On July 6, Thursday, news of a 17-year-old boy being killed in a crude bomb explosion following an alleged clash between Trinamool Congress and Indian Secular Front (ISF) workers late Tuesday night at Debganga in North 24 Parganas district was only the latest to blight the imminent rural poll season in TMC-ruled Bengal.
Police were quoted by The Indian Express to say that five persons have been arrested in connection with the incident. Notably, widespread violence has been reported across West Bengal ahead of the panchayat polls that are to be held the day after tomorrow.
So far, a staggering 16 people have been killed in various incidents of political violence since the announcement of the rural poll schedule on June 8. The panchayat elections will be held on July 8 with the counting on July 11.
Three days ago, on July 3, the Telegraph reported that one more person was killed and another seriously injured in a crude bomb blast in Bengal in an incident that took place at Shalipur village in Haroa area of North 24 Parganas district late on Sunday night. A second person had been seriously injured in the explosion allegedly during the manufacture of crude bombs in rural polls-bound West Bengal, police said on Monday. The deceased was identified as Paritosh Mondal, an officer of Basirhat police station said, adding nobody has been arrested yet.
“The two injured persons were rushed to the Basirhat sub-divisional hospital where one of them was declared brought dead. We are investigating the blast,” he told PTI over the phone.
Earlier this week, in Cooch Behar’s Gitaldaha, two senior Trinamool Congress leaders were shot dead. Bengal’s ruling party has accused Union Minister of State Nisith Pramanik. Pramanik has, meanwhile, claimed that one of those who died is an “international criminal”
Violence has been reported from several parts of the state ahead of the July 8 panchayat elections, leading to loss of several lives.
In the most recent incident, according to police, a clash broke out between TMC and ISF workers on Tuesday night with both sides allegedly hurling crude bombs at each other. A senior North 24 Parganas police officer said the youth died after a crude bomb exploded near him while another person sustained injuries. “Five persons have been arrested in connection with the incident. We are investigating the matter,” said the officer.
The incident comes hours after the West Bengal Director General of Police Manoj Malviya claimed that the law and order situation in the state was “under control”. “The law and order in the state is under control… It isn’t right to say that widespread violence is taking place ahead of the (July 8) panchayat polls. Isolated incidents occur even when elections are not held,” the DGP had said on Tuesday.
“Do you think the state’s law-and-order situation has gone out of control? One or two incidents have happened and prompt action was taken against it. We also have got orders from the highest level to take stringent action against any such incident. After the elections, we will provide figures to show whether incidents of violence have increased or decreased,” he had added.
Bengal and poll violence
Elections in Bengal have always seen violence, to the point where the loss of lives has become a constant with every electoral exercise. The populous state in east India has had an unfortunate and long history of fierce political rivalries and party cadres are mobilised often in clashes, even during the three decade plus rule of the CPI-M in the state.
Since the announcement of the Panchayat elections, 11 lives have been claimed in incidents of violence that were allegedly political in nature.
In Birbhum district, a hotbed of violence, independent candidates outnumber political party candidates in quite a few blocks. A local Trinamool Congress leader points out, “In a closely fought election, spoiling one or two votes can change the result. We wanted to understand why they are contesting elections. We found out that all the independent candidates are school teachers. They told us that because they don’t want to become poll workers, they have filed papers. They will neither campaign nor solicit votes.”
The state government meanwhile provided Rs 10 lakh as compensation to the family of those killed and offered government jobs to the next of kin.
Even the 2018 Panchayat election in West Bengal had witnessed a distressing surge in violence, making it one of the bloodiest elections in recent times, incidents like the above do not bode well for this election either. The toll of poll-related violence in 2018 had amounted to 30. Twelve people had died on the day of the election itself.
Meanwhile, Sujan Chakraborty, a member of the CPI(M)’s Central Committee, stated, “We involve the people and provide them assistance. Initially, there is financial aid followed by arrangements to educate their children. However, we don’t have the power to magically produce huge sums of money.”
Before this, on the day of the 2013 panchayat polls in Madhudanga booth of Churulia in Paschim Bhardhaman district. Manowara Bibi, a candidate from the CPI(M), was present inside the booth while her husband, Sheikh Hasmat, waited outside. An armed group, allegedly affiliated with the Trinamool Congress, threw a bomb in an attempt to capture the booth. Hasmat, a well-known political activist, lost his life on the spot. The news of his death led to an enraged mob attacking the Trinamool camp. In the ensuing clash, Rajkumar Koda, the husband of local Trinamool worker Geeta, also lost his life.
Manwara won the election. “The joy of winning was lost with the loss of my husband. However, the party stood by me that day. They collected donations and deposited the money as a fixed deposit, and the interest is being utilised. My son has now grown up. He works in a private firm. I am still associated with the party. The ruling party has put pressure to manage the case, but I won’t back down,” Manwara said.
Related:
Bengal Elections: Violence at Polling Booths, CPI (M) candidate attacked
Battleground Bengal: Blame game, fake news aplenty amidst reports of post-poll violence