Lalgarh impasse continues, farmers facing huge losses

Lalgarh, Nov 22 (UNI) Lalgarh and Belpahari in West Midnapore district remained inaccessible today with the entire area virtually under siege following protests by the tribals against alleged police excesses.

The agitation had also spread to parts of the adjoining Bankura district as roads leading to Lalgarh under Maoist-dominated areas had been dug up.

However, while District Magistrate N S Nigam asserted that the agitators had to either come to the district headquarters or Lalgarh police station for holding discourses for conciliation, the tribal orgainsation-- the Police Virodhi Adivasi Sangharsha Samity, led by Chhatradhar Mahato, said talks were possible only if the district administration came to Dalilpur.

Even as reports of possiblity of calling off the agitation within the next two to three days following talks between the tribals and administration were doing the rounds, '' plans were afoot to launch another non-cooperation movement against the police administration under which all supplies to the police camps and headquarters was proposed to be cut off,'' sources informed.

As the area remained cut off for the past several days, the poor farmers had to bear the brunt of losses as the standing crop in the fields, which was ready for harvesting, was getting damaged with uncertainty looming large.

UNI XC DPM AB BDP HT1700