West Bengal Left Front Leaders Meet Chief Minister
Text of L.F. Memorandum to Chief Minister
Attacks & Violence Against Left Front Supporters
A Left Front delegation met Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on June 9, 2014 and demanded immediate halt to political violence in the state. The delegation, led by Left Front Chairman Biman Basu submitted a detailed account of attacks on Left Front workers and supporters throughout the state and demanded that the state administration takes appropriate steps to apprehend the culprits and ensure security of people.
The meeting with the Chief Minister in ‘Nabanna’, the new secretariat lasted nearly one hour. Left leaders alleged that the miscreants of the ruling party have launched large-scale attacks after the elections. In many areas, hundreds of people have been forced to leave their homes. In many areas of the state houses have been destroyed and burnt, Party offices ransacked and shops forcefully seized. In many areas, agricultural land has been seized and peasants not allowed to cultivate their lands. During and after the election, 10 Left Front activists and supporters were killed and no action has been taken against the culprits. Moreover, the police are playing a blatantly partisan role. They are arresting or implicating the victims themselves in fabricated cases. More than five thousand Left workers and supporters have been booked in false cases. Police is pressuring elected Left panchayat members to resign or join the ruling party. Biman Basu categorically asked the Chief Minister, how this lawlessness could be allowed to continue.
The delegation submitted detailed reports of violence and atrocities in 17 districts of the state. They also submitted the list of 157 Left Front workers and supporters who have been killed after the TMC came to power.
Mamata Banerjee assured the delegation that she would look into the allegations. She did not give any specific assurance however about the action she proposes to take.
The Left delegation also raised the issue of protecting the democratic rights of the people and maintenance of communal harmony in the state.
Later Biman Basu told the media that Left Front would wait for some days to observe whether the administration takes any positive action or not. If it fails to do so, we will have to resort to bigger agitations on the streets, he said.
Given Below is the Memorandum Submitted to the Chief Minister
9th June, 2014
Hon’ble Shrimati Mamata Banerjee
Chief Minister, West Bengal Govt
Nabanna, 325 Sarat Chatterjee Road
Mandirtala, Howrah 711102.
Madam,
Sub: Attack on Life, Livelihood and Democratic Right
First of all, let us thank you for allowing your valuable time to the representatives of the Left Front for this discussion.
For your information and necessary action, we cite below certain grave issues regarding a serious deterioration in the law-and order situation of the state and serial attacks on lives, livelihood, democratic rights and personal freedom of ordinary people of the state including opposition parties.
(1) Continuous attacks have been launched for the last three years on the democratic rights and the lives and livelihood of all sections of common people in the state including workers, peasants, employees and teachers. The situation has been rendered more complex by the unconcerned role of the police which is partial to the ruling party in most cases. Up till now, 157 Left leaders, workers and supporters have lost their lives in attacks by a type of lawless gangs enjoying the support of the ruling party. In the list of those killed there are people from all walks of life including 2 former MLAs, a Chairman of a Panchayat Samiti, former members of the three-tier panchayats, office-bearers, students, workers, peasants, agricultural labourers, women, the physically challenged, members of minority communities, scheduled castes and tribes.
(2) From the declaration of the schedule of the 16th Loksabha elections on 5th March 2014 to 12th May, the last phase of polling, 5 Left Front workers have been killed by miscreants belonging to the ruling party. After the declaration of results, 7 Left workers have been killed to date. On 16th May 2014, the very day election results were declared, a CPI (M) worker Kajal Sheikh (45) was beaten to death at Manteswar in Burdwan district. At Mahul village of Ketugram 1 block in the same district, former panchayat member of CPI(M), Ashmira Begam (35) was killed on 21st May, Hashim Sheikh, RSP worker, was killed on 6th June in Basanti area of South 24 Parganas, and only yesterday, 8th June, CPI (M) worker Saidul Bhuiyan was killed, all by Trinamool Congress miscreants. Under their attacks, at least 8785 persons have been injured and hospitalised. Attacks with intent to kill are going on unchecked in different places of the state including Coochbehar, Jalpaiguri, Maldaha, Nadia, North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Kolkata, Howrah, Hooghly, Purba Medinipur, Paschim Medinipur, Bankura, Burdwan and Birbhum districts.
(3) In different districts of the state, attacks on houses of Left Front workers, looting, arson, terror etc. are taking place extensively. Attacks on livelihood are also continuing. Cattle, poultry, fishes in ponds, agricultural produce and seeds also have been looted. In some places, bargadars and pattadars have also been ejected and deprived of rights. This has at least 27283 persons and 9811.83 acres of land. Many incidents of peasants being prevented from tilling the land or harvesting are taking place. People are being prevented from going to their workplaces, including educational institutions, because they participated in election campaigns against the Trinamool Congress or even because they voted against them; shops and establishments of many Left Front activists-supporters-sympathisers have been forcibly closed down. The same reasons have led to disconnection of electricity and water supply which amounts to violation of human rights. At least 48382 persons have been evicted from their houses up till now, about 6152 houses damaged, looted or burnt down. So far, at least 9529 persons have been pressurised or intimidated to part with ransoms totalling 27 crore 87 lakh and 8 thousand rupees, levied by the miscreants.
