Mahaswetha condemns poilce tactics

KOLKATA, Feb. 26: While the CPI-M leaders have been offering bouquets to police officers for arresting two senior leaders of the CPI (Maoist), intellectuals including Magsaysay award winner, Mahasveta Devi came down heavily on the state government today, alleging policemen have been “terrorising political workers” and harassing their family members on the plea of launching a crackdown on Maoist terror module.
Speaking to the Media at the Kolkata Press Club this afternoon, Mahasveta Devi said, several people have joined CPI (Maoist) and lent their support to the Maoist outfit because of aggression on poor people by the ruling party in the state for a long period of time.
“People have joined CPI (Maoist) after facing torture for a long period of time,” she said. “Those who have joined CPI (Maoist) have not done anything wrong. Where will they go, if the state government doesn't stop aggression on the common people? Go and read the history of revolution. If you do so, you will come to know that people had to declare war against the rulers after facing sustained torture to change the society,” said the writer.
“I don't expect anything good from this government and the political parties running it. It is our misfortune that these political parties will rule us in the future, because the opposition parties in the state don't enjoy the support of the people,” she said. She also highlighted the failure of the government to run the rationing system properly.
Members of Bandi Mukti Committee (BMC), who organised the press meet announced they would stage a dharna in Metro Channel and in front of major correctional homes in the state on 28 February demanding release of political prisoners.
Seventy-year-old, Ms Mankumari Saha, who came to meet the writer, alleged that “more than 40 policemen” had raided her house at Risra in Hooghly last night and even “broke down the collapsible gate” to enter her house to nab her son Pradip on the charges of being involved in a Maoist terror module. “Most of the policemen were in an inebriated state and they hurled abusive remarks at me after I told them to leave. The policemen have been harassing my son who is a human rights activist,” said Ms Saha. The Magsaysay award winner and other intellectuals who spoke to the Media alleged policemen have sealed the house of one Mr Sushil Bachar at Barasat alleging he had given shelter to a Maoist.