Requiem of a ‘Dream’
by Abhijnan Sarkar
That day was probably 28th November, 2006; the pre-scheduled meeting by Krishi Jami Rakhsa Committee against forceful land acquisition in Singur, Hoogly was forced to be cancelled. The meeting was cancelled because the state administration declared Sec. 144 in the locality of Singur. Though the organisers had received prior permission, the CPI(M) led government, in a brutal manner, tried to gag the voice of unwilling farmers, and compelled the organisers to call off the program. Smt. Mamata Banerjee was one of the main speakers there; she shouted herself hoarse against the undemocratic and deceitful declaration of Sec. 144 in Singur on that particular evening; other democratic organisations also slammed the government. Singur was the beginning of end of the ‘Left’ regime and their sham democracy.
At that time Smt. Mamata Banerjee was in the opposition. At that time she clamored for democracy, clamored for change in West Bengal politics, as we also did. Today, she is enthroned in the chair of the Chief Minister, but ‘democracy’, in true sense, is unaccomplished. The incident in Jhargram on September 5, 2011 should be an eye-opener for those who are parroting that after the defeat of CPI (M), democracy has been restored in West Bengal.
On 5th September, Nari Ijjat Bachao Committee (Committee for the protection of Women’s Honour) called for a rally in Jhargram of West Midnapore District against the new phase of atrocities unleashed by Joint force, Police and cadres of Trinamool Congress under this new regime.
It is alleged that most of the mercenary forces of CPI (M) (popularly known as harmads), to save their back, changed their camp and joined the Trinamool backed organisation Jana Jagaran Mancha. Three men of Jana Jagaran Mancha were arrested from the Jhargram region early on September 3, 2011, carrying arms. Police mistook them as Maoists, but Mr. Nishith Mahato, the leader of Jana Jagaran Mancha, claimed that they were the members of the ‘army against Maoists’. There are reports of harassment and violence in the Jangalmahal, echoing that with which people have been familiar for the last two years. I am giving two prominent examples; firstly, arrested leader Chatradhar Mahato’s home, where Chatradhar’s wife and his aged parents live, was ransacked by the Joint Forces,. Chatradhar’s father and mother were threatened and humiliated. Secondly, Kamalesh Mahato, the leader of Jharkhand Student’s Federation also faced the rage of Trinamool goons. His home was attacked and shattered. He was threatened with death if he did not buckle down at the knees of Trinamool. There are many incidents of sheer terror underlying the ‘peace’. (Please see the leaflet of Nari Ijjat Bachao Committee)
Nari Ijjat Bachao Committee sought the permission at Jhargram police station for the rally, days before the scheduled program. On 4th September evening, police informed that permission was cancelled. Without any proper reason, administration tried to thwart the democratic, peaceful rally.
But that could not stop people coming for the rally. On 5th September, people from different villages headed for Jhargram town. Police stopped them at different entry points of Jhargram Town, at Kalaboni, Dohijuri, Nayagram and from Binpur side. People started sit-in-demonstration where they were deterred. Fifteen thousand people participated on that day.
After three months of taking the oath of office, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s intentions are clear. This government is not withdrawing the killer Joint Forces, neither would they release the prominent political prisoners. The pre-election promises were void rhetoric. Moreover, the new government resorts to the old method of repression and deceit, trying to suppress the democratic means of protest that the ‘Left Front’ government did previously. The Jhargram incident proves that Smt. Mamata Banerjee is putting the clock back.
