The timing may seem convenient, locations debatable, but there’s no taking away from the fact that as many as 1,109 weapons and 11,088 rounds of ammunition have been recovered after Mamata Banerjee’s party stormed to power two weeks ago. With 100 raids in 10 days, the number keeps growing by the day.
Whether it’s the cache of arms found at Enayetpur in West Midnapore, or 58 sets of camouflage uniforms discovered at a CPI(M) office at Patashpur in East Midnapore, or even the four guns and 12 cartridges seized from a CPI(M) party office in Chuttargeria in West Midnapore—all events point to a rampant gun-culture that flourishes in West Bengal, something repeatedly alleged by Mamata Banerjee in the past. It would be sheer naiveté to accept the explanation that the Left Front, in power for 34 years till May 13—or the state police, often accused of partisanship—had no knowledge of this. Perhaps they chose to turn a blind eye. But with Mamata at the helm now, the shroud is being lifted from the illegal hoards of weapons and a goonda raj that blossomed under the last regime.
Significantly, the arms recovered from Enayetpur include an INSAS (Indian Small Arms Assault) rifle that subsequent ballistics tests proved was the same one that had been stolen by Maoists from the Eastern Frontier Rifles camp in Silda, along with an AK-56, eight .315 rifles, 22 pipe-guns, a US-made rifle and several .375 cartridges. The Silda attack had killed 24 troopers on February 15, 2010. The recovery of the INSAS rifle has stirred a hornet’s nest for the CPI(M). With fingers being pointed to an alleged CPI(M)-Maoist link, Congress leader Manas Bhuniya said, “We condemn the Enayetpur incident.” “In most cases villagers are informing the police about the recovery of arms and ammunition, and also handing over some people. During raids, more firearms are then recovered from their houses,” said Praveen Tripathi, Jhargram Superintendent of Police.
Can it then be concluded that Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, the former chief minister, who was also in charge of the home ministry that controls the state police, colluded with miscreants and crippled the administration to facilitate these activities? Even as the state CID launches a fresh probe into the matter, it throws serious questions at the erstwhile CPI(M)-led government. The leaders, including Bhattacharjee, had vehemently denied the existence of armed CPI(M) camps especially after alleged CPI(M) cadres had shot nine unarmed villagers in Netai on January 7, 2011. “Now we know arms caches were present in many places. I think the new government has its task cut out. It will have to redouble its drive to recover these arms. You cannot maintain law and order if illegal arms proliferate in a state,” said Union Home Minister P Chidambaram.
The CPI(M) however alleges that it’s a well-planned conspiracy hatched by the Trinamool Congress (TMC). “There are so many loopholes in the stories. Unarmed people are going and recovering arms. How is that possible? At least a magistrate should be present. There should be a search warrant to inspect party offices. Why aren’t the police recovering arms and placing them before courts?” asks Mohd. Salim, CPI(M) MP. But it makes one wonder how it’s possible for armed camps to thrive in Maoist-ridden districts without collusion between the police, party and state administration. “CPI(M) camps were set up to protect party cadres from Maoists.
They couldn’t do it empty-handed, and also helped the joint forces substantially,” says a CPI(M) leader on condition of anonymity. When the CPI(M) reclaimed Lalgarh from the Maoists in October last year, it was rumoured that armed CPI(M) cadres—the alleged harmad bahini, played a pivotal role in aiding the joint forces. “There was almost an occupational army of CPI(M), which scrutinised electoral rolls and decided who was to be allowed to vote, and extorted money from the public. Nothing went against their writ. Arms can’t be kept without the knowledge of people in power. The kind of terror CPI(M) goons had waged on the common man is unthinkable,” says Sultan Singh, former IPS and TMC MLA from Bally.
The TMC now claims that the erstwhile oppressed aam admi is rising, against the years of suffering and torture, and helping the police unearth weapons. Deadly firearms and hoards of cartridges have mostly been unearthed near CPI(M) party offices, or at homes of leaders in erstwhile party strongholds of Bankura, Purulia and Hoogly. Locals are not only tipping-off the police on whereabouts of the weapons, but are also actively digging them out. “Local people are doing a good job by pointing out the location of weapons.
However, I would urge them not to take the law into their hands. If they receive any information on illegal arms, they should alert the authorities,” said CM Mamata Banerjee. It is also possible that former CPI(M) supporters have switched camps or are being coerced to part with information regarding the stockpiles. With the police making prompt raids, the picture in West Bengal grows murkier with each passing day. Serious aspersions are being cast on the Left tenure even as the comrades seek protection for their cadres, who they say are now victims of political violence. The shifting of power has never been easy; transitions have often resulted in a lot of bloodshed. The challenge for Mamata is to not only sanitise the state from illegal arms, but to prevent blossoming of a new state-sponsored goonda raj. Army in shadows
■ 1,109 weapons, 11,088 rounds of ammunition seized till May 25. 140 people arrested. ■ Weapons include 246 rifles of different calibres, muskets and country guns. ■ INSAS rifle stolen by Maoists from Silda EFR camp and recovered from Enayetpur, an AK-56, eight .315 rifles, 22 pipe-guns, a US-made rifle and several rounds of .375 cartridges indicate wider conspiracy. ■ Patashpur, East Midnapore: 58 camouflage uniforms at a CPI(M) office. ■ Chuttargeria, West Midnapore: four guns and 12 bullets from CPI(M) office. ■ Salboni, West Midnapore: six rifles under a culvert under Salboni Police Station, and firearms in septic tank of Health Centre. ■ Kankabati, West Midnapore: three human skeletons recovered near CPI(M) party office. ■ Kashijhore, West Midnapore: 15 firearms. ■ Kolagachia, East Midnapore: 122 rounds of ammunition from a pond near CPI(M) party office. ■ Kotulpur, Bankura: 17 arms recovered. ■ Garbeta, West Midnapore: 56 guns in five plastic bags found in a pond belonging to a CPI(M) leader.
