KOLKATA, 30th
May, 2016:
INTENSIVE political violence against the opposition is continuing after
election results have been declared in West Bengal.
Nine Left Front activists have been
killed during and after the election process, two of them after the declaration
of results. But the magnitude of the attack cannot be comprehended only through
the number of the killed. 1,924 activists and supporters have been injured in
the attack; many of them were admitted in hospitals.
More than 9,200 persons have been
rendered homeless, 2,876 houses were ransacked, destroyed or burnt. At least in
12 cases, cluster of houses in the villages were put to flames.
In a clear message that opposition
parties will not be allowed to function in a normal manner, offices of Left
parties and mass organisations were attacked, destroyed, ransacked, seized or
burnt in large numbers. 575 offices of the CPI(M) or Left parties and 128 offices
of mass organisations were attacked in these ways. Another feature is the
direct attack on livelihood.
Hundreds of shops, mostly small,
belonging to Left supporters were looted and ransacked. In villages,
‘suspected’ Left voters are being denied jobs including MNREGA. In industrial
areas or in construction sites casual and contract workers are sacked. There is
all-pervasive atmosphere of fear in government offices, municipalities and
rural level administration.
In Basudebpur village in Purba
Medinipur district, CPI(M) activist Amit Pradhan was brutally killed by the TMC
gang. His only ‘fault’ was that he was a polling agent of the CPI(M) in
Bhagabanpur assembly constituency. Pradhan, along with his father was kidnapped
by the TMC miscreants. Amit, 32 and father of a child, was mercilessly beaten
to death. Even after this brutality, the TMC activists tried to snatch his
body, probably to cover up murder. However, the villagers were able to send his
body to Medinipur district hospital.
Amit Pradhan was martyred. But
thousand others who were the polling agents of Left parties and opposition like
him have become special targets of the TMC attack after polls. Many of them
have suffered serious injuries, their houses attacked and ransacked, family
members tortured. Many have been forced to leave their residences. Hundred
others have been ordered to pay ‘fine’ to stay at their home.
After the election results were out
in the state, the attacks organised by the ruling party are widespread but they are meticulously
planned too. They have particularly targeted areas where the Left and the
opposition got wide support. TMC has also targeted particular booth areas,
booth level activists and important functionaries at local level. Apart from
physical attack, all-out assault on houses are designed to instill fear among
people.
CPI(M) state secretary Surjyakanta
Mishra has alleged that the target of the ruling party is to eliminate the
opposition as a whole. Even after a big win, they are afraid of people.
In Basirhat, barbaric attack took
place in village Panigobra. CPI(M) has won in Basirhat (North) constituency,
defeating the TMC. The defeated MLA of the TMC led the attack in the village
which has mostly supported the Left Front in the elections. TMC goons went to
Panigobra and tried to disrupt a meeting of CPI(M) supporters there. But
initially they were chased away by the villagers. After some time, TMC mobilised armed gangs from many places in
the area and cordoned Panigobra. They attacked and ransacked houses, looted
many shops too and then set fire to houses. TMC gangs blocked the road to the
village so that police and fire tenders could not reach. When the police managed
to enter the village, TMC miscreants attacked police too and some of the
policemen suffered injuries. Hundreds of villagers were forced to flee the
village. Panigobra remained deserted for a week. The villagers have lost almost
everything, from household materials to utensils. Burnt houses, remnants of
structures reflect the wrath of the ruling party in post poll West Bengal.
The residents of a neighbouring
village extended their help and it was they who started feeding women and
children from 250 families of Panigobra who were forced to leave . CPI(M)
organised a relief camp for all – including the TMC supporters. But once again
this effort at peace was disturbed as the TMC leaders threatened to dismantle
the camp.
In Narayangarh in West Midnapore,
TMC attacked and looted the houses of CPI(M) district secretariat member Anil
Patra and Party’s Narayangarh local committee secretary Sushen Sahu. They
ransacked both houses, looted cycles, household materials, damaged doors and
windows. CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Surjyakanta Mishra contested from
Narayangarh.
Newly elected MLA of Bishnupur in
Bankura, Tushar Kanti Bhattacharya was attacked.
In Barjora, TMC gangs attacked and
destroyed a number of CPI(M) offices in Pakhanna, Tajpur and other villages.
Newly elected CPI(M) MLA Sujit Chakraborty along with other Party leaders went
to the affected villages. When they were returning, TMC gangs gheraoed their car. The car of Chakraborty was
ransacked. The miscreants tried to drag him out of the car. He suffered an injury
in right hand but could leave the place somehow.
Newly elected CPI(M) MLA Tapashi
Mondal’s house was attacked in Haldia. Her house was ransacked.
As the attack continues, the
resistance is also growing.
In Patrasayar in Bankura, TMC
forced the villagers in Kantor to join their victory rally though the Left
Front candidate was ahead in this village in the election. Naturally the
villagers were not enthusiastic to join the TMC rally. Later a TMC gang
attacked houses but villagers came out in numbers and resisted the attack. Some
of the villagers were injured.
In Gotan village in Raina in
Burdwan district, TMC organised armed gangs from neighbouring Hooghly district
and attacked the houses of CPI(M) supporters. They began to loot the houses.
First voice of protest came from Minati Roy, a 35 year old housewife. The
miscreants assaulted her, snatched her earrings leaving her bleeding. This
incident ignited women of the village who came out with whatever they could
gather. They chased TMC miscreants and villagers joined in united resistance.
TMC miscreants hurled bombs and one villager Mritunjoy Bag was injured. He was
hospitalised.