(4) 1365 offices of Left Front parties and 398 offices of mass organisations have been ransacked, looted or forcibly occupied by miscreants of the ruling party. The constitutional rights of Left parties and mass organisations to carry on their activities are thus being taken away.
(5) On the one hand, Left Front leaders and workers are being terrorised by attacks and intimidations; on the other hand, false cases are being filed against Left activists. Even when someone is killed or injured in an internal fight of Trinamool Congress, it has become customary to charge leaders and workers of the Left Front and lock them up. They are part of a list of 5732 persons involved in false cases, all Left leaders or workers. When attacked activists go to the police stations, often their complaints are not recorded. On the contrary, the victims themselves are detained and harassed with false cases. Recently, elected members of panchayats and other Left activists are being arrested and harassed with false charges under several sections including the Arms Act; using the police force, elected members are being pressurised to resign. The deliberate aloofness and partiality of the police administration has helped the local leaders of the ruling party in exerting pressure in different ways on plaintiffs to terrorise and force them to withdraw criminal cases, even murder cases (Jharna Mandi and Sumana Mandi, Dhaniakhali PS, Hooghly, case no 24 dt. 23.02.2009).
(6) Incidents of assaults, molestation and rape of women and violation of their modesty are on the increase in the state. The administration has looked on helplessly while 291 women have been raped so far, 675 have been molested, 1035 physically assaulted. In a majority of cases, the police took no steps against the criminals.
(7) Those attacked during the 16th Loksabha elections include Basudeb Acharia, Member of the CPI(M) Central Committee and candidate for Bankura PC, Tapas Sinha, candidate for Kanthi PC, Archana Biswas, candidate for Ranaghat PC, and CPI leader Prabodh Panda, candidate for Medinipur PC. Apart from this Forward Bloc leader and legislator Udayan Guha has been attacked in Coochbehar, CPI(M) legislator Rameswar Dolui in Paschim Medinipur and former legislators Tapas Chattopadhyay and Samar Hazra in Burdwan. In none of these cases did the police administration display any alacrity or effort in taking appropriate action against the criminals.
(8) In holding meetings, conventions and rallies, the opposition is facing a prejudiced treatment by the state government, police and administration when seeking their permission and opposition parties are being subjected to virtual discrimination when seeking permission for the use of government auditoriums.The opposition parties are also subject to a biased attitude when seeking statutory permission to use government guest houses.
(9) The intervention of the ruling party has spread a chaotic influence on schools, colleges and universities, at every stage of education. The face of the education sector in the state is being blackened by incidents like the political control of the ruling party in educational institutions, serial attacks on teachers, pupils and staff, the grabbing of managing committees and students’ unions by the ruling party, the dishonest control over admissions, forcible extraction of money in different ways and encouragement of copying during examinations. Violent incidents, even death, have marked students’ union elections. A police officer died when he was shot in Kolkata. The 23-year old student Sudipto Gupta participated in a democratic movement and died in police custody. The just demand for a judicial inquiry into this matter is yet to be accepted by the government.
It is worth mentioning in this connection that the Left Front legislature party also has drawn your attention to the above issues again and again. In spite of that no positive move has been made on behalf of the government.
Madam,
Secularism and democracy in West Bengal are seriously jeopardised by the continuous attacks on the Left in the state. Even ordinary individuals, peace-loving and democratic, are not exempt from such attacks. Some instances of such attacks on the livelihood, democratic rights and individual freedom of the common people have been mentioned above. Some more incidents are cited in annexures to this letter.
In such a complex situation in the state, for the restoration of peace, order and democratic rights, and for the protection of unity, solidarity and harmony, we request you to take immediate and effective steps regarding the following demands.
Demands
1. All necessary measures for the protection of democracy, personal freedom and human rights, including the right of the Left, other opposition and each citizen to protest and to criticise, must be taken in the state immediately.
2. Stop assault, murder, terror and plunder and harshly punish the criminals involved.
3. Stop the attacks on the lives and livelihood of common people including workers, employees, professionals, teachers, peasants and agricultural labourers.
4. False cases forced on workers and supporters of political parties and on common people must be withdrawn immediately. Every evicted person must be brought back home. Security must be provided to offices of all opposition political parties including the Left and those of mass organisations; rights of holding meetings and conferences must be secured.
