The Unbearable Ugliness of West Bengal Politics
Sandeshkhali – the name has become synonymous with the chilling story of political goondas belonging to TMC, allegedly arm-twisting local people for land-grabbing and raping women in the name of party politics. It fills us with resentment to hear women narrate how the goondas called them at midnight and forced them to attend ‘political meetings’ and ‘rallies’. Sandeshkhali is a new low in Indian politics, where party officials allegedly used party offices to rape women of the area and torture the menfolk into silence.
If the ruling party TMC comes across as a party of goondas, BJP the main opposition comes across as a party of communal lumpen elements. The leader of opposition Suvendu Adhikari and other BJP leaders are seen heckling Jaspreet Singh, an IPS officer on duty and accusing him of doing ‘chatukarita’. Suvendu Adhikari descends a step further, allegedly calling the officer ‘Khalistani’. In a video that has gone viral, the officer is seen challenging the BJP Neta – the anger and trauma in his voice is unmistakable. This sort of abuse heaped on any person leave alone an officer, questioning his patriotism on the basis of his religious faith should make us hang our heads in shame.
The abusive language used by Suvendu Adhikari is bound to hurt religious sentiments of the Sikh community everywhere in the country and there are bound to be repercussions of this incident, nationally and internationally.
We are glad that the ADG South Bengal, Suprateem Sarkar came out openly in support of the Sikh officer. But the police needs to act against both – the communal BJP leaders as well as the Goonda TMC leaders. Law should be equally applied for all wrong-doers, otherwise it is not the Rule of Law. The Police of Bengal has to bring the alleged rapists of Sandeshkhali to justice and ensure their conviction in the court of law.
The filthiest side of politics in Bengal is on full display – rape, loot, oppression, racism, communalism, abuse of political power, arrogance, we are seeing it all on national TV. Of course, it is not just Bengal, but every other State as well. We cannot forget Manipur or Rajasthan or the women wrestlers or the innumerable other horrific incidents of rape, harassment and violence reported every day. Far from becoming Vishwaguru and Superpower, we are on the path to becoming a nation of crass brutes and every political party (let no one claim the moral high ground here) is hell-bent on leading us down the path of self-destruction.
- Paromita Goswami
