Ballot Papers Printed after Results To Manage Manipulations in Counting

Kolkata: THE ruling party along with the state's administration has turned the recent panchayat election into a farce in one third of the state. Now, with a motive to hide their gruesome manipulation at the time of counting, ballot papers are being printed in secret. On August 26, the leader of opposition, Surjya Kanta Mishra, made this serious allegation while addressing a press conference in the assembly. He had brought a motion in the assembly on the atrocious acts of violence at the time of the panchayat election that is still continuing. But the assembly speaker ruled it out. In protest, the Left Front staged a walk-out in the assembly but after a while they entered again to take part in the important discussion on the burning problem of the masses.

Later in the day while addressing a press conference Surjya Kanta Mishra said in connection with the panchayat election that the ruling party has continued with endless violence. They had indulged in fraud and malpractices at the time of counting also. The election commission has not been able to upload till date in the website information regarding details of votes in districts like Burdwan. It is because the ruling party has conspired with a section of the administration in tampering the counting process in the panchayat election. In counting centres, there were widespread tampering and forced manipulation of results. And now the account of ballots will not match with the results. This is the reason for which the election commission could not upload the result of Burdwan district. In all the districts the District Magistrate is the election official on behalf of election commission. The ruling party is continuously mounting pressure on them.

He said we have information that fresh ballot papers are being printed. This is to keep parity with the final result of the voting ballot papers are being stamped. We have news that somewhere near Durgapur, ballots are being printed afresh so that they can be stamped and their tampered result can be shown in accounts. If any case is registered in the court then they can hush up the matter. This is also something unusual that after counting re-elections are being held.

Mishra said in spite of all such deprivation and instances of vulgarism, Left Front has contested in 81 per cent of the seats. In one-fifth of the total seats, Left Front has not been allowed to contest. Apart from this, many Left Front candidates were not allowed to campaign even after filing nominations. They had to abandon their houses and live elsewhere. From the time of filing nomination to election campaign, the ruling party resorted to violent domination. On the day of the election, in some places there was partial capture of booths, while in some others, the booths were fully captured. The ruling party did not allow free and fair elections to be held in around 12,000 seats. In the assembly session the government refused to allow the discussion on panchayat elections as they are scared about the truth coming out.

CPI(M) CONDUCTS PRIMARY REVIEW

CPI(M) West Bengal State Committee in its meeting on August 22 while reviewing the results of the just concluded panchayat election, was of the view that wherever elections could be held combating the terrorisation and maintaining intimate relationship with the masses, results for the Left Front has been positive.

In a statement after the meeting, it was pointed out that the panchayat elections were held amid widespread violence in the rural areas. The ruling party and the state administration turned it into an undemocratic process right from filing of nomination to withdrawal, campaigning and counting. People’s verdict has not been properly reflected. Even after this the ruling party has continued with its path of violence, arson to capture the Boards. The Left Front and the Party activists and sympathisers have risked their lives and fought bravely to combat the attacks perpetrated throughout the election. Specially many new activists have faced the challenge valiantly.

It said that the review work is on but primarily it has been found that due to violence, candidates could not file their nominations in 5206 Gram Panchayat, 782 Panchayat Samity and in 8 Zila Parishad seats. Even after filing of nomination, candidates have been compelled to withdraw in 2176 seats. Barring one district, the ruling party totally captured 3834 booths and partially captured 2309 booths and has resorted to rigging ruthlessly. At the time of counting, leaving four districts, it has been found that in 1486 Gram Panchayat, 363 Panchayat Samity and 58 seats in Zila Parishad rigging has been practiced in the counting centres or results have been overturned and the seats have been captured by the TMC. In spite of all these, the percentage of votes captured by Left Front in 16 districts is 37.97 per cent. TMC has got 43.03 per cent. The Left Front got more than 40 per cent votes in 4 districts, 37-40 per cent votes in 6 districts.

The state committee also noted the rampant use of money power by the TMC in these elections. In the analysis of the results of the election, along with the political situation, the organisational weakness of the Party, weakness in maintaining mass contact, weakness in running panchayats has also been pointed out. More detailed analysis of the results will be done at every level of the Party.

The meeting was attended by Pparty’s general secretary Prakash Karat who called for continuing the struggle for maintaining democracy, combating the attacks of the ruling party and its government.

