Origin
The Tritiya Prastuti Committee (TPC), literally meaning the Third Preparatory Committee, was formed in 2002 after a number of cadres of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) in Jharkhand walked out of their parent outfit complaining of the domination of the Yadav caste in the decision-making process of CPI-Maoist. The TPC cadres were mostly from the Dalit (downtrodden) Bhokta, Turi, Badai, Oraon, and Ghanju castes.
Since its inception, the outfit has indulged in fratricidal clashes with the CPI-Maoist and other Maoist outfits including the Jharkhand Liberation Tigers (JLT) in Jharkhand. The TPC has declared that its "main enemy is not the police machinery, but the CPI-Maoist."
Areas of Operation
The TPC has its strongholds primarily in the Latehar, Chatra and Palamu districts of Jharkhand, although the outfit claims to have extended its activities and influence all over the State. In July 2007, the outfit’s sub zonal commander of Palamau district, Girij, claimed that the outfit has established units in each of the 22 districts of Jharkhand. He said, "Our main enemy is not the police machinery, but the CPI-Maoist. They have diverted from their original principle and are involved in petty activities. And to successfully wage armed struggle against the Maoists, there is an imperative need to strengthen our own organisation. The results of our expansion would give us positive results in near future."
In the year 2007 and 2008, TPC activities were reported from Chatra, Gaya, Ramgarh, Latehar, Aurangabad, Palamu, West Singhbhum, Lohardagga and Simdega districts.
In neighbouring West Bengal, the TPC is known to have some presence in capital Kolkata, as well as Howrah and Hooghly districts. On September 10, the outfit’s Kolkata, Howrah and Hooghly district in charge Rabindranath Dasgupta was arrested from Changrabandha in Mekhliganj of Cooch Behar district in West Bengal.
Leadership and Cadre Strength
The TPC is one among the five Maoist groups operating in Jharkhand. A November 2007 assessment by the Jharkhand Police put the cadre strength of the outfit at 70.
No information on TPC’s active leadership is available. The leadership structure of the outfit is divided into zonal chiefs, sub-zonal chiefs, district chiefs and ordinary cadres.
Funds
Extortion from development projects and contractors constitute the major source of income for the TPC. Coal traders in districts including Latehar are also specifically targeted by the outfit for extortion.