Why Mamata Released Chhatradhar | West Bengal

Chhatradhar MahÂato, once the face of the People's Committee against Police Atrocities (PCPA), an overground outfit of the Maoists in Bengal, was relÂeÂased on February 1. One of the accused in an abortive attempt to blow up Left Front chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee's convoy in November 2008, he was arrÂested In September 2009.Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was then leader of the Opposition, and Mahato's release was a constÂant chant as the Trinamool ConÂgress (TMC) worked with the PCPA in the tribal belt to unseat the Left. But that was then. Mamata has been in power since 2011, but it took her till now to keep her promise.During this time, despite the pleas and intimidatory tactics of the Maoists and even Mahato's wife Niyati's ultimatum to contest from the area on a Samajwadi Party ticket, nothing moved Mamata. Things started changing after the 2018 panchayat poll. The BJP won 42 per cent of the vote in Jhargram and 33 per cent in Purulia in that election. A year later, the Lok Sabha results saw the BJP sweep five (Purulia, Jhargram, Bankura, Bishnupur, Medinipur) of the six Lok Sabha constituencies in this belt, which sent alarm bells ringing in the TMC. In the context of the assembly, this would count for 42 seats.The TMC realised that they needed a tribal face to win back the tribal ST vote (29 per cent), and who better than the legendary Mahato, who was in jail for leading a people's movement against the police and administration. Files started moving to commute Mahato's life term and the government made overtures to ensure the loyalty of the family. His two sons were given government jobs as well.Word has got around that Mahato might join the TMC and that he has thanked Mamata for the development work in the Jangalmahal area (the erstwhile Maoist belt including West Medinipur, Purulia, Bankura and Jhargram). TMC spokesperson and minister Partha Chatterjee has publicly said that Mahato was welcome, though the man himself says he will decide when "the time is right. As of now, I am trying to get a feel of the situation".The TMC thinks Mahato could be their saviour, but people on the ground, like Krishna Murmu of the Bharat Jakat Manjhi Pargana Mahal (an outfit of the Santhals), think otherwise. "The tribals feel Mamata has betrayed them. We elected her hoping for good governance, but she let loose her corrupt leaders on us. We (tribals) got nothing, whereas even hardcore Maoists were rehabilitated with fat compÂensation packages and given jobs," he says. BJP state president Dilip Ghosh has weighed in as well, and sees Mahato's release as a TMC conspiracy to unleash the Maoists on his party.So, can Mahato help the TMC? His influence is limited to the Jhargram LS constituency -- seven assembly seats including his hometown Lalgarh. What might work is his tragic hero image -- that of a law-abiding citizen dragged into politics when the Maoists needed an honest face for their front office. Chhatradhar's brother is slain Maoist leader SashaÂdhar, so he was a natÂural choice. Now, after a decade in jail, he is again being pushed into politics, this time because the TMC wants it as the price of his freedom.Published By: Akriti AnandPublished On: Mar 13, 2020 13:10 IST--- ENDS ---

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Why Mamata Released Chhatradhar | West Bengal

The Maoist leader's release, after a decade in jail, is part of the TM C's bid to win back its vote in the tribal belt.

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