Karat explained the decisions taken in the just concluded central committee meeting. He said economic condition is deteriorating at a rapid and grave pace. Movement will be launched across the country on the issues of price rise, unemployment, food security, wage, land etc. Central gatherings will be held in the state capitals on alternative policy. It shall start with the Chennai rally. Emphasis shall be paid on country-wide campaign against communalism. In this context, a central convention will be organised in Delhi with other secular parties.

Bengal Panchayat Elections Rigged

 Friday, July 26, 2013

Press Statement

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement: 

Rigged Panchayat Elections in West Bengal

The three-tier panchayat elections in West Bengal which have just concluded, has led to an unprecedented situation. The entire election has been marred by widespread attacks, intimidation and rigging. Thousands of candidates were prevented from filing nominations. In many places opposition candidates were prevented from conducting their election campaign among the people; the polling process was vitiated by widespread rigging, prevention of people casting their votes and violence against opposition candidates, their polling agents and supporters.

The run-up to the panchayat election saw determined efforts by the Trinamool Congress government to subvert the polling process itself. It required the State Election Commission going to the High Court and eventually the Supreme Court to get a decision to have a five-phase polling (against the wishes of the state government) and the direction to deploy central police forces along with the state police.

Despite these verdicts, the TMC government did everything to undermine these decisions. The Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee herself declared that central police forces need not be deployed. Shockingly, ministers in the government publicly threatened the State Election Commissioner and warned her of dire consequences. Defying the court order, the central police forces were not deployed at the polling stations with a few exceptions.

In the run-up to the elections, there were widespread attacks on the Left Front and the opposition. Around six thousand CPI(M) and Left Front candidates were physically prevented from filing their nominations. This led to a situation wherein for the Zilla Parishads in Hooghly, out of the total of 50 seats, the Left Front could not file candidates in 10 seats. In 6191 seats in the three-tier panchayats, TMC candidates were declared elected unopposed.

During the campaign, TMC ministers and leaders made the most provocative speeches inciting violence against all opponents. No action was taken against them. All through the campaign Left Front and Congress candidates were attacked, their campaigners including women beaten up and injured.

During the polling which began on July 11 and concluded on July 25 what was witnessed was a state-sponsored rigging of the elections by the TMC. In all the districts put together, a total of 4470 booths were completely or partially captured. For instance, in Burdwan district 909 booths, 750 in West Midnapur, 429 in South 24 Parganas and 400 booths in Coochbehar were captured. (See Annexure I).

In many booths, polling agents of the CPI(M) and the Left Front were driven out after which stamping of ballot papers took place. In fact all opponents of the ruling party faced a similar situation in many areas. In many areas from the morning itself people were not allowed to leave their homes in the villages to go to the polling booths to vote. Hundreds of Left Front supporters and workers of other opposition parties were injured in attacks when they attempted to go for polling. Many of them have suffered serious injuries and have been hospitalized. Even some candidates to the three tier Zilla Parishad, Panchayat Samiti and Gram Panchayat were not allowed to vote in many places. Even two Members of Parliament, Mahendra Roy in Jalpaiguri district and Nripen Roy in Coochbehar district were prevented from voting.

The state police which was stationed at the polling booths refused to intervene when attacks took place of workers and voters of the Left Front. In many instances, the police lathicharged or arrested those who were resisting the attacks or asserted their right to vote. In a planned manner, the central police forces were not deployed in many of the hypersensitive and sensitive booths.

Despite the orders of the State Election Commission and the High Court directive motorcycle gangs were not stopped and were allowed to move freely to terrorise the opposition and the voters. Even on the day of polling these gangs threatened people from going to polling booths.

The violence during the election campaign and during the polling has led to the deaths of 24 CPI(M) workers and supporters. (See Annexure II).

At no time has such a brazen attack and perversion of the democratic process of elections taken place in West Bengal or in the entire country.

The results of such a rigged election can only be a distorted one. 

Annexure – I 

Booths Captured
Phase	District	No. of Booths
I	Paschim Medinipur	750
	Purulia	0
	Bankura	34
II	Hooghly	731
	Purba Medinipur	241
	Bardhaman	909
III	North 24 Parganas	311
	South 24 Parganas	429
	Howrah	291
IV	Malda	99
	Murshidabad	19
	Nadia	97
	Birbhum	140
V	Coochbehar	400
	Jalpaiguri	0
	Uttar Dinajpur	0
	Dakshin Dinajpur	19
	Total	4470

N.B.: Over and above the figure of captured booths mentioned in the list, a good number of booths were partially captured. 

