms of popular perception was the lie, repeated over and over in certain newspapers and by specific television pundits, that it was China that prevented Shashi Tharoor's election as the United Nations secretary-general in 2006. Actually, it was the United States of America, the only country that vetoed Tharoor in the UN Security Council. The truth is that before Tharoor's candidature was announced in New Delhi, back-channel contacts had been established with Beijing, which took the position that it will not veto any Asian candidate. At that time, this principled stand by China applied not only to Tharoor, it equally applied to Ban Ki-moon, who eventually became secretary-general, it covered Jayantha Dhanapala of Sri Lanka, Surakiart Sathirathai of Thailand and some other Asians who fell by the wayside at various stages of the campaign to lead the world body. Another lie, similarly propagated by this same crowd of writers and TV pundits was that the Chinese scuttled India's chances of becoming a permanent member of the UN Security Council through the Group of Four route when India, Japan, Germany and Brazil launched a very serious bid in 2004 to bring about reform in the structure of the Council. It is true that the Chinese did not support the G-4. But their opposition was to the idea of Japan becoming a permanent member of the Security Council. China has issues with Japan left over by history, and Beijing will not allow Tokyo to claim its place in the world until the Chinese are convinced that the Japanese have permanently and irrevocably turned their backs on militarism. The Chinese also do not want a country that will permanently act as cat's paw to Washington in the Security Council. A change may now be on the anvil in Beijing with a new, progressive government in Tokyo that wants to move the country away from American influence. But here again, it was the US which never supported India's candidature for permanent membership of the Security Council. The Bush administration, which is hailed in India as its friend, at best gave a character certificate testifying in principle to India's worthiness to be in the Council, but nothing more. On the other hand, even before George W. Bush became president, the US endorsed both Japan and Germany for permanent Council membership, although Bush had some reservations about Germany after it refused to support his invasion of Iraq. Contrary to the impression created in India by a section of opinion-makers, the US did not at any time come out in support of India taking its seat at the global high table. When a vote on the follow-up of the Indo-US nuclear deal allowing the world to trade in nuclear material and technology with India was approaching, in the board of governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency and later in the Nuclear Suppliers Group, the very same opinion-makers and strategic thinkers began a propaganda in the print and visual media that the Chinese would block exemption for India in both instances. When that did not happen and the Chinese voted for India, there was a spate of stories and commentaries about how the Chinese attempted to derail the process, which was only rescued by American knights in shining armour who valiantly fought for India. It is true that the Chinese tried to get something for themselves in return for their vote supporting India. But that is what good negotiators always do. It is also true that the Chinese made a pretence of lobbying the IAEA on behalf of Pakistan, knowing fully well that Pakistan will never get a nuclear deal similar to India's. For the Chinese, the opportunity cost of that effort was next to nothing: at the same time, it got them some brownie points not only in Islamabad, but also in several other Muslim capitals. For some time now, the Chinese have been complaining, officially and unofficially, to those in the government and to others outside it, that a large segment of India's English-language media has been engaging in a verbal war on Beijing and its India policies. To be fair, well before People's Daily this month unleashed its reply to this war on China by a section of the Indian media, Sinologists in South Block and in other government agencies with Chinese expertise have been expecting a reaction from Beijing: they have only been waiting for the straw that would break the back of the proverbial Chinese camel. Perhaps, because many of those who received these complaints underestimated the gravity of the situation that was developing, they trotted out the excuse that the Indian media are free. The implication of this, of course, is that the Chinese media are not free. It is perhaps not widely known in Delhi that at any given point, a political counsellor at the Chinese embassy on Shanti Path is constantly going through every item in the Indian press that is of interest to Beijing, line by line, even on weekends, putting individual commentators and analysts into ideological pigeon-holes. So when an Indian tells his Chinese interlocutor that India's press is free, he accepts it without hesitation. But he does not accept that everyone who writes for the Indian press is free. When the Olympic torch was travelling around the globe preparatory to the 2008 Beijing Olympics and was seized in Paris by a Frenchman, Beijing put on the internet a Google map of the exact location of the residence of the French citizen who vandalized the torch for the sake of Tibetans. If the Chinese can do this, would they not know the affiliations of those who mobilized an Indian media frenzy against China? What is needed now, as the government tries to create a semblance of normalcy in Sino-Indian relations, is an acknowledgement that there is a method to what China is doing and that India needs to learn from this. |
National News
Cherie Blair calls for humane treatment of Indian widows
Cherie Blair, wife of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who is currently on a brief visit to India said in New Delhi on Tuesday that the society must consider the plight of widows and suggested that their social concerns need to be addressed in right earnest.
