Kolkata: Unrest in West Bengal’s Sandeshkhali has not diffused with women who made systemic sexual harassment allegations against local Trinamool Congress leaders refusing to quieten despite the state government’s allegations that their complaints are politically motivated.
What began as an Enforcement Directorate raid on the ruling party’s local strongman’s house has morphed into a wider movement against alleged land grabbing, systematic sexual assault, and the misuse of power by the ruling TMC in the area.
As the Lok Sabha elections approach, the issue has the capacity to balloon into a major political crisis for the ruling party. Opposition parties have attacked Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her party, accusing them of creating a climate of fear and oppression.
A key arrest
Sensing the public mood, the West Bengal government – already under pressure form the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party and Communist Party of India (Marxist) – took a series of steps in the last couple of days, including the arrest of the key accused Shiba Prasad Hazra, alias Shibu. Hazra, a Trinamool Congress block president and a member of the North 24 Parganas Zilla Parishad, was named by multiple women in serious sexual harassment cases.
Hazra had notably been traced by reporters in Sandeshkhali, prior to his arrest. He had also granted interviews proclaiming his innocence.
After first alleging that none of the complainants had mentioned ‘rape’, police have now added ‘gang rape’ and ‘attempt to murder’ charges against another local leader, Uttam Sardar, after a woman lodged a complaint and gave her statement before a magistrate.
In addition, two senior police officers, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) in charge of Barasat range, Sumit Kumar and Additional Director General (South Bengal) Siddinath Gupta were transferred. The transfers are deemed significant, with speculation that the Election Commission of India’s anticipated visit prompted the state administration to act proactively, particularly in light of attention on Sandeshkhali. As The Wire had noted in its ground report, many of the local women in the area had alleged that police were in cahoots with local TMC leaders.
Also read: Systemic Sexual Assault, an Oppressive TMC and Not Much Recourse: What Sandeshkhali Villagers Say
Through this all, the main accused Sheikh Shahjahan remains absconding.
Meanwhile, National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) chairman, Arun Halder, has recommended the imposition of President’s rule in West Bengal. Halder has submitted a report to President Droupadi Murmu following his team’s visit to Sandeshkhali.
Mamata Banerjee and ‘outsiders’
On February 15, when Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee finally addressed the Sandeshkhali unrest, she had attributed it to external interference. Many of her critics had noted that she was practically giving a clean chit to Sheikh Shahjahan and his two aides Uttam Sardar and Sibu Hazra. Dismissing the protests as opposition-driven, CM Banerjee accused BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh of fomenting trouble in the area. Till February 17, the state government and the ruling party had largely been in denial mode and maintained that the sexual assault and rape allegations were unsubstantiated.
“The Enforcement Directorate targeted Shahjahan and entered the area…and then outsiders entered through that same route. They are trying to create disturbances between the minorities and tribal people. I want to say that there is an RSS base and they are trying to create disturbances. A riot occurred in the area seven-eight years ago. It is a spot vulnerable to tension,” said Banerjee during her address in the assembly during a discussion on the state budget.
“Who were the ones speaking with their faces covered? Who are they? Outsiders,” said Banerjee.
Two men, one in security forces’ uniform, sit on a jetty at Sandeshkhali. Photo: Joydeep Sarkar
Trinamool Congress MLA and Zilla Parishad head Narayan Goswami has also alleged that the complexion of the women is a giveaway that they are “not locals.”
“Real Adivasi women can be identified by their bodies and skin tone. However, the women alleging harassment in front of the camera are fair. How can we say they are local Adivasis?” Goswami asked.
His comments drew outrage.
“Have Trinamool leaders become self-proclaimed anthropologists? What gives them the authority to judge tribal identity based on superficial factors like skin colour and body structure?” political analyst Subhamoy Mitra said.
Police
On social media, West Bengal police has been issuing stern warnings to media outlets regarding the dissemination of information on the protests.
Wilful misinformation is being spread by a section of the media that police custody was not sought for the two arrestees sent forward to the Ld Court today in the Sandeshkhali incident. This is absolutely false and misleading……(1/3)
— West Bengal Police (@WBPolice) February 12, 2024
Union women and child development minister Smriti Irani and the BJP ‘IT cell’ chief Amit Malviya have meanwhile been attempting to assert that “Hindu Scheduled Tribe” women in Sandeshkhali are facing oppression from Rohingya refugees allegedly permitted to stay there by Sheikh Shahjahan.
