West Bengal Chief Minister has completed her first three months and now faces the toughest challenge-how to bring peace to Jangal Mahal. She has kept her faith in the peace process with the Maoists in the region. This is despite the killing of a Trinamul leader by the Maoists that prompted her to speak against the rebels for the first time since her assuming the hot seat. For some time, it seemed that the coming talks would not materialise. Mamata Banerjee fulminated against the rebels saying that nobody had the right to kill. This was interpreted as a hardening of her government’s stance against the Maoists. But later she gave the team of interlocutors the green signal for talks with the rebels. She is obviously willing to walk the extra mile. Talks are due to begin tentatively by August 31. Sujato Bhadra, chief interlocutor, has said that the West Bengal Chief Minister wished his team to address the issues with an open mind.
The talks are expected to cover such issues as ways of bringing peace back in the Maoist zone, withdrawal of joint forces from Jangal Mahal and release of political prisoners. The joint operations have been suspended for the present to create an atmosphere conducive for peace talks with the state government. The interlocutors have told the rebels that talks will be unconditional. Maoist leaders will be given safe passage. Bhadra has condemned efforts to vitiate the atmosphere of mutual trust which had been created. PCPA leader Jaydev Mahata has however said that the Trinamul’s resistance movement was similar to that previously organised by the CPI (M) and that it had created a reign of terror in Jangal Mahal. “The people will teach them a lesson”, he said. So, one section of the rebels is still intransigent. Mamata Banerjee’s belief that the peace process should continue in spite of hurdles may be less than realistic.