-The Hindu   In a volte-face that has created ripples in political circles here, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said it is now a “proven” fact that it was the maoists who were responsible for the Jnaneswari Express sabotage. She had earlier accused the Communist Party of India (Marxist) of being behind the derailment of the train in Paschim Medinipur district on May 28, 2010, in which nearly 150 people were...

The six interlocutors appointed by the West Bengal government more than four months ago to explore the possibility of talks with the maoists informed Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday of their decision to pull out of the exercise. “We have expressed our desire to be relieved of the responsibilities assigned to us by the State government,” a key interlocutor told The Hindu here. The decision conveyed in a letter comes on...

Two maoists were killed and two security personnel of the 10th Naga Battalion seriously injured in an encounter that began shortly after two Trinamool Congress supporters were shot dead by a group of left wing extremists at Ghatbera in the Balarampur area of West Bengal's Purulia district on Monday evening. The gun-battle continued through the night till early on Tuesday. The exchange of fire occurred when the security forces ambushed the maoist...

To gain a foothold in forest areas first maoist rebels, who resurfaced in Telangana, are now planning to start a new students' organisation called Adivasi Vidyarthi Sangam (AVS) to mobilise tribal students to fight for their rights and welfare activities. The formation of AVS is being seen as a part of the overall maoist strategy to revive the defunct mass organisations, which helped spread revolutionary activity. Information culled from different sources indicates...

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee tonight formally revived security operations against maoists after the rebels refused to extend a ceasefire, spoke of war, criticised her peace envoys and appeared to escalate hostilities by killing two Trinamul supporters. Joint forces in pursuit were locked in a gunfight with the killers till late tonight at a Purulia village in the foothills of the Ayodhya hills. “I will take away the guns of the maoists. The...