P.Chidambaram,
Home Minister, Government of India,
Fax: 91-11-23092631/ 91-11-23094221/91-11-23093750/ 
91-11-23092763
,
Email: websitemhaweb@nic.in
Subject: Appeal for stopping Lalgarh violence.
Honourable Chief Minister,
We, the
undersigned, are deeply concerned about the situation in Lalgarh, West
Bengal. We strongly condemn the use of violence on civilians either by
the state or by the CPI (Maoist). We appeal to the State, the Peoples'
Committee Against Police Atrocities, and the CPI (Maoist) to come to
the negotiating table, and stop all violent gestures immediately. Not
even a single civilian death is acceptable.
We believe that the
current situation is the result of various factors including
police atrocities, and the lack of development over the last 3 decades
which have led to the growing discontent of the people of the region.
Atrocities by the police have intensified after the attack on the Chief
Minister's convoy in November 2008. According to news
reports, minors were beaten up and arrested, and women beaten and
molested in their homes. Smt. Chhitamoni Murmu lost her eyesight due to
the beatings. The very formation of Adivasi-Moolvasi people’s movement,
led by the Peoples’ Committee Against Police Atrocities, points to the
situation of police excesses.
We strongly condemn
the violent actions of the Maoists who have inhumanly attacked and
murdered CPI(Marxist) supporters in the region.
We feel that the
state has not made any sincere attempts either to engage the people of
Lalgarh in a dialogue, or to address their woes. Instead, the state has
responded with violence, through the use of a disproportionate number
of paramilitary forces, including air power. There have also been
reports of armed CPI (Marxist) cadre trying to make a Nandigram-style
entry into Lalgarh, resulting in more violence and suffering. Such
violent responses will lead to bloodshed and further suffering of the
people of Lalgarh who have already been victimized by economic and
social marginalization. We feel that the state is using the explosive
situation at present to justify the increased use of violence and to
suppress dissent against the growing atrocities by the state.
We believe that the
state needs to use its power to facilitate negotiations among various
dissenting voices. We appeal to the state to negotiate with the
Peoples' Committee Against Police Atrocities to arrive at a democratic
non-violent solution with deference to the peoples' demands.
Signed, 
