The Hindu : National : “If I am arrested, a hundred more Chhatradhars will be born”

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“If I am arrested, a hundred more Chhatradhars will be born”

Raktima Bose

LALGARH (Paschim Medinipur district): “Let the police arrest one Chhatradhar Mahato. People’s movement will not stop at that and a hundred more Chhtaradhars will be born to lead the movement,” Chhatradhar Mahato, convener of the Police Santrash Birodhi Janasadharaner Committee (PSBJC), said on Sunday.

The West Bengal police have issued an arrest warrant against him.

Speaking to The Hindu at a relief camp opened by the PSBJC at Daintikri, 8 km from here, to shelter people fleeing their homes in the wake of the battle between the security forces and the Maoists, Mr. Mahato accused both the Centre and the State government of trying to quash the “democratic movement.”

“In a democratic country like ours, everyone has the right to protest democratically. But the Centre and the State government are trying to stop it by using force. This will compel us to continue the non-cooperation movement with the security personnel in the region,” he said.

Criticising Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee, he said that though Ms. Banerjee promised to extend her support to the movement, she failed to keep her promise post-election. “Ms. Banerjee has become silent about our movement after becoming the Union Minister, though she could have done something for us with her new-found power. I appeal to her to stand by us in this hour of crisis.”

Asked about his alleged Maoist links, he asserted: “No one in our movement is a Maoist. Their ideology is not ours. We have our own definite demands.”

Dismissing rumours that the movement had slackened in the face of the operation launched by the joint security forces, Mr. Mahato said: “Even if the security forces set up camps in every other house, they cannot win people’s hearts.”

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