In some cases, voters were not allowed to enter the booth or after two/three hours of polling the Left parties’ polling agents were driven out from the polling station and TMC people stamped on the ballot paper indiscriminately. 

In certain centres, after complaints were lodged with the State Election Commission or District Panchayat Election Officer, police intervention took place and polling resumed at the polling Centre.

Annexure – II

       List of Left Front Workers Killed Between June 3 and July 25, 2013

Sl.          No	Date	Name	District	Party
1	3-Jun-13	Golam Mostafa	Murshidabad	CPI(M)
2	7-Jun-13	Subhas Mondal (55)	Dakshin 24 Pargana	CPI(M)
3	9-Jun-13	Dilip Sarkar	Bardhaman	CPI(M)
4	9-Jun-13	Madan Saren (48)	Bardhaman	CPI(M)
5	13-Jun-13	Kalimuddin Sarkar	Maldaha	CPI(M)
6	14-Jun-13	Bhaskar Majumder (53)	Birbhum	CPI(M)
7	21-Jun-13	Debsaran Ghosh (44)	Murshidabad	CPI(M)
8	21-Jun-13	Amar Ghosh  (44)	Murshidabad	CPI(M)
9	25-Jun-13	Ramjiban Khamri (65)	Paschim Medinipur	CPI(M)
10	28-Jun-13	Akbar Ali (23)	Maldaha	CPI(M)
11	1-Jul-13	Ankhiranjan Mondal	Uttar 24 Pgs.	CPI(M)
12	3-Jul-13	Siatul Sardar (37)	Murshidabad	CPI(M)
13	4-Jul-13	Md Eklakh	Hooghly	CPI(M)
14	13-Jul-13	Naosad Sekh (33)	Murshidabad	CPI(M)
15	15-Jul-13	Sk. Hasmat (40)	Bardhaman	CPI(M)
16	19-Jul-13	Motherbox Malllick	Uttar 24 Pgs.	CPI(M)
17	22-Jul-13	Khabiruddin Sekh	Nadia	CPI(M)
18	22-Jul-13	Ashim Bagdi (25)	Birbhum	CPI(M)
19	22-Jul-13	Jamir Sekh (40)	Birbhum	CPI(M)
20	22-Jul-13	Kafiulla Sekh (45)	Birbhum	CPI(M)
21	23-Jul-13	Billal Mondal (35)	Murshidabad	CPI(M)
22	23-Jul-13	Fatik Sekh  (36)	Murshidabad	CPI(M)
23	24-Jul-13	Humaun Mir (32)	Birbhum	CPI(M)
24	25-Jul-13	Ajiz Ahmed (60)	Uttar Dinajpur	CPI(M)

Large-scale Plunder of Votes in Panchayat Elections

BOOTH CAPTURING, ARMED ATTACKS AND RIGGING MAR FIRST TWO PHASES

Rape of Democracy, alleges Left Front

FREE run of armed ruling party gangs, large-scale booth capturing, forcible false votes, blockade of villages, violent attacks on opposition candidates and their polling agents, active connivance of state police with miscreants. West Bengal panchayat elections, after first two phases of polling, can easily be summed up as an “unprecedented plunder of votes”.

In the first phase, voting took place in West Midnapur, Bankura and Purulia on July 11.

In continuation of the terrorisation, which was going on before the election, TMC gangs roamed freely in the villages in these three districts, threatening voters not to come out of their houses, particularly in Bankura and West Midnapore. In West Midnapore, booth capturing was rampant in Pingla, Dantan, Gopiballavpur, Shalboni, Nayagram, Chandrakona, Debra, Ghatal, Keshpur, Garbeta.  In many areas, the booth capturing started after 1 pm.  For example, 79 booths were captured in Ghatal and more than 50 in Debra. In Gopiballavpur, more than 30 booths were captured out of 98. TMC miscreants chased away CPI(M) polling agents from most of these booths and the polling officials were forced to keep silence under threat. In Pingla, CPI(M) leaders were attacked with sharp weapons and many were injured.

In Bankura, there was no semblance of fair elections in 11 out of 46 seats in Zila Parishad (District Council). Thousands of people were denied their voting rights in Indas, Taldangra, Bishnupur, Joypur, Kotulpur, Mejia and Saltora. Booths were captured, particularly after 12 pm. However, in southern parts of the district, mainly tribal areas, people came out in numbers to vote.

