Battlefield Kolkata

 

 

Murder, rape, mayhem. History of Bengal is being re-written in blood by the reds. As an eerie calm prevailed in Nandigram, after the armed and frenzied CPI(M) cadres “liberated” the area from the Bhumi Uchched Pratirodh Committee (BUPC) and Trinamul activists, the battle shifted to Kolkata. Once again, similar to Nandigram, the target appeared to be the minority community.

Following violent clashes between the All India Minority Forum members and the police in southern and central parts of Kolkata over two burning issues, Nandigram and Tasleema Nasreen, the state government was forced to deploy army six columns of army. The army later staged a flag march in the affected areas, which include, AJC Bose Road, Beniapukur, Park Circus, Park Street, Beck Bagan, Moulali, Sealdah and CIT Road. While the police claimed that the protestors had tried to give a communal bent to the protests, the other side accused the police of being the aggressor. All schools and colleges had to be shut down and children were shifted to safer places in the affected areas.

Trouble started when the factions of AIMF gathered near Ripon Street demanding the visa of Bangladeshi novelist Tasleema Nasreen be revoked and she be turned out of the country. Near Park Circus, the other faction of the AIMF protested over the “atrocities” being committed on the villagers by the CPI(M) cadres.

The protests turned violent and the AIMF members were accused of pelting stones, brickbats and glass bottles at the police. Deputy Commissioner of Police, Javed Shamin was injured in the clash. As the trouble spread, the riot police lobbed tear gas shells. However, as the police failed to contain the mob, and along with the Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel resorted to lathi charge. At the time of going to press, reports on injuries due to lathi charge had not come in. Later in the evening, the army staged a flag march.

“We are not to be blamed. CPI(M) goons had joined the protests and triggered the violence,” Idris Ali leader of the AIMF said. In Delhi, the RSP leader, Abani Roy, while continuing to point finger at the CPI(M) told TSI : “Whatever is happening in Bengal must stop.” He, however, refused to comment on whether the Left Front was rapidly losing the support of its minorities in the state. Reports indicate that the vast majority of the victims in Nandigram were Muslims. It was also learnt that 65 percent of those taking shelter in the relief camps at the Brojomohan Tiari Institute also belonged to the minority community. And so was the victim of gangrape.

For the past few days, Parliament was adjourned over the violence in Nandigram and Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh finally described the developments in the area as “unfortunate.” However, Biman Basu, the state secretary of the party in Kolkata virtually asked the Prime Minister to mind his own business. “The Prime Minister should behave like a Prime Minister. The Prime Minister should not be worried about Nandigram,” Biman replied. And of course, surviving on the red crutches, the Congress preferred to play a mute partner.