5. Harsh punishment must be given to those guilty of assaults on women, rape, molestation and murder. Police officials guilty of neglecting duties must be punished.
6. The police administration must overcome political pressure in the interests of law and order and take strict steps against criminals.
7. Effective steps must be taken to keep communal harmony in the state intact. All-party meetings at all levels including the state and district levels must be held to maintain peace, order, unity, solidarity and harmony.
8. The educational institutions must be freed from chaos. A healthy democratic environment must be maintained in elections of managing committees and students’ unions. The admission system for pupils must be merit-based and transparent. The security of everyone concerned must be provided in educational institutions. Steps must immediately be taken to hold a judicial inquiry into the custodial death of Sudipto Gupta.
With thanks
Sd/-
Biman Basu
Chairman
Communist Party of India (Marxist) Sd/- Rabin Deb
All India Forward Bloc Sd/- Jayanta Roy
Revolutionary Socialist Party Sd/- Kshiti Goswami
Communist Party of India Sd/- Manju Kumar Majumder
Democratic Socialist Party Sd/- Ratan Majumder
Revolutionary Communist Party of India Sd/- Mihir Bain
Marxist Forward Bloc Sd/- Kuheli Chatterjee
Biplabi Bangla Congress Sd/- Umesh Chowdhury
Workers’ Party Sd/- Saibal Chatterjee
Bharatiya Bolshevik Party Sd/- Prabir Ghosh
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Violence against Left Front Workers, Supporters and common people
perpetrated by AITC in West Bengal after Loksabha Election 2014
At a glance
1.Coochbehar
In Coochbehar Sadar area of Coochbehar district, 30 to 40 heads of cattle were looted in Shuktabari P.S, 48 heads in Lalbazar area of Sitalkuchi, and fish were looted from ponds in Panishala. Fines were being levied at exorbitant rates in several areas (at the rate of 20 to 25 thousand rupees). In Shuktabari, cattle worth rupees 1 lakh 45 thousand were taken away.
In Bhaberthana GP, khas land being tilled by 20 peasants was occupied and Trinamool flags planted there. 300 bighas were similarly occupied in New Mathabhanga.
Among offices belonging to LF parties which were occupied / looted / damaged, there are CPI(M) and AIFB offices in Sadar Uttar area, local committee no 1 of CPI(M) at Mahishkuchi, Baxirhat, 5 more offices in New Mathabhanga. CITU office was forcibly occupied at Panishla No 4. Electricity was disconnected in 2 booth areas of Panishala.
In Sitalkuchi area property worth more than 11 lakh rupees was lost when shops, establishments and equipment were looted and paddy forcibly harvested.
At Gosairhat, 30 bighas of land with boro paddy could not be harvested because the Trinamool people prevented the farmers.
At Bhaberhat, resistance to similar prevention resulted in injuries of 2 peasants, now hospitalized.
In Shikarpur GP and Jorapatki GP 140 shops have been looted and locked up. AITC leaders have gone from house to house in Shikarpur GP demanding huge amounts per family, ranging from 15 thousand to 1 lakh 25 thousands rupees.
In Hazrahat-1 GP, the party flag has been replaced by AITC flag in the CPI(M) local office. In Bairagirhat GP, CPI(M) workers are being pressurized for money and prevented from going out to the market.
Fines totaling 2 lakh 60 thousand rupees have been demanded from 11 families in Phulbari.
In some parts of Coochbehar Block-I also, extensive damage to property worth 69 lakh 28 thousand rupees was made by AITC attackers.
In Coochbehar Sadar Dakshin Zone, 34 persons have been driven out of their homes.
In Tufanganj area, 79 people have been forcibly confined to their homes and prevented from working on the fields or harvesting or opening their shops.
2.Jalpaiguri
In Jalpaiguri Sadar and other parts of the district violence by AITC took place. At least 8 LF activists have been injured including CPI(M) leader and ex-MP Jiten Das. Many shops and establishments have been damaged, looted and forcibly closed, 6 in Rajganj PS alone. Autos and small trucks belonging to Left supporters were not allowed to ply. Many people were forcibly prevented from going to work. Workers in tea gardens and orchards were specially affected. 8 or 9 small and medium-sized traditional tea gardens, 3 of them in Rajganj PS, drove away those loyal to the red flag, the owners supporting the AITC hoodlums. 12 workers of Sonamukhi Tea Estate, 2 workers of Rong Tea Company, 12 workers in orchards, 7 workers of Dooars plantation and 20 workers of hatcheries were attacked and threats have been made to drive them out. Especially in new tea estates and smaller estates, the workers are being pressurized and intimidated by AITC goons to join their party. Even in small tea gardens, looting and physical attacks are taking place.