In Purulia, there were sporadic incidents of violence. In a major attack, CPI(M) activists were injured in Barabazar. However, people came to vote in this district despite fearful atmosphere.

In the second phase, on July 15, the attacks were more violent, more unconcealed and more widespread. Voting took place in Burdwan, East Midnapore and Hooghly districts in that phase. Large numbers of seats in these three districts were already snatched away by the ruling party as Left Front candidates were not allowed to file nominations or were forced to withdraw in the face of brutal terror. In the rest of the seats, TMC gangs wrecked havoc by widespread booth capturing, never witnessed in the state for decades.

In Burdwan, TMC brought gangs from outside the district. They infiltrated in the district in the last two days before polling from the neighboring districts. TMC started a full-fledged attack on booths in almost all areas in the district from the morning. In Jamuria, Sheikh Hasmat, the husband of a CPI(M) candidate, Monowara Bibi, was killed in a bomb attack at Madhudanga gram panchayat. Enraged villagers chased the miscreants and one of them, was beaten to death. Even after this incident, numerous booths around this area were captured by TMC.

In Rayna, widespread attack took place. Many booths were captured. CPI(M) district council candidate Suprava Karfa was arrested when she complained about rigging. TMC gangs captured many booths in Galsi, Aushgram, Kalna, Khandaghosh, Mangalkote, Ketugram. At the end of the day, 890 booths were fully or partially rigged and captured in Burdwan district alone.

In another incident, symbolic of what happened throughout the district, ballot papers were snatched from the hands of Chayarani Tah, mother of murdered CPI(M) leader and ex-MLA Pradip Tah in a booth in Burdwan Sadar. A TMC activist snatched the ballot and stamped it within the booth. This person is an accused in the murder case.

Wherever the villagers tried to resist, the state police came in support of the miscreants of the ruling party. In many places, villagers were arrested.

In East Midnapore, elections turned into sham in many areas. In Nandigram, no other political parties are allowed to function for the last two years. In some of the seats, ruling party faced challenges from independent candidates. TMC activists gheraoed booths and obstructed voters from reaching in many areas. In some areas, the independents, mostly TMC rebels, suffered the attacks. In Sonachura, in Nandigram, the vote boxes and tables were brought outside the booth and polling took place in open. This was done to prevent any voter from casting votes against TMC.  CPI(M) and Left Front agents were chased out of polling booths in Egra, Ramnagar, Patashpur, Khejuri, Panshkura, Moyna. In Kanthi, home to father-son MP duo of TMC, villagers were attacked so that they do not go to polling booths. Nearly 450 booths were captured in this district. Central forces were kept idle and TMC gangs roamed freely. Hundreads of booths witnessed looting of votes, openly.

In Hooghly, already 362 booths saw no voting at all. TMC ‘won’ in all three tiers there ‘without contest’. In Dhanekhali, Polba, Tarakeswhar, Arambagh, Haripal, TMC armed gangs created terror with the help of police. They stormed booths, beat up CPI(M) polling agents, and stamped ballots in one after another booth. In Arambagh alone, 136 booths were totally under ruling party control. In Salepur in the same subdivision women came out of their homes and clashed with miscreants after CPI(M) polling agent was forcefully kidnapped. CPI(M) candidates were attacked in many areas. In Uttarpara, CPI(M) candidate in panchayat samiti Shuvra Chatterjee was attacked and she suffered head injury. Piyush Dhar, another candidate in Debanandapur was grievously attacked. In Nabagram area, a bike borne gang went from booth to booth and chased away people. 

In the second phase nearly 1500 booths were captured in the three districts.

The state administration virtually kept aside the central para military forces. They were not deployed in booths. Most of the central security forces were stationed in the block office. Some of them went to main roads but not in the villages. The state government was opposing the deployment of central forces from the very beginning. Central forces were sent to the state under the direction of the Supreme Court. However, they were forced to remain inactive. In the second phase central forces were not deployed in 88 per cent of booths.

Biman Basu, Left Front chairman, expressed anguish in the manner voting right of the people was snatched. He told presspersons, “Our worst apprehensions came true. The chief minister herself continually threatened election commission and the opposition. Ministers openly threatened that the opposition parties would not be allowed to operate freely. Those terror tactics were implemented in the first phase. It accentuated in the second phase. Thousands of people were not allowed to vote. Booths were captured. Security forces were forced to remain idle. This is a rape of democracy.”

