Bashthala, West Bengal:
The Bhubaneshwar-Delhi Rajdhani express is on its way to Delhi. The train finally left Midnapore in West Bengal a little after 10 last night, after a 7-hour ordeal when a pro-Naxal group held the train hostage demanding the release of Chhatradhar Mahato, who led the Lalgarh siege.
The train is expected to arrive in Delhi sometime in the evening.
The train reportedly crossed Gaya at around 8:20am on Wednesday morning. Passengers are said to have had a comfortable night.
Home Minister P Chidambaram personally monitored the situation, keeping in touch with security forces on the ground and the state government.
A relief train with food, drinking water and medical supplies came in from Kharagpur and a pilot engine arrived from Jamshedpur earlier.
CRPF personnel are escorting the train to ensure the safety of the passengers for the rest of the journey.
Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee has said that doctors are on board the train to treat traumatised passengers.
West Bengal Home Secretary has confirmed that Maoists are behind the incident. Also, the Union Home Secretary G K Pillai has said the prisoner swap last week by the West Bengal Government was a mistake. He confirmed that the entire train hostage drama was planned by the Maoists, who sent out a message that they will continue with their armed struggle.
He further said that it was more of a publicity stunt.
FIRs filed
A day after a pro-Naxal group held up the Delhi-bound Orissa Rajdhani for over seven hours, two separate FIRs have been filed.
The charges include attempt to murder, criminal conspiracy, rioting and waging war against the state.
One FIR has been filed at the Jhargram police station, for attempt tomurder, criminal conspiracy and waging war. This is for firing on apolice car.
The other case - rioting, wrongful restrain and waging war against the state -- has been filed in Jhargram GRP police station.
Passengers held hostage
1200 passengers were held hostage for 7 hours, and this was witnessed by the entire nation on live television.
The 200 men who were holding the train hostage disappeared as quickly as they had leapt onto the railway tracks this afternoon, forcing the train to stop. They belong to the People's Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCPA), believed to be a front for the Naxals in their stronghold of Lalgarh.
Through the crisis, the PCPA repeatedly guaranteed that all passengers and the two train drivers were safe. Local television crews were allowed onto the train to interview passengers. A six-year-old boy, unfazed by the drama around him, said he was being treated well. "Nobody has harmed us, they just want their demands," he stated.
What they wanted, and what they asked for, on television, and in graffiti scribbled on the train, was the release of their leader, Chattradhar Mahato arrested last month near Lalgarh. Since November 2008, he has been leading a movement, backed by tribals and Naxals, to expel government forces from the region.
At 7 pm, in Kolkata, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee rejected the PCPA's demand, and said there was no question of releasing Mahato.
Twenty minutes after that, Central Reserve Police Forces reached the train, forcing the PCPA members to scatter. A separate train was organized to bring the passengers to Delhi.
The crisis is what experts have been worried about since last week, when the Bengal government agreed to release 20 people from jail in exchange for a police officer who had been kidnapped in Midnapore. Sources in the central government said there were concerns that Naxals and their supporters would now look for other hostages to organize similar swaps.
The clash between the government and the Naxals in Lalgarh has been long and bloody. It began after a landmine blast seemed to target Chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee who was visiting the area. The police then raided the homes of Naxals in the area. Tribals and Naxals retaliated violently, forcing the police out. The state and central government then sent in joint forces to regain control of the area.
Intellectuals in Kolkata argue that the PCPA should not be confused with Naxals. They argue that Mahato is a legitimate leader of tribals and that the government does not have enough evidence to keep him under arrest.
The train is expected to arrive in Delhi sometime in the evening.
The train reportedly crossed Gaya at around 8:20am on Wednesday morning. Passengers are said to have had a comfortable night.
Home Minister P Chidambaram personally monitored the situation, keeping in touch with security forces on the ground and the state government.
A relief train with food, drinking water and medical supplies came in from Kharagpur and a pilot engine arrived from Jamshedpur earlier.
CRPF personnel are escorting the train to ensure the safety of the passengers for the rest of the journey.
Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee has said that doctors are on board the train to treat traumatised passengers.
West Bengal Home Secretary has confirmed that Maoists are behind the incident. Also, the Union Home Secretary G K Pillai has said the prisoner swap last week by the West Bengal Government was a mistake. He confirmed that the entire train hostage drama was planned by the Maoists, who sent out a message that they will continue with their armed struggle.
He further said that it was more of a publicity stunt.
FIRs filed
A day after a pro-Naxal group held up the Delhi-bound Orissa Rajdhani for over seven hours, two separate FIRs have been filed.
The charges include attempt to murder, criminal conspiracy, rioting and waging war against the state.
One FIR has been filed at the Jhargram police station, for attempt tomurder, criminal conspiracy and waging war. This is for firing on apolice car.
The other case - rioting, wrongful restrain and waging war against the state -- has been filed in Jhargram GRP police station.
Passengers held hostage
1200 passengers were held hostage for 7 hours, and this was witnessed by the entire nation on live television.
The 200 men who were holding the train hostage disappeared as quickly as they had leapt onto the railway tracks this afternoon, forcing the train to stop. They belong to the People's Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCPA), believed to be a front for the Naxals in their stronghold of Lalgarh.
Through the crisis, the PCPA repeatedly guaranteed that all passengers and the two train drivers were safe. Local television crews were allowed onto the train to interview passengers. A six-year-old boy, unfazed by the drama around him, said he was being treated well. "Nobody has harmed us, they just want their demands," he stated.
What they wanted, and what they asked for, on television, and in graffiti scribbled on the train, was the release of their leader, Chattradhar Mahato arrested last month near Lalgarh. Since November 2008, he has been leading a movement, backed by tribals and Naxals, to expel government forces from the region.
At 7 pm, in Kolkata, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee rejected the PCPA's demand, and said there was no question of releasing Mahato.
Twenty minutes after that, Central Reserve Police Forces reached the train, forcing the PCPA members to scatter. A separate train was organized to bring the passengers to Delhi.
The crisis is what experts have been worried about since last week, when the Bengal government agreed to release 20 people from jail in exchange for a police officer who had been kidnapped in Midnapore. Sources in the central government said there were concerns that Naxals and their supporters would now look for other hostages to organize similar swaps.
The clash between the government and the Naxals in Lalgarh has been long and bloody. It began after a landmine blast seemed to target Chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee who was visiting the area. The police then raided the homes of Naxals in the area. Tribals and Naxals retaliated violently, forcing the police out. The state and central government then sent in joint forces to regain control of the area.
Intellectuals in Kolkata argue that the PCPA should not be confused with Naxals. They argue that Mahato is a legitimate leader of tribals and that the government does not have enough evidence to keep him under arrest.
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