It has been a year since Mamata Banerjee stormed back to power in West Bengal. Such was her rule that the state witnessed multiple violence even before she took charge as the Chief Minister. The chaos and anarchy replaced peace and progress in Mamata led state. It’s not only Mamata Banerjee but the state police too are seemingly least concerned about the peace and development of Bengal. What’s worse is that the victims of this violence have still not been provided justice.
Mamata’s ‘Khela Hobe’ call turns into violence
A heart-breaking ground report by Organiser had shed light on the enormity of the sheer evilness and ghoulishness that was reportedly inflicted upon the innocent people of Bengal that dared defy Mamata and her supremacist reign.
A woman named Pinky Baj (34), a resident of Jaygram village, and a supporter and polling agent of BJP had alleged that at around 7:30 pm on May 2, around 50 TMC goons led by Mujaffar Baidya, Mahabur Baidya, Akhar Bhagi, Aja Mullah, Labawali Gazi and others barged into her house. “They started abusing me in the filthiest language. They started beating us with bamboo sticks, iron rods, their bare hands, and destroyed each and everything in the house and looted items worth 3 lakhs,” she said.
“Jaisi tumhari Hindu devi maa Kaali n*ngi hai..waise hi tumko n*nga karenge (the way your Hindu devi Kaali is naked, we will make you naked as well),” she further added.
The same report had also mentioned that another BJP worker Aparna Das lamented about her ordeal where she had to hide her Assamese daughter-in-law from the goons, only to be violated by the minority TMC goons.
Another woman named Diya Guha, age 21, from Birbhum, had alleged that on May 2, local TMC leader Mamul Sheikh, and 10 to 12 other Muslim TMC goons stormed into her house where she lives with her father, a BJP worker, and started beating up everyone.
Post poll violence 2021
After victory in the 2021 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election, the attack on the opposing political parties started. Every political opponent was targeted. Taking cognizance of the disorder, the Calcutta High Court had ordered CBI to investigate the offence of murder, rape, and attempt to rape.
National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) committee probing the violence in the Bengal had stated in its report to the Calcutta High Court that “the situation in West Bengal is a manifestation of law of ruler instead of rule of law.”
Read more: What took so long for PM Modi to finally wake up to the Bengal violence?
Despite this, CM of Bengal Mamata Banerjee justifying violence said, “such incidents are more frequent in UP, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan.” Further, Didi added that “such incidents of violence are the result of a conspiracy hatched to divert attention from issued of concern, such as price hiked of petrol and other commodities.”
The political violence has brought the state to a situation where the minority community of the state are forced to leave the village.
Mamata’s post-poll Bengal
As reported by TFI, Mamata Banerjee, during the election trail, had insinuated that BJP supporters will be pleading with folded hands after she comes to power and the central forces moved back. Mamata Banerjee had said, “I keep knowledge of every inch of the elections. After the election, the security personnel sent by the central government will go back, but if our government is formed then the BJP supporters will plead with folded hands for the central security forces to be stationed for a few more days so that they (BJP supporters) could be saved.”
Birbhum massacre
According to news reports, on 21st March 2022, Bhadu Sheikh, a deputy Pradhan of the Baguti village, Birbhum was murdered. In response to that, the supporters of the panchayat member burnt at least 8 members of a family alive. Most of them were children and women.
Further, the autopsy report of the bodies revealed that before burning alive they were beaten and then the houses were set on fire.
Victims are yet to get justice
Victims, however, are still fighting for justice. Those who lost their family members allegedly in the post-poll violence last year held a candle march on the 29th of April. The candle march was taken out from Patiala House Court to Tilak Marg to demand justice.
The families raised slogans at India Gate too. The slogans chanted read as “Save West Bengal and We want President’s Rule in Bengal.”
One of the family members of a victim, Biswajit Sarkar said that “His brother was murdered brutally on the day election results were declared in the state.”
He further alleged that “I don’t know whether even we will remain alive after we go back to West Bengal after this protest. My brother was only 35 years old. He was killed just because he was a BJP worker. President’s Rule should be imposed in West Bengal.”
Moreover, many victims of post-poll violence including a few BJP members and volunteers are still homeless, and they have not been able to return to their homes. It was possible only after a long struggle that they received police protection. However, others are still yet to get justice. The victims have also resorted to filing several cases of police inaction in court. Though the Calcutta High Court has ordered to provide police protection for the alleged victims, no signed copy has been provided. “I have not received the signed copy of the court orders yet,” Advocate Priyanka Tiberwal told The Sunday Guardian.
Given the above facts, it could be concluded that Mamata is adamant about not providing justice and only believes in violence. It is high time the people of Bengal choose whether they want the rule of democracy or mobocracy.