- Passengers of hijacked Rajdhani Express question on security steps ANI - 02:55 PM
- Sridhar reaches main draw of French Super Series PTI - 02:44 PM
- Manipur journalists surrender their I-cards in protest ANI - 02:40 PM
- Government calls of early implementation of Women Empowerment Schemes ANI - 02:40 PM
- Passengers of Rajdhani Express hold-up question security in trains ANI - 02:40 PM
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General
- Peace youth conference organised in honor of Dalai LamaANI - 02:40 PM
Dharamsala, Oct 28 (ANI): Three Nobel Peace laureates participated in a peace youth conference organised in honor of Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama in Dharamsala.
- Encephalitis kills more than 30 children in GayaANI - 02:40 PM
Gaya, Oct 28 (ANI): Acute encephalitis that results in inflammation of the brain is on the rise in Bihar's Gaya district.
- Four given ten years imprisonment for attempt to murderPTI - 02:35 PM
Muzaffarnagar, Oct 28 (PTI) A local court here today sentenced four persons, including two women, to ten years imprisonment for attempting murder of community panchayat members.
- New entrant in IFFI: Spoof CinemaPTI - 02:30 PM
Mumbai, Oct 28 (PTI) The Indian International Film Festival (IFFI) that kick starts from November 23 in Goa, will for the first time showcase 'Spoof Cinema', a genre that mocks popular movies.
- Suicide squads to stage massive terror attacks in Assam: reportIANS - 02:29 PM
Guwahati, Oct 28 (IANS) Two influential separatist groups in Assam have decided to form suicide squads and stage joint terror attacks in crowded places, including the police headquarters, says a government report.
Politics
- Vayalar Ravi gets notice for violating poll codeIANS - 02:19 PM
New Delhi, Oct 28 (IANS) The Election Commission said Wednesday it has issued notice to Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi for violating the moral code of conduct in Kerala's Kannur district after an assembly bypoll was announced.
- Goa BJP leaders support us: Sanatan SansthaIANS - 02:13 PM
Panaji, Oct 28 (IANS) Goa Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders like Manohar Parrikar have expressed support for the Sanatan Sanstha, the Hindu outfit blamed for the pre-Diwali blasts that killed two people said Wednesday.
- Hold Kashmir local elections quickly, says PMIANS - 02:07 PM
Anantnag, Oct 28 (IANS) Jammu and Kashmir needs to hold its local bodies elections quickly to bring in people in development planning, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Wednesday.
- Vice president in Sikkim to lay foundation for rail linkIANS - 01:42 PM
Gangtok, Oct 28 (IANS) Vice President Hamid Ansari arrived here Wednesday on a hectic three-day visit to Sikkim during which he will lay the foundation stone of a rail link between Rangpo in the Himalayan state and Sevoke in West Bengal.
- Harmohinder Chatha is Haryana assembly speakerIANS - 01:04 PM
Chandigarh, Oct 28 (IANS) Harmohinder Singh Chatha was Wednesday elected speaker of the Haryana assembly in the first one-day session of the newly-elected house that also saw 89 legislators take oath.
Features
- 'This Is It' shows Jackson could still entertainReuters - 10:31 AM
Michael Jackson's "This Is It" premiered to a star-filled crowd including Will Smith, Jennifer Lopez and four of the singer's brothers on Tuesday, winning early praise from critics and showing fans that the King of Pop could still entertain.
- - 09:42 AM
The dialogue is steamy, the actors pout and smoulder, but this isn't a typical day at a Bollywood studio -- the movie icons are part of a fashion trend that's got Indians wearing their favourite movies.
- Full Monty on Bigg Boss draws govt's ireHT - Tue, Oct 27
India, Oct. 27 -- Reality show Bigg Boss-Season 3, anchored by Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan, is in trouble.
- India Fashion Week opens to glitz and glamourReuters - Sun, Oct 25
Resplendent in an olive green 'kurta' with leaf motifs, former India cricket skipper Kapil Dev lent glitz on Saturday to India's premier fashion event.
