Shedding her earlier conciliatory approach, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday served the Maoists a seven-day ultimatum: choose between peace negotiations and violence. “I am not closing the door on peaceful negotiations. But murder and a peace process cannot go together,” she said.
Ms Banerjee was addressing a rally at Jhargram Stadium in Maoist-affected West Midnapore district where she launched a slew of development and welfare projects. She said the Maoists opposed development because they knew that if development came to Jangalmahal they would be out of business. Implicit in her ultimatum was the message that she would order a crackdown if the Maoists did not toe her line.
This was her second visit to Jangalmahal after coming to power. During her first visit she had made fervent appeals to the Maoists to shun violence and come to the negotiation table; on Saturday she sent the sternest possible message, telling them they would have to throw down their weapons and stop violence if they wanted to negotiate.