On 22nd May the Rajganj Zonal Committee office of CPI(M) was captured by AITC miscreants but was later reoccupied by the Party workers. 8 more branch offices and LC offices of the Party were forcibly occupied by AITC. The police was informed in each case but took no steps.
3.Darjeeling
The CPI (M) Local Committee office (Phulbari no 2) was first attacked and damaged on 16th May and razed to the ground with a payloader by AITC men on 22nd May. They also put up AITC flags there. Party leaders went to the spot to demonstrate and lodged a complaint. Comrade Ashok Bhattacharya former Minister, Comrade Jibesh Sarkar and other leaders went on hunger strike, demanding removal of AITC flags and arrest of culprits. Under pressure, the police removed the AITC flags. But the hunger strike went on until three culprits were arrested on 24th May. Other culprits are still to be arrested. Threats on CPI (M) workers are continuing because the AITC goons are loyal to a local Minister.
4. Uttar Dinajpur
Extensive areas of the district under Chopra, Islampur and Itahar blocks are subject to terror launched by AITC & INC. Areas specially affected are Chopra Daspara, Lakshmipur, Chutiakhore, Majiali GP in Chopra Block, Gobindapur, Kamlagaon, Sujali, Matikunda I & II, Agdimtikhunti GP in Islampur block, Marnai, Kapasia, Gulandar I & II , Durgapur and Patirajpur GPs in Itahar Block. People have no democratic rights in these areas. Four GPs (Durgapur, Kapasia, Sujali & Agdimtikhunti) which the Left Front had won last year have been forcibly taken over.
Number of false cases are 751 and people arrested on false cases 70.
People driven out of their homes number 450.
5.Dakshin Dinajpur
Several party workers, including leaders have been charged in false cases. False cases were been lodged against at least 208 known CPI(M) activists, including Smt. Minati Ghosh and Sri Narayan Biswas, the former ministers of the state. These cases were filed by Gangarampur, Tapan, Harirampur and Banshihari PS.
6. Malda
On 20th May 2014 police arrested Dulal Rajak, CPI(M) councilor of ward no-4 of Old Malda Municipality on false charges and kept him in lockup for three days. On 31st May early in the morning several AITC miscreants attacked Mithun Singha and injured him with a sharp weapon; an FIR was filed on 2nd June.
17 people have arrested on false charges. 15 people have been driven out from their houses to protect themselves from AITC terror. Four of them are members of Bhakrabandh GP and eleven others belong to Sabdalpur.
7. Nadia
Ever since the publication of results, Left Front supporters and known Left Front voters are being attacked and intimidated by AITC supporters. Several have been injured and hospitalized. Houses have been ransacked.
Under 9 police station areas of the District, people have been attacked. These include Sri Bankim Ghosh, former Minister of West Bengal and several women leaders. Smt. Bela De, mother of a party supporter, was hurt when trying to save her son from attack by AITC men. She had to be hospitalized. She died 2 days later. (28 May 2014)
The Nadia District Left Front made a representation to the District Magistrate on 27th May and complained of the unlawful activities and violent deeds of the AITC.
On 31st May Mrityunjay Thakur member of CPI(M) belonging to Muratipur village under Kalyani PS has been threatened with murder several times over mobile phone, unless an amount of 2 lakh rupees is paid.
On 3rd June AITC miscreants have thrown bombs from their victory processions at the houses of CPI(M) supporters in Hatba village under Chapra PS. As a result CPI(M) activist Swapan Roy was seriously injured. Some other comrades have also sustained injuries. The miscreants looted some houses of the village. The terror in the village in the adjoining areas has been continuing . The police has taken no action. On the same day around 3pm AITC miscreants looted the house of Swapan Roy, DYFI leader, and beat him up.
On 5th June around 10am Priya Sarkar, former pradhan of Saguna GP was attacked by AITC miscreants. She suffered head injuries and was treated at JNM Hospital. She was a polling agent at a booth where, in spite of terror, the CPI(M) candidate led. The Party leadership went to the PS in a deputation about this incident. On the same day around 7am AITC goons led by Gopal Bhangri alias Gopal Sarkar harvested and wasted the vegetables and oil seeds grown by peasants of Debnathpur area under Tehatta PS. In a clash with villagers 5 peasants and 7 miscreants were injured. The AITC is active since May 2011 to drive out Patta-holders in these areas.
Around 8pm on the same night the house of Amal Bhowmik and Sibani Bhowmik, members of the district committee of the party, was attacked with powerful bombs which destroyed two windows and damaged furniture. Their house was also attacked 9 days before this. FIR has been submitted in Chakdaha PS.
At Tehatta an armed AITC gang wanted to forcibly occupy some land of Patta owners in Bagakhali Mouza.
