Nandigram:Maoist shadow on CPIM's 'victory'

KOLKATA: A day after pro-CPM forces took out a rally in Kolkata to mark the "return of peace in Nandigram", Maoists have threatened to "destroy the party's victory mood".

A strongly-worded statement, issued by the outfit on Friday, reminded the state government that it was not at their mercy and will resort to violence if the people of Nandigram were subjected to torture and subjugation. "Nandigram," it said, "was still alive and will rise very soon as a glowing sun."

The statement, issued by the state committee of the Communist Party of India (Maoist), assumes significance in view of the fact that a large cache of arms was recovered from Nandigram on Thursday.

While CPM has been accusing the rebel outfit of abetting violence, it sought to dismiss the claim as "unfounded". "CPM wants to shift focus from the fact that they have been perpetrating violence in Nandigram, aided by the police. They are throwing out farmers and depriving them of their rights to set up a useless SEZ. We stand by the people of Nandigram at this hour of crisis," the statement added.

Congratulating students, film-makers, intellectuals, artists and the media for their positive role, it came down heavily on CPM leaders Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, Biman Bose and Prakash Karat.

"They must answer what compelled the villagers to revolt in January. CPM cannot deny that it has been carrying out a brutal attack on the people for several months to crush their resistance. It has been proved that most of those, who fled Nandigram after the March 14 carnage, were criminals backed by the CPM," the statement said.