Left Front Demands Free, Fair Panchayat Elections

KOLKATA: AFTER much confusion and deliberate attempts on the part of the state government to defer the three-tier panchayat elections in West Bengal, the Calcutta High Court on May 14 directed the holding of three phased panchayat elections in West Bengal next month. A division bench directed the West Bengal government to announce full notification within three days in consultation with the State Election Commission. The High Court also directed to complete the poll process by July 15 this year. The division bench did not agree to the state government's decision of holding the poll in two phases. It has asked the government to hold the polls in three phases and declare the poll dates after consulting the Commission.

The division bench in its ruling also directed deployment of armed police in each hyper sensitive and sensitive polling booths, though the deployment of central forces was not made mandatory. Earlier, the State Election Commission had moved the Calcutta High Court challenging arbitrary announcement of two phased panchayat polls by the state government without consulting them. The Commission had also raised objection to the state government's refusal of central forces for holding the elections.

Some grey areas still remained after the verdict about the consultation process between the state administration and the State Election Commission.

Expressing satisfaction on the verdict of the High Court, Biman Basu, the chairman of West Bengal Left Front Committee, said that at last the stalemate on panchayat elections seems to be cleared. He welcomed the deadline set by the division bench of the High Court that the panchayat elections of the state have to be organised by July 15. He demanded that without wasting more time the state government and the State Election Commission should initiate the process of election immediately by releasing the election schedule. The demand of the Left Front will be to ensure free, fair and peaceful election, he said in a press conference at Muzaffar Ahmed Bhawan on May 14, 2013. The Left Front is organisationally prepared to take part in the elections, he added further.

Biman Basu also said that the people became apprehended of losing their long-cherished democratic right. The Left parties repeatedly demanded for the timely panchayat poll and also said about the emergence of a constitutional complexity if the process is not completed in its due course. The absence of elected bodies would also have been responsible for stopping the national grants for rural development. The verdict of the court to hold the election immediately will ultimately release the apprehension of the people, he added. Biman Basu further said that the State Election Commission has to complete the three-tier elections and gazette the names of the winning candidates by this time. He also said that the elections of the students’ union should also have to be initiated. The adult students will cast their votes to elect their representatives in parliament, assembly, municipality and panchayats but how can they be debarred form electing their representatives in colleges and universities, he wondered.

Biman Basu also said that a section of the state police is blatantly toeing the directions of the TMC leadership. The recent verdict of the High Court in favour of CBI investigation regarding the murder of a TMC worker in Dhanekhali, Hooghly is a recent evidence of that. The police also lodged false cases against the CPI(M) leadership and activists in Arambagh in the name of arms-recovery. With such regular incidents it would be tough to keep faith on the neutrality of the state police, he articulated. “As we want the panchayat elections to be completed in time, so we are not raising this issue immediately,” said Biman Basu. But if the Left candidates face obstruction during filing of nomination or campaign then the matter will surely be taken up, he added.

Biman Basu further said that the Left Front is organisationally prepared to take part in the elections. The complete unity between the Left Front constituents has already been achieved in most of the districts. Few disputes will be sorted soon, he added.

Leader of the Opposition and CPI (M) Polit Bureau member Surjya Kanta Mishra commented that it was hard to expect that the state government would be neutral in the process of the election; so the responsibility to hold free, fair and peaceful election is lying with the State Election Commission.  He also said that the Left Front and some other political parties launched movement for the demand of timely panchayat elections and ultimately the verdict could show ray of hope in that direction. It is better to settle the matter here instead of going to upper court to save further delay in the process, he said.

Surjya Kanta Mishra also said that the people of the state have witnessed the open threats given by the state ministers, MPs, MLAs and other leaders of TMC that they will ensure such an arrangement where the Left candidates will not even be allowed to file the nomination papers for the panchayat elections. Though the State Election Commission will be in-charge of the administration after the announcement of the election but the state government does not think twice before maligning any institution if they do not toe with the government line, may it be the State Election Commission, Human Rights Commission or judiciary. We are experiencing political intervention in the police administration. They hardly enjoy an atmosphere to work independently, he said.

Peoples Democracy, May 19, 2013

Mamata govt superseding elected local bodies: CPI(M)

Zee News, Last Updated: Thursday, August 23, 2012, 18:38

New Delhi: Accusing the Trinamool Congress of "absolute authoritarianism", the CPI(M) on Thursday charged the Mamata Banerjee government with superseding elected local bodies in West Bengal and giving all their financial powers to district magistrates, thereby stalling development work.

