'PCAPA Is Not A Political Party. It’s A People’s Movement'

Outlook Magazine was the only publication to have interviewed Chhatradhar Mahato in his prison cell in Midnapore Central Jail. Subsequently a gag order was put on the PCAPA leader from further speaking to the press. Though his requests for being granted permission to campaign outside jail and to speak to reporters has been turned down by the Election Commission and subsequently the Prison Directorate of West Bengal during the 2011 Assembly elections, the following interview conducted in June 2010 could give a glimpse of his thoughts on politics and other topics including his controversial arrest when police posed as journalists to get to him.

The Maoists are understood to have laid down certain conditions before agreeing to peace talks with the Indian government. They have reportedly demanded your release as on of these conditions.

Chhatradhar Mahato: I would like to stress that while I think dialogue is the only solution, I am somewhat sceptical of the sincerity of intent when talks are suggested.

Why?

In order try and find a peaceful solution to the agitation launched by the people of Lalgarh against police atrocities committed in that area, the West Bengal government had invited me, as the leader of this mass movement, to sit in dialogue with them. A high level meeting took place on June 13, when I placed before them a set of 13 demands. These included an apology from the police for the brutal treatment of innocent tribals and villagers in the name of cracking down on Maoists.

In that meeting it was decided that another round of talks would be held on July 14. But just 5 days after the first meeting the joint forces marched into Lalgarh to crush the movement. An arrest warrant was put out in my name and I was forced to go into hiding. The dialogue came to mean nothing.

But between the first meeting and the joint forces rolling in, an incident took place which changed equations. The house of CPIM leader Anuj Pandey was demolished. Several murders of alleged CPIM members took place in the area, which had been rendered out of bounds for the police and administration and Maoist leader Bikash appeared in front of the media and announced their presence in the area.

Yes, but the PCAPA and the Maoists are not one and the same. And we are not a Maoist front organization as is made out to be.

What is the difference between PCAPA and the CPI (Maoists)?

First of all, the PCAPA is a democratic organization. We believe in elections and parliamentary democracy. We were formed in 2008 with the sole aim of protesting the police brutality on ordinary tribal villagers. After the landmine blast in Salboni which targeted the Chief Minister’s, innocent young boys were arrested and beaten up and women were strip searched. The locals were angry and they formed into a group. All PCAPA wanted was an apology. Unlike the Maoists we have no goals
of overthrowing parliamentary democracy through armed revolution.

Then why do you think the PCAPA is always linked up with the Maoists? What do you have in common with them?

The Maoists are an underground organization and they try to broaden their base through infiltration. Their area of operation is in the villages in the vicinity of the jungles. The PCAPA is made up of people of these villages. But that doesn’t make them Maoists. Another basis of this accusation could be that we are not the Maoists’ target.
We are not their enemies but that doesn’t make us their friends.

Your own brother, Sashadhar Mahato is a known Maoist. (Sashadhar Mahato was killed by joint forces some months after this interview and the jailed leader was allowed parole to create his brother)

In one family different members can have different political views and ideologies. It’s like that.

But haven’t you ever held meetings with Maoist leaders like Kishenji, who lives in Lalgarh?

No.

Have you ever met Kishenji?

(Shakes his head) No.

What are your links with Mamata Banerjee and TMC, of which you were once a part.

I still consider myself to be TMC. I identify with TMC’s politics. PCAPA is not a political party. It’s a people’s movement.

But TMC’s Partho Chatterjee told us (Outlook) that TMC expelled you from the party when they discovered that you had Maoist links. He said they wanted to dissociate themselves entirely from any Maoist connection.

I don’t know why they are saying that because they could never prove that I had any Maoist links.

Do you think that there is any support for TMC in Lalgarh and other areas of Jangalmahal? Do you think that in the upcoming Assembly elections they will gain any political ground in that area?

Yes, of course. I believe that the people of Jungle Mahal will vote for change.

But you are accused of boycotting elections in Lalgarh during the 2009 Parliamentary Polls. By default the CPIM MP has remained the seat.

That is not correct. Even I voted. People were free to vote. But many did not turn up to vote.

This is your first exclusive interview since you were arrested by CID posing as journalists 8 months ago. It was well known that you trusted journalists and gave them interviews even bringing them to your jungle hideout. Outlook had also interviewed you while you were on the run. After your arrest, many people, especially journalists longed to find out what you thought of journalists after the arrest. Did you feel that your trust had been betrayed?

Yes, Initially I felt cheated because I trusted journalists. But soon I realized that they had not betrayed me. I clearly remember that day as though it had just happened yesterday. (Sighs, looking a little perturbed).

I had been somewhat reluctant to agree to this interview. An inner feeling warned me against it. But they pursued me for over a month. They said they were a foreign news channel. They also got hold of several local news channels and print media whom I trusted and tried to convince me through them. I don’t think that even these journalists were aware that they were the CID. Finally I relented. In fact, three journalists from the local press were present when I was being interviewed. And they were equally caught by surprise when the person interviewing me suddenly pounced on me and pointed a gun to my head saying I was under arrest. In the commotion I noticed that guns were being pointed in all directions and the others present including the journalists were asked to leave the scene. Then a couple of cars appeared and I was packed into one of them. (Shudders).