As the 20-odd blocks of south Bengal’s Jangalmahal, formerly under partial Maoist control, go to the polls on Wednesday, a key issue for the electorate will be the lack of a proper investigation into the killing of over 250 cadre of mainstream Left parties in the Jhargram subdivision alone.
The people feel that while an interim compensation was given to families of some victims, “justice” was yet to be served. “We were given Rs. 1 lakh in compensation, but not justice,” says a middle-aged school teacher whose son was killed by the Maoists.
“While a CBI inquiry is demanded in every other case, why did no one, including Left Front, ever ask for one when hundreds of their party cadres were killed in Jangalmahal,” asks an old man.
We were given Rs. 1 lakh in compensation, but not justice — a teacher whose son was killed by Maoists