- Michael Jackson fans say film covers up grim truthReuters - Fri, Oct 23
A small group of Michael Jackson's dedicated fans have started an "awareness" campaign surrounding the upcoming movie "This is It," saying it covers up the grim reality of the dead pop star's final days.
Crime
- 4 held for killing man, raping wifeHT - 12:20 PM
Four people, including a former soldier with the Indian Army, were arrested for allegedly murdering a man? who married a woman from the same gotra?and raping his wife.
- Son of Versova 'doctor' held for manhandling policeHT - 12:20 PM
Mumbai, Oct. 28 -- A Versova police team arrested the 25-year-old son of Munir Khan - wanted in several cheating cases - and 14 others for manhandling a police team that went to Khan's Yari Road clinic to arrest him.
- Woman resists snatchers, killedHT - 12:20 PM
Two robbers slit a 39-year-old woman?s throat and stabbed her husband in Mumbai on Tuesday while the couple was out on a morning walk.
- Robbers on bike attack couple out on morning walk; woman diesHT - 12:20 PM
Two robbers slit a 39-year-old woman?s throat and stabbed her husband in Parel on Tuesday while the couple was out on their morning walk.
- 'Stepdad raped me for 6 yrs'HT - Mon, Oct 26
A 21-year-old collegian walked into Khar police station on Friday and registered a case of rape against her 41-year-old stepfather.
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Buddha on his knees, Mamata on their side, Maoists seize RajdhaniExpressindia.com - - 1 hour ago Days after the state buckled to let 21 Maoist suspects walk in exchange for an abducted police officer, Maoists, leading armed tribals from Lalgarh and West ... Maoists stop train, hold India to ransom Times of India Do not remember the faces of Maoists: Sankrail OC to CIDExpressindia.com - - 1 hour ago Officer-in-charge of Sankrail police station, Atindranath Dutta, who was kidnapped by Maoists on October 20 and released two days later, was today called to ... WB minister hints at abducted oc's Maoist connection Press Trust of India Row at India kidnap officer on TV BBC News 'Jangalkhand lab for Maoist experiments'Times of India - - 8 hours ago KOLKATA: The Maoists are using the Jangalkhand area as their laboratory and carrying out their experiments' there quite successfully. ... Maoists deny kidnapping of train driver, PCPA claims responsibility Little About (blog) PCAPA indefinite bandh from today Express Buzz Chhatradhar Gets Police Remand Outlook Deploy army against Maoists, says MamataCalcutta Telegraph - 11 hours ago Oct. 27: Mamata Banerjee today asked the Centre to deploy the army against Maoists instead of a joint operation with Bengal police in Lalgarh, the change of ... Ambush derails Mamata bid to outscore CM Times of India What Didi didn't say: Group that 'hijacked' train is her party ally Expressindia.com Maoists blow up two middle schools in JharkhandSify - 3 hours ago Giridih: The Maoists blew up two middle schools in Giridih district, the police said on Wednesday. The ultras packed explosives inside Upgraded Haridih ... Maoists blow up 2 school buildings, security beefed up Times of India Officer abducted in Hazaribagh Calcutta Telegraph Maoists change tack, leave alone passengersTimes of India - 13 hours ago The train hijack and treatment of passengers pointed to a possible shift in the Maoist modus operandi with the hijackers making a conspicuous effort not to ... Troops get set to take on rebels TopNews Chhattisgarh on alertChandigarh Tribune - Oct 26, 2009 With over 40000 police and paramilitary troopers combing guerrilla hideouts in the interiors of the 40000 sq km Bastar region, the banned CPI- Maoist is ... The Maoist tag comes with the territory Express Buzz Supporters of Maoists detain train for 5 hoursHindu - - 12 hours ago KOLKATA: The New Delhi-bound Rajdhani Express from Bhubaneswar on Tuesday was detained for nearly five hours from 2.35 pm by supporters of the Maoist-backed ... Maoist problem cries for attentionHindustan Times - 14 hours ago The government's anti-Maoist offensive does not seem to have acquired the public support that the national leadership had anticipated. ... Maoist swap dominates CPM meetTimes of India - Oct 23, 2009 NEW DELHI: The first day of CPM's three-day central committee meeting on Friday was dominated by the West Bengal government's decision to swap Maoists for a ... Buddha's Kandahar to hit anti-Maoist ops Economic Times Abducted cop of Bengal Police released by Maoists Hindustan Times Stay up to date on these results: |
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Palash Biswas
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