Is Kishenji dead? There was speculation about the elusive Maoist leader’s death on Friday after the discovery of a bunch of Maoist posters in which he was referred to as “Shaheed Kishenji.”
The posters, issued by Tribal Platoon, a new front of the CPI (Maoist), were recovered from Lalgarh in West Midnapore early on Friday morning. “Shaheed Kishenjir naam kore nijeder swartha siddhi korte debo na (We will not allow anyone to fulfil their selfish ends using martyr Kishenji’s name),” the posters read.
It maybe recalled that Kishenji had received serious injuries to his legs in April during an encounter with the joint security forces in Hatilot forest. Intelligence agencies, however, suspect that the Maoists are trying to mislead the police and the government in their desperate attempt to stop the joint operations in Jangalmahal by describing Kishenji as “Shaheed”.
The police also holds the same view.
Inspector-general (western zone) Zulfiquar Hasan said, “We do not believe in the Maoists’ latest reference to Kishenji as Shaheed.” Superintendent of police (West Midnapore) Manoj Kumar Verma said, “We do not have any authentic information about his death since April. At the same time, the audio and video CDs in which he gave statements also do not prove whether he is alive. They might not be genuine.”
The posters were recovered by the joint forces following the arrest of Anandi Bhuyian, a wanted leader of the Maoist-backed People’s Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCPA).