West Bengal Governor, NHRC, NCW Inspect Riot-Hit Jangipur
In the morning, Mr Bose reached Zafarabad village and met the family members of Haragobinda Das and his son Chandan who were hacked to death on April 12.
Berhampore: West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose visited the riot-hit areas at Jangipur in Murshidabad on Saturday and assured his assistance to the people affected by the anti-Waqf law violence
In the morning, Mr Bose reached Zafarabad village and met the family members of Haragobinda Das and his son Chandan who were hacked to death on April 12. Haragobinda’s wife, Parul, and Chandan’s wife, Pinki, broke down at the feet of Mr Bose.
They narrated how hundreds of armed rioters stormed their house and brutally murdered their husbands. They also complained to the governor about the arrival of police four hours late despite repeated calls and demanded justice and a permanent BSF camp in the area.
He told them, "If you face further trouble, please call me directly," before sharing his ‘Peace Room’ telephone number at Raj Bhavan in Kolkata. Later Mr Bose said, "People are still in fear. I will take appropriate steps and direct appropriate authorities i.e. state government and Centre to restore peace at any cost."
The governor walked through other areas of Dhulian and Shamsherganj also. The villagers of Zafarabad and Betbona also showed placards to Mr Bose and National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and National Commission for Women (NCW) teams during their visit.
The placards read, "We want justice. We have no faith in police. We demand NIA inquiry.” At Betbona village, a group of angry villagers stopped some police vehicles at the tail of the governor's convoy bound for Dhulian.
They accused the cops of misleading Mr Bose and kept those vehicles blocked for one hour. The governor's convoy later returned to Betbona from Dhulian Ghoshpara. Mr Bose received their written complaints.
Meanwhile, an NHRC team visited Zafarabad village and met the affected villagers. They also took stock of many torched houses at Dhulian, Ratanpur and other areas of Shamsherganj.
On the other hand, an NCW team, headed by its chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar, also visited Zafarabad, Betbona, Digri, Shulitala, Ratanpur and other villages and tried to console the affected.
Many of them, including women, claimed that they were ready to give their land for a permanent BSF camp, if the government wants to build it, to live in peace. Otherwise, they might shift to Jharkhand for living. Mrs. Rahatkar said, "Look at how the women were tortured here. They lost their money and properties. Even their modesty was outraged. The union home ministry is looking into every aspect of the violence.”
In another incident, Malda South Congress MP Isha Khan Chowdhury and state party chief Subhankar Sarkar however faced fury of the affected during a visit. The angry villagers asked them, "Where were you when we were tortured while our houses and properties were torched, family members were beaten and killed, attacked, properties destroyed.“
Mr Sarkar said, “It was their natural outburst. But we want to know who triggered the communal riots? While BJP fuelled it, TMC supplied the match box.”
