Kamtapur Liberation Organisation victims hold dharna in Jalpaiguri - engagement letters to 27 former KLO militants

The recruitment drive to rehabilitate them was considered as a major move by the Trinamul government to woo Rajbanshi voters

Leaders of rebel groups in an undisclosed location.: File picture

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TT   |   Jalpaiguri   |    26.01.21 : Members of around 14 families which had lost several people in attacks by the Kamtapur Liberation Organisation held a dharna outside the Jalpaiguri superintendent of police’s office here on Monday demanding jobs.

The demonstration was held while engagement letters were being delivered to 127 former KLO militants and linkmen to work as special homeguards.

A senior police officer said the 127 belonged to different places in Jalpaiguri district. After Mamata Banerjee had become the chief minister in 2011, around 550 ex-KLO militants and linkmen were recruited as special homeguards in Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar and Cooch Behar districts.

The recruitment drive to rehabilitate them was considered as a major move by the Trinamul government to woo Rajbanshi voters.

“We thank the chief minister for providing us with jobs. We faced apathy and atrocities during the Left Front rule and our demand was never heeded. All of us will stand by the chief minister and her party in the upcoming elections. We will felicitate her during her next visit to the region,” said Jyotish Roy, a former militant, on Monday.

The families which held the dharna outside the SP’s office said they were Trinamul supporters and should be given similar jobs.

Subhajit Sarkar, one of the demonstrators, said around 40 families in Jalpaiguri had lost their near and dear ones in the KLO attacks. “Most of them were sole bread earners and we have been struggling to run the families for many years. If the former militants and linkmen can be rehabilitated, we should also be provided with similar jobs or assistance so that we can run our families. If required, we will continue our demonstration,” he added.