Contrary to their claims, investigations by the State Women’s Commission and a special team of the State Police have found no communal connections to the incident. This is corroborated by locals and analysts who emphasise that the participation of TMC leaders from various faiths in the alleged atrocities suggests that the issue is more political than communal in nature.
“The allegations brought forward by Sandeshkhali’s agitating women are very serious. They deserve proper investigation and demand administrative action. While acknowledging their grievances with utmost respect, it is concerning to observe that a section of the media is collaborating with a political party to portray the entire incident in a communal colour, especially in the context of West Bengal’s society and politics,” said political analyst Udayan Banerjee.
“Failure to address the issue with necessary seriousness could lead to a dangerous escalation,” he said.
An all-women police team, formed to investigate abuse allegations in Sandeshkhali, has identified potential cases of forced labour and molestation during interviews with over 70 women across several villages.
Opposition
On February 16, a BJP ‘fact-finding team’ appointed by BJP president J.P. Nadda, on its way to the area, was stopped by the police halfway. Police cited the fact that Section 144 had been imposed in Sandeshkhali. In protest, the BJP team staged a sit-in and met West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose.
Today, the Supreme Court stayed a summons notice issued to West Bengal Chief Secretary Bhagwati Prasad Gopalika and other officers by the privileges committee of the Lok Sabha based on a complaint filed by Bengal BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar, alleging that the police action had caused “life-threatening injuries” to him.
Union minister and member of that delegation, Annapurna Devi, said, “We are here to meet the victims and to give justice to them. Today, the police have been prompt to stop us. If this promptness was shown to arrest Sheikh Shahjahan and his goons, then this situation would not arise.”
The houses of people allegedly displaced by TMC leaders in Sandeshkhali. Photo: Joydeep Sarkar.
Police also stopped West Bengal Pradesh Congress chief Adhir Chowdhury from visiting Sandeshkhali. Chowdhury is a known critic of CM Banerjee and accused her of communalising the issue to divert attention.
“Bengal’s chief minister is playing with fire. She is claiming this to be a clash between tribal and Muslim communities. This is not a communal issue; it’s an issue of those in power exploiting the vulnerable. The attempt to communalise this is a ploy to divert attention from her party’s misdeeds,” said Chowdhury.
The West Bengal government has reinforced Section 144 in a 500-meter radius around seven-gram panchayats and nine islands in Sandeshkhali, with significant police presence. Although originally lifted by the Calcutta high court, the Section 144 imposition is now extended until February 19. A “confidence-building” public rally scheduled by Trinamool Congress was also cancelled at the last minute. Instead, senior leaders and ministers Partha Bhowmik and Sujit Bose said they would visit Sandeshkhali and interact with locals in a closed-door venue. The ruling party has announced a larger rally to be held in Sandeshkhali on March 5.
‘Medieval barbarism’
The state government has so far arrested 17 people in connection with the unrest including key accused local Trinamool Congress leader Uttam Hazra, CPI(M) state committee member and former MLA of Sandeshkhali, Nirapada Sardar, and local BJP leader Bikash Singh along with some locals. While Uttam was arrested based on complaints of torture and atrocities by villagers, opposition leaders were arrested based on key accused Shibu Hazra’s complaints.
“Sandeshkhali is a reflection of the state of affairs in West Bengal. It can only be compared with medieval barbarism. It’s a government of miscreants where victims of exploitation and abuse are hiding in fear and criminals are being protected by the police,” stated CPI(M) central committee member Sujan Chakraborty. Chakraborty led a rally in front of the district police chief’s office, in Basirhat, on February 15.
Meanwhile, a petition has been filed with the Supreme Court, urging for a dedicated investigation into the incidents of violence in Sandeshkhali, either by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) or the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
As protests over land disputes, and accusations of violence engulf Sandeshkhali, the repercussions extend far beyond the village, casting a long shadow on West Bengal’s political landscape. The ruling TMC, already under pressure over multiple corruption charges against its top leadership, finds itself under intense scrutiny, with simmering discontent potentially influencing the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
A major concern for the party is the massive participation of women in the protest against the alleged ‘reign of terror’ by Trinamool congress strongmen in the region. Women constitute a crucial voting bloc for the party.
“The announcement of Lok Sabha elections is still pending. The extent to which this incident will influence the vote hinges on the opposition’s sustained protest duration. While the issue of women is sensitive, its impact on the vote is expected to be relatively modest,” stated political analyst Biswanath Chakraborty.
Translated from the Bengali original by Aparna Bhattacharya.