"The state government has issued orders ceasing the powers of the zilla parishads of North 24 Parganas and Nadia districts. Under the orders, the DMs will now operate all powers of the parishads and sanction schemes," senior party leader Sitaram Yechury told reporters here.

"This is absolute authoritarianism and autocratic manner in which the state government is functioning," he said.

A CPI(M) delegation of zilla parishad representatives, led by Yechury and former MP Amitabha Nandi, took up the issue with Panchayati Raj Minister Kishore Chandra Deo and Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh at separate meetings.

Nandi said though panchayat was a state subject and his party was opposed to any move by the Centre to interfere in state matters, "in this particular case, I believe it has become necessary to have an exception as a very special case".

He said all public works in Nadia and North 24 Parganas "have come to a standstill since the state government order became operative".

The delegation sought the intervention of the two Union ministers to take appropriate action to end the deadlock. (PTI)

West Bengal government tells Panchayets to submit specific plan for upliftment of rural poor by December

Kolkata,28th Oct: Setting a bright example of planning for the upliftment of the rural poor of the state by their own grassroot representative’s the West Bengal state government has recently decided to engage the gram panchayet’s to prepare a comprehensive list of the poorest of the poors residing in the rural area’s of West Bengal.

A detailed survey will be carried out by the panchayets and a report will be submitted to the government within a month. The parameters for this survey will be send to the Panchayet within 3rd Nov. All these important decisions were taken at a high level meeting conducted on video conferencing mode from the writer’s building in Kolkata and were attended by all the pradhans of the Gram Panchayet’s of the state. Al the block offices of the state acted as makeshift conference nodes. The meeting was attended by the state’s Panchayet and rural development minister Suryakanta Mishra & Bankim Ghosh, minister for state for Panchayet affairs. The secretaries of the concerned departments and the Sabadhipati’s of the Zilla Parishads were also present.

This move of the government is being aimed at upliftment of the rural poor by implementing the various schemes that the state government has taken. To maintain clarity and transparency, the government has directed that all the lists depicting the rural poor should be in display in the respective Panchayet offices.Mentionable here that a project called Sahay has been initiated by the state government to provide the poorest of the poor with food. Now the ambit of this project will be increased as there is scope within the Panchayet system to provide the marginal part of the rural population with shelters also. Out of the total 1 crore 33 lakhs 90533 households of the state approximately, 3.58% of them falls under the bracket of those who cannot manage a full square meal a day.

Another 11.54% of the state’s population comprises of households whose family income does not guarantee them with two square meals a day. 15% of the population does not have a permanent shelter over their head. Though broadly speaking all this statistics indicates that the condition of the rural poor has been developed manifolds after the ruling Left Front government came to power,.In 1977 in west Bengal more than60% people were living under poverty line .The state government is now planning for a quick uplift for the remnant of the poor of the state.

Noted Economist Abhijit Sen based on the studies of the Expert Group on the Estimation of Proportion and the Number of Poor (EGEPNP), Planning Commission had showed that the head count incidence of poverty in West Bengal declined by over 31 percentage points between 1977-78 and 1989-90, as against a decline of 18.7 percentage points in all India and this was among the largest decline in poverty in any Indian state. Tendulkar and Jain (1995) also reached the same conclusion from NSS data of different rounds.

According to another estimate (Report of the National Commission of Rural Labour, Ministry of Labour, Government of India, 1991) the percentage of rural population in poverty declined from 64 in 1972-73 to 30.3 in 1987-88 in West Bengal, whereas in all India level the decline was from 54.0 to 33.4. The rate of decline was (-) 2.25 percent per annum for West Bengal against (-) 1.37 percent per annum for all India. Now it has dropped even further to24 % approx in 2004-5 according to planning commission data.

West Bengal also stands in the forefront in the rate of declinement of poverty. Noted economist Amartya Sen has also praised this achievement of the West Bengal Government in this regard. Now this move of the West Bengal Government by empowering the panchayets in preparing the list of poorest of the poor will be a new step in that direction.

by Sandip Chakraborty

Trinanamool snatches land from poor farmers, those got it in through land reform, in areas under its control after the panchayet polls

Kolkata, August 27: In aftermath to panchayet election, West Bengal’s main opposition “Trinamool Congress is slowly exposing its fangs as its worker’s across the state of West Bengal is robbing away the marginal farmer’s of lawfully recorded land in area’s under its domination. The 'pseudo farmer lover' TMC supremo when leading the anti-industriliasation movement in suingur for the interest of 'agriculture' then her supporters are enaged in forcibly snatching poor people's land which were distributed them under the land reform program initiated by Left Front government.