8. North 24 Parganas
Post-poll attacks by AITC in the district started as soon as results were announced. Three CPI (M) offices at ward no 13 of Habra South Local Committee, wards 4 and 6 at Panihati were ransacked. At least 6 other CPI (M) offices in different parts of the district were ransacked. Four CITU offices in different areas were occupied. 1 club run by Party supporters and a DYFI office were damaged. 32 houses belonging to Party workers or supporters were attacked and damaged. Countless CPI (M) workers, especially those who served as agents during polling and counting, were mercilessly beaten up. 10 were beaten up at Kowgachhi alone.
At Swarupnagar, public property was heavily damaged in attacks on places within Sanrapur Nirman GP. The AITC people leading the attack terrorized surrounding areas.
On 1st June, a brick kiln workers’ union office (affiliated to CITU) in Hosainpur area of Minakhan PS was set on fire.
All cases have been reported to the police but action has been taken in very few of them.
After Shri Narendra Modi took his oath as the Prime Minister of India on 26th May, 2014, some supporters of the BJP celebrated the event at Haldergheri Para with fireworks. The next day, on 27 May, 2014 some supporters of AITC, who are locally identified as anti-social elements, assembled on the spot and severely assaulted villagers including CPI(M) workers.
When this news came to the knowledge of the villagers, they strongly agitated and demonstrated. Suddenly, some AITC led goons launched attack on the villagers with firearms, iron rods and chains, bars, etc. They started firing on the helpless villagers indiscriminately in presence of the Police where 25 people received injuries in different parts of their bodies. One sustained head injury with fracture of both bones in the forearm. Some women were also injured during the incident. All the 25 injured persons were primarily admitted at the Khuina Rural Hospital. Thereafter, 13 persons out of 25 were referred to the SSKM Hospital, Kolkata. The 13 persons who received bullet injuries belong to Scheduled Tribe community and this incident has created huge impact on their community in the area of utter fear and terror.
The most unfortunate fact of the incident is that on behalf of the attackers, Sri Sibapada Hazra, Member, Zilla Parishad, North 24-Parganas has lodged a complaint against the attacked persons and the Police has already started a case under various sections of IPC and Cr. P. C. (noted on 6th June, 2014)
Heavy terror continues in Amdanga PS area. It caused huge damage to the Jute workers and cultivators of the area. Left Front submitted memorandum to the local P.S. No proper action has been taken.
In all 1175 people belonging to 11 different Blocks have been driven out from home. 114 false cases have been filed in 8 different Blocks and 29 people have been arrested on false charges.
9. South 24 Parganas
Left Front workers and supporters have been attacked in many parts of the district after polling. Looting and ransacking by AITC workers took place in Baruipur, Basanti, Bhangor, Canning, Patharprotima, Bishnupur and Kakdwip. Party offices and those of mass organisations have been damaged or forcibly closed. Many shops and establishments were damaged, particularly in Kashipur, Jibantala, Basanti and Bhangor areas.
In South 24 Parganas, after the Parliament election, at least 58 members of families of polling agents were evicted from their houses. At least 360 Left Front supporters have been attacked, 341 houses ransacked, 490 shops or small business affected, more than 40 lakhs of rupees collected forcefully from at least 567 of LF sympathizers. In 70 cases complaint was lodged at the police station while in other cases police has not accepted the complaints even. Rather at least 395 numbers of false cases are lodged by the attackers against those who are attacked. Many of the Left Front supporters are denied or obstructed from work in earning their livelihood. Some specific references are attached.
10. Kolkata
Post-poll violence has affected 10 AC areas in 3 different PCs: Kolkata Uttar, Kolkata Dakshin and Jadavpur.
17 party offices at zonal and local levels have been attacked and damaged. 12 offices of different organizations, sympathetic to Left Front, have been ransacked.
On the night of 31st May AITC launched a planned attack on a CITU Office of employees of shops and establishments. Chairs, tables, fans and furniture were broken and 5000 rupees stolen. On the same night a CPI(M) office in ward no 107 of Dakshin Kolkata PC was similarly ransacked and the martyrs’ column outside it was ground to dust. On 6th & 7th June respectively CPI(M) offices at 47 Christopher Rd, Kolkata – 14 and 49 Tangra Rd, were attacked and damaged.
Physical assaults on many individuals have been reported, including 10 LF workers and 1 LF councilor of Kolkata Municipal Corporation at whom a bomb was thrown. 11 houses of Party supporters and workers have been damaged/looted. One of them, in ward no 99, was attacked by AITC workers who were resisted by women of the locality. This attack was criticised even by some local AITC people.3 shops and business establishments of Left supporters were forcibly closed down to rob them of their livelihood.
Numerous false cases have been filed against LF workers. Of them, 29 are in wards no 9 and 17 alone.
