Safe abode for ULFA, KLO cadres in North Bengal

GAURIPUR, July 15? Though it is often praised that the Left Front government in West Bengal has substantial achievements in respect of land reforms, decentralisation of power and women?s empowerment, etc., but in practice, it is not so. After getting Zamindari Abolition Act passed in the Parliament of independent India, the government acquired surplus land in the North Bengal districts of Coachbehar, Jalpaiguri, Dinazpur and Malda from the Zamindars who belonged to Rajbongshi community. But the land thus acquired from indigenous Rajbongshi people has been distributed to the landless people who have migrated from East Pakistan, now Bangladesh. Because of this, the Bengali-speaking people who had migrated from Bangladesh have become the vote bank for the Left Front government. And through this vote bank it has captured the power for the last 25 years. However, thus the once the most affluent class the Rajbongshi community has been turned into wage earners overnight.

The pace of infiltration is so rapid that it has engulfed the whole of north Bengal within a very short period. Therefore, the indigenous communities of this region have been raising demands for protecting them from such a menace under the banners of Kamatapur Peoples Party (KPP) and Koch-Rajbongshi Students Union (KSU). But the West Bengal government suppressed all these demands with an iron hand every time. The economic development of North Bengal can never be compared with that of south Bengal. Though it is often said that West Bengal is an industrially advanced State but in the part of North Bengal not even one single large or medium industry has been set up since independence. But interestingly the West Bengal government earns huge revenue from the tea gardens of North Bengal.

Moreover, this region is also lagging behind in the field of education compared to the rest of the State. ?History taught us that there must be some conflicts and turmoil in the society which lead to the destruction of a society when regional imbalance occurs in any State,? said an office-bearer of Kamatapur People's Party (KPP). The present armed revolution in North Bengal is nothing but a result of the hegemonistic and apathetic attitude of the Left Front government towards the indigenous people. Therefore, the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) easily managed to penetrate inside the masses of Rajbongshi community of north Bengal by taking chance of their economic deprivation and discrimination. And encouraged them to take arms into their hands for an armed struggle to fight against the discriminatory and step-motherly rule of West Bengal government. In this process, Kamatapur Liberation Organisation (KLO) was formed with the youths of Rajbongshi community which determined to fight for a separate Kamatapur State for their people. ULFA provides all types of help to KLO including supply of arms and ammunition. The cadres of KLO are getting training in the Kalikhala camp of ULFA inside Bhutan. KLO also set up several bases in the foothills of Dooars with the active help of ULFA. Even the cadres and sympathisers of ULFA and KLO carried out several joint operations in north Bengal which creates a severe law and order problem there.