According to reports reaching here, in many places across the rural Bengal the Trinamool Congress is snatching away farmer’s land and obstructing the marginal farmers to till their very own land which were given to them under the “Operation Barga”. While in Singur the Trinamool is trying to pose itself as a friend of a nonexistent farmer’s cause, it has already lifted its pro farmer’s veil in cases that are being reported from Koochbihar in North Bengal to the Sagar Islands in the south Bengal . The Trinamool is taking the help of its newly elected Pradhans of the Gram Panchayets and has apparently targeted the villages where its has a own majority in the gram panchayet level. Summing up it in the language of a evicted poor farmer “Singur ora korche Natak, asole chaiche sara banglar chashir kapal fatuk’. The Trinamool is doing theatres in Singur, originally they want to smash the fore head of the Bengal’s poor farmers.

In Coochbihar, a large number of farmer’s were driven away from their land by the Trinamool led feudalistic elements in an apparent bid to reverse the social matrix prevalent in the rural Bengal after the operation ‘Barga.’ Such incidents have been reported in Dowshaguri Chandamari ,Chilkirhaat Putimari -Fuleswari gram panchayet area, and more than 78 landless beneficiaries of the land reforms has been displaced from their lands. In Suktabad of Kalbari gram Panchayet even a 4 bigha’s rightfully purchased land of a farmer hailing from the minority background, Abdur Rashid has not been spared. The poor farmer has been robbed of his only source of livelihood as he is not being allowed to step in his land also. Tilling his land is a distant dream for him right now. The local Krishakshaba appealed the opposition parties to restore the status –quo. But as usually it fell on deaf ears. According to the leaders of the local unit of Krishaksabha, in all 112 Bighas of land in all has been snatched away from the marginal farmers by the opposition in this fashion. The incident has shown the ultimate nature of the Trinamool Congress and the Congress who have done this, irrespective of the previous political affiliation of the poor land tillers. The local administration has however swung into action after complaints were lodged with the Local BDO office. the local BDO Shamden Dukpa when contacted has admitted the claims of the dislodged farmers over the farmlands .A meeting was arranged in the presence of the local police officers and the Trinamool Pradhans,where the opposition leader s under intense pressure from the AIKS activists promised to return back the lands .But once they stepped out of the meeting as usually violated the agreement and declined to handover the lands . Now the Krishak Sabha has planned a series of agitations to force the Trinamool to give back the land. In each of the cases the pre land reform era jotdars have an eye on those lands and it is well perceived that they are collaborating with the opposition to snatch away the lands from the tillers. District Trinamool president Rabindranath Ghosh when contacted declined to comment on this land grabbing by his partyman and defended his party worker’s by saying that their party supported erstwhile Jotdars and his patymen are the owners of the land and the tillers are imposters. The Secy. of the local unit of AIKS Nripen Gayen has said that larger agitations are being planned to expose and to force the feudal elements to hand back the land to the original owners.

Same type of incidents have been reported in Kalna (1) block of the Burdwan district of West Bengal. Buoyed by its success in the recent polls in the block the Trinamool led feudal miscreants laid siege to farmers land in approximate 26 bigha’s of land belonging to marginal farmers in Shikharpur, Begpur Kalyanpur ,Nandai & Kalyanpur Gram panchayet of the Kalna(1) block. However in each of the cases the Krishakshaba has been able , ultimately to defeat the ulterrir designs of the the Trinamool supported feudal elements . Biswanth Sarkar, secy of the Krishaksabha’s Kalna Unit told that this design of the Trinamool has exposed their pro feudalistic antecedents in the eyes of the people of the whole state . Its sinister ploys to destroy the landless farmers and the Bargadars in one hand and to act as a farmer representative on the interest of the big land lords has once more been exposed . Same incidents has been reported from numerous GP’s of Sagar Islands in South 24 Parganas also. In Dhablaghat physical attacks are being conducted on the original land holders and the tillers are being threatened to vacate their land in favour of the Trinammol supported Jotdars. Malay Kyal , