restrict their movements; they have to avoid visits to certain areas even in broad daylight.
And, despite thousands of arrests, unrestricted use of third degree methods, and outright shootings, resorted to by the poller', the sway of the underworld over the civic life of Calcutta and its environs does not show any signs of abating, A Striking feature of the State's political situation, however, is that the combination of Mafia and Gestapo methods against CPI(M) notwithstanding, the Party has been able to hold its own against the formidable combination ranging from Congress(R) to CPI and Naxalites, The successful general strike in Calcutta and in its southern suburbs on June 1, in protest against police and private violence, in the face of opposition from the Congresses. CPI, SUC, etc, and despite the imposing mobilisation of the army, CRP, etc, together with the victory in two out of the three Assembly elections which had been countermanded earlier have amply demonstrated the astounding mass support for CPI(M), In sharp contrast to the morale- boosting performances of the CPI(M), the major parties in the ruling Democratic Coalition are in the doldrums Different groups in Congress(R) lighting for vantage postions in the party and in the Government are heading for a showdown, In his bid to pate-crash into the cabinet, Ajoy Mukherji's erstwhile chief lieutenant. SushiI Dhara, has already split Bangla Congress and run away with two of the party's five MLAs. He has been bargaining far a cabinet post by holding the threat of withdrawing the support of his group of three to the coalition.
