insights-from-the-lanes-of-sandeshkhali

The entire nation knows by now that Sandeshkhali is burning. It has been a month and the place continues to be restive. The most recent development from the area is of a six-member committee formed by Bharatiya Janata Party President JP Nadda, who were stopped at Rampur village, which is situated at Block-II subdivision of Sandeshkhali, North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal.

 

The development turned into a national topic after allegations of sexual assault and capturing of land by force against TMC leaders surfaced.

 

To be more specific, Patropara, Pukurpara, Adibasipara areas of Sandeshkhali Block-II are the places from where allegations of sexual harassment have surfaced against TMC leaders— Sheikh Shahjahan and his associates Shibu Hazra and Uttam Sardar.

 

In a striking contrast to the allegations, DIG of Barasat Sumit Kumar said: "We are conducting our investigation. We have majorly got four complaints. Out of which only one complaint is of molestation and not specifically rape, per say. No complaints related to rape has been received by us till date. We have even mentioned the same in the press release. The police force is making every effort to maintain the law and order situation.”

 

However, a woman, on anonymity, who agreed of TMC leaders abusing women physically, said: “We used to be called by the TMC leaders and forcibly kept overnight at TMC party offices. Sometimes they wanted us to participate in meetings and processions and at times we were asked to serve them in their party office.”

 

Another woman, who wishes to be unnamed, narrated her ordeal: “We kept quiet for so long because we knew the police would never register our complaints and take action accordingly. Instead, when we went to lodge a complaint in Sandeshkhali Police Station, they asked us to go to Shibu. We had no one to help us. We were scared and, hence, kept quiet. They even threatened to beat our family members, if we tried to say anything to anyone. We have been suffering for the past 13 years. They have even taken our lands forcibly.”

 

She even added that these three TMC leaders were so powerful that they did not allow candidates of other political parties — BJP and CPI(M) — to contest the elections.

 

Additionally, a carpenter by profession, whose house comes under Sandeshkhali Panchayat Samiti, said: “TMC leaders used to make us work and never pay us in exchange for our services. I have worked for Shibu and Shahjahan and never got paid in return. I did it for the sake of my family’s safety because if I protested they would have tortured my family members.”

 

A delegation of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) which visited West Bengal’s Sandeshkhali to probe alleged harassment of women by TMC supporters on Thursday submitted its report to President Droupadi Murmu on Friday.

 

The report, too, states that a large number of women in Sandeshkhali have claimed that TMC leader Sheikh Sahajahan and his supporters captured swathes of land by force and also sexually harassed them. They are demanding the immediate arrest of Sheikh.

 

It is evident that the issue is being raked by political parties to reap political dividends ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. However, the plight of women and the residents of Sandeshkhli will always have an upper hand, amid the unrest. 

 

Sandeshkhali-II became the epicentre of the problem which escalated with officials of Enforcement Directorate (ED) being attacked by a mob after they went to raid the premises of Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Sahajahan in connection with an alleged ration scam case. He has been absconding since then. However, violence continues to engulf West Bengal.