On 8th June morning senior CPI(M) leaders Kanai Ganguly and Chanchal Das were threatened by an armed AITC gang. They have ordered Kanai Ganguly, former Chairman, Borough Committee of KMC, to leave his house within 24 hours. This happened at Satchashipara under Cossipore P.S. where 2 CPI(M) offices have been forcibly occupied by AITC workers after the polls. Similar occupations have taken place at Paikpara and Sinthi.
11. Howrah
(1) 9 Left Front supporters have been beaten up by AITC miscreants in different villages under Udaynarayanpur PS.
(2) 279 houses of Left Front supporters have been robbed, furniture and utensil damaged, mostly under Udaynarayanpur PS, Amta PS, Uluberia PS and Malipanchghara PS. On 5th June, at Jagarampur Banshberia village of Uluberia-2 block, a series of attacks by AITC goons left 8 houses of LF workers and supporters ransacked and 2 seriously injured. In the Malipanchghara incident, the house of a local CPI(M) leader was attacked twice within an hour on 16th May, doors, windows and furniture badly damaged with lathis and iron rods, a bag with rupees 5000 in cash taken away.
(3) 1 party office, 1CITU office, 1Kisan Sabha office and 1 DYFI office were ransacked.
(4) 1 martyrs’ column at Parijat crossing was destroyed.
(5) At least 878 people have been forced to leave home.
(6) 952 persons have been involved in 212 false cases.
(7) 41 persons have been prevented from going to work / earning their livelihood.
(8) Property of 148 families has been looted.
(9) 509 persons have been injured in physical attacks; 68 of them were admitted to hospitals.
Only 10 persons have so far been arrested.
Each of these attacks was led by AITC workers and miscreants. The incidents have been reported to PS concerned.
At Jagatballavpur, on the night of 31st May the police conducted raids in the village of Dakshinpatihal. Under the pretext of a search they harassed innocent people, including old men and women. Since then men of the village are forced to stay away from home and passed the night in the open field. 11 houses were thus attacked for a duration of three hours. When a complaint was submitted to Jagatballavpur PS the OC denied the involvement of his men in the incident.
12. Hooghly
Arambagh sub-division has been specially affected by AITC terror. In Kanaipur village of Goghat area, 15 houses belonging to Party workers have been damaged. In Nakunda Of Goghat an old woman and her son had to be hospitalized after being severely beaten by AITC men. In Jagannathpur of Khanakul, a polling agent was badly beaten up after polling. Numerous houses have been attacked and ransacked. A poultry farm belonging to a Party leader at Batanal was set on fire.
The District leadership of the Left Front wrote to the DM Hooghly about the multiple incidents of violence organized by AITC from 16th May to 27th May. These included the ransacking of houses and dwelling places in various parts of the District. There were numerous incidents of physical assaults, eviction from house, forcible occupation of party offices and clubs. All this is being done to prevent CPI(M) from holding protests.
A Left Front delegation led by Biman Basu visited Joysinghachawk of Madhabpur GP of Arambagh on May 31. The male members of almost all the families of the village left their homes because of sustained terror. The two party comrades Utpal Santra and Gopal Santra who had accompanied the delegation were attacked on the same night. Their houses have been burnt to ashes. The SDPO was informed about all these series of attacks but no action has been taken.
On 1st June 2 women of Gobarara village, Belmuri GP under Dhaniakhali PS were physically assaulted by AITC miscreants. Their sister-in-law Jharna Mandi and her daughter Sumana had been burnt to death earlier. The family is under attack because Lancho Mandi, Jharna’s husband is a known CPI(M) worker. The very next day 2nd June, Lancho’s niece Pratima Murmu was attacked at Gobarara village, Belmuri GP under Dhaniakhali PS.
In all 836 persons in the district have been forced out of their homes, 5205 have been involved in 784 false cases.
13. Purba Medinipur
A number of people have been affected by AITC terror in different Blocks. Houses have been attacked and damaged, ransoms forcibly taken, false cases filed and property looted. In Patashpur –I Block 101 persons have been affected in this way; 29 persons in Pataspur-II Block ; 42 persons in Kanthi-III Block (Marichda) out of whom 35 had to pay huge amounts of ransom. In Kanaidighi GP of the same Block, in booth no. 56, women were raped and in booth no. 57, several women were molested.
In Khejuri 5 GPs ( Janka, NijaKasba. Kalagachia, Kamarda and Birbandar) witnessed extensive terror and attacks. In Tikashi GP a resident of Chatnabari village was beaten and fined. In Henria GP the house of Nilmoni Maity of Mouhati-Debichak village was burnt down and when he complained at the PS he was banished from the area. About six others of the same village have been fined and driven out of home.
Terror is also extensive in Nandigram. In booths no. 16, 18, 25, 26, 99 and 126 several persons including polling agents have been beaten up and medical treatment denied. False cases have been filed against 32 persons in booths no 25 & 26. In booth no 249 Rabin Giri CPI(M) workers returned home after a long time but was threatened again and rescued by police.
In 214 Bhagabanpur AC an AITC victory procession on 23rd May ended in the ransacking of 9 houses in booth no. 73, including the house of GP members Sabita Das and she was put under pressure for resignation.
In Ramnagar-I Block a fishery co-operative at Sankarpur of Talgachari-II GP was set on fire by AITC goons. Property worth 14 lakh rupees was destroyed. When the fishermen resisted, false cases were filed against 12 of them. Two CPI(M) workers were arrested but no AITC miscreant has been arrested. At Mirzapur village of Padima-I GP in the same block a poultry farm was looted by AITC miscreants. They also filed false cases against 10 persons.
False cases have been lodged by Moyna PS after elections against 24 CPI(M) workers. Two of them are in the lock-up while 3 have been released on bail. Several comrades are staying away from home. Cases were filed at Moyna PS on 14/05/2014 against those who conducted criminal attacks on polling day (12/05/2014). These criminals, facing charges under 341/323/354/379/506/34IPC are moving about freely. Police is not arresting them.
14. Paschim Medinipur
Since the declaration of results of Lok Sabha polls, 22 Party offices of CPI (M) in the district have been ransacked, 4 of them set on fire and 22 others forcibly shut down or occupied. Nearly 1175 people have been beaten and ransom extracted from them, including women who were stripped before being beaten, as at Hematpur village in Chandrakona I block. 476 houses have been damaged and looted. About 3000 persons had been driven away from home; some have returned but the figure of the homeless still stands at 2556. In Simla village of Chandrakona II block Nirmal Mukherjee was staying away from home when it was attacked on 2nd June and his aged mother and wife were beaten and thrown out. Among those who lost house and home on 23rd May, there were 25 families of tribal Shabars of Ghatkura village in Jambani block. At Radhanagar village in Kharagpur II block houses and shops belonging to 226 Munda tribal families were ransacked by AITC goons. 72 peasants are not allowed to till their land. 216 people have been forced to shut down their shops or business establishments. 55 persons are not being allowed to go to their workplace. 1185 party workers have been involved in 196 false cases. 76 of them are in prison. AITC blackmailers have raised rupees four crore in ransoms. Cattle, livestock and other property worth rupees two crore have been looted. The electricity of 55 families has been disconnected.
The fascistic terror of AITC knows no bounds as far as Keshpur AC of Ghatal PC is concerned. In the Keshpur AC itself the fallout of the terror till 22nd May was: evicted 1668 persons; physically assaulted 593; the loss due to loot, damage and fine is to the amount of Rupees 6.86 crores, martyred 1, cultivation stopped – 36 peasants, small shops and business stopped – 110 persons, unable to attend workplaces- 44 persons.
Baren Dey, a leader of DYFI was kidnapped and beaten up on 27th May and again on 2nd June; the second time was from Belda High School where he teaches. This is because they want him to withdraw the complaints he had filed against them. From 2nd June he is not being allowed to go to his workplace.
On 8th June AITC miscreants kidnapped Saidul Bhuiyan (37) from a wedding ceremony at Shyamnagar village under Garbeta PS and carried him to Hatisole village where he was killed.
15. Bankura
Ujjal Chanda (22), CPI(M) activist and a poor peasant of Onda suffered grave injury caused by AITC hoodlums on May 29. His family members were also attacked on that day including his mother. He was admitted to SSKM hospital in Kolkata where he died on 3rd June. Chanda’s family was previously attacked in 2013 and also in the January this year by his neighbour who is associated with the AITC. Complaint was lodged in the local police station. AITC activists have pressurized the police not to take any action against the culprits.
Two CPI(M) offices at Kankila and Bankidaha under Bishnupur PS were damaged by AITC attackers on 16th May. Under the same PS 11 CPI(M) workers including two polling agents were beaten up and some of them fined.
Under Taldangra PS many people are living under threat of displacement in the villages of Ghola, Mandi, Satmouli, Bikarda GP, Mutama. 150 families of Bairagbandh village in Bibardha GP are prevented from using drinking water or village ponds. They are not even allowed to shop for food. On 18th May a house was ransacked at Rajpur Muslimpara and a CPI(M) office was ransacked at Panchmura village. Next day a house in Deulvira village was damaged after AITC victory celebration.
Under Joypur PS electricity has been disconnected from the Joypur CPI(M) office. Manju Pande of Joypur was beaten up at the village market.
1 CPI office at Dasgihi under the same P.S was locked up by AITC goons on 16th May and some wooden statues broken. On the same day a CPI worker Ganesh Mukherjee who was polling agent for LF was surrounded at home by AITC miscreants who burst bombs.
Under Patrasayar PS a fishery was looted, a shop was forcibly closed down and huge amounts were demanded from three persons.
The people of all the above areas are living in terrible insecurity and the CPI(M) Bankura District Committee has informed the DM and SP in writing on 19th May, 2014, giving details of all the specific incidents.
16. Bardhaman
2 CPI (M) workers, including a woman, have been martyred after the polling: Kajol Sekh(45) of Bastepota village under Memari PS and Ashmira Begum, former Panchayat member, of Muhul village under Ketugram PS. 6 others were seriously injured in the Muhul incident. 42 others were injured in brutal attacks by AITC workers; many of them had to be hospitalized. 10 of them were injured on 17th May, when the Kanksa Zonal office of CPI (M) at Panagarh was attacked thrice. They include members of CPI (M)’s Burdwan District Committee and its secretariat.
Each incident was reported to the police. No arrests were made.
The attack on livelihood of Left Front supporters is widespread in the district. Forcible closure of shops and establishments, peasants forcibly being prevented from going to their land for agricultural work, milkmen being prevented from selling milk (leading to great wastage of milk) and the looting of goods worth 4 lakh rupees from a shop in Khandaghosh PS are all part of the AITC programme of starving people to death. Poorer sections and women have been special targets.
At Hatgobindapur village, women were molested by AITC men and policemen together; 500 peasants at least have been prevented from harvesting their produce which was looted from the field by AITC goons. These peasants were also driven out of their home.
Among numerous houses looted and damaged, there are the two houses of former MLAs Tapas Chatterjee and Samar Hazra.
At Gourdanga in Katwa PS, a wedding ceremony was attacked by AITC miscreants on 25th May, CPI (M) workers beaten up and women molested. Two were hospitalized including a woman. Though a complaint has been filed, no one has been arrested.
In Khurul village under Bhatar P.S. TMC miscreants attacked 5 women workers and they were admitted in Bhatar hospital. In Barabelun village under same P.S. AITC goons had broken the house of an LCM of CPI(M).
In Mongolkote PS. AITC miscreants attacked a local CPI(M) leader on 24th May. He had to be hospitalized. Similar incidents took place in Raina PS also.
Numerous physical assaults on party workers and members of their families and ransacking of many houses and personal property have been reported. The details of each incident were given to the District Magistrate by Party leaders on 26th May, 2014 in writing.
On 1st June, some drunks from an AITC ‘victory march’ passing through Malkita village under Sadar PS, dragged out from her home a 15-year old girl whose father was a polling agent for the CPI(M) candidate in the Loksabha Elections. Her shouts brought her neighbours rushing to the spot to save her. The miscreants fled, only to return later with arms and added manpower. The poor people of the village were severely beaten, five houses set on fire with the slogan “Mamata Banerjee Zindabad” on the arsonists’ lips. The haystacks of 5 CPI(M) workers and supporters were burnt. 3 of them also lost their paddy-silos in the fire. Cash and gold were also looted. The police arrived much later, arrested 7 of the victims and none of the miscreants. Complaint has been filed at Bardhaman Sadar PS
17. Birbhum
On 19th May, two groups of tribals clashed in ward no 17 of Rampurhat town. AITC supported one side and lodged false cases against several people, with the commissioner of the ward Sanjib Mondal heading the list, though he was actually trying for peace. It is worth notice that Mallik had been returned on a hammer-and-sickle symbol and Lok Sabha candidate for LF also had a comfortable lead in this ward. Tension still persists here.
5 GP areas in the Dubrajpur Zone are affected by AITC attacks. Several villages have been attacked; ordinary people have been beaten up and threatened. In Mirul village under Loba GP, one man was abducted, taken to the Trinamool office and beaten. At 11 a.m. on 18th May, Rampur village under Jashpur GP was attacked, tube-wells were destroyed, women were beaten up and a temple gate was damaged. In Paduma GP, the villages with tribal population are specially targeted.
On June 3 at about 9-30pm a group of 60 AITC miscreants raided the Gopalpur village of Dubrajpur PS. They aimed at killing CPI(M) leader Moqdul Hossain. The village was encircled by the armed miscreants. On being informed the local police have arrived on the spot. The miscreants attacked the police with bombs. Five police personal was injured. Among them Anup Chakraborty seriously injured was immediately transferred to a Nursing Home. On the same day similar attack by AITC goons to place on the leaders of Sattor LC of CPI(M). Several families were thrown out and these homeless people are staying at the party office of Bolpur ZC.
In all 491 persons in the district have been robbed of their democratic rights by AITC attackers, 1138 driven out of home, 947 involved in false cases and 142 innocent people arrested.
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