Rtd armymen training Maoists in West Bengal

The intelligence branch (IB) of West Bengal Police has found a link between Maoist forces and some retired Indian Army personnel in the state. The retired armymen include jawans and non-commissioned officers (NCOs), who act as instructors in different Maoist training camps.

IB officials said the retired armymen personnel were all Gorkhas living in Darjeeling and its adjacent areas. The link between the Maoists and retired army personnel was established by senior leaders of the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM), which is spearheading an agitation for separate Gorkhaland.

A senior IB official said GJM demands for a separate state was being opposed by different tribal communities in the Doars region. This led to frequent Gorkha-tribal clashes in the past one month. “GJM leaders met the Maoists to pacify them. As a quid pro quo for stopping the clashes, retired Gorkha army personnel, many of whom are active GJM supporters, are training Maoist guerillas,” the official said. 

The IB has gathered the names of 34 retired armymen who are training the rebels. “The names have been forwarded to the state home department. We are awaiting further instructions,” the official said.

Three new training camps have come up at Lava, Kalimpong and Gorubathan in Darjeeling. GJM chief Bimal Gurung was quite candid about the party’s connection with Maoist leaders. “We are attacking the state government from two sides — Darjeeling and Lalgarh, a Maoist stronghold in West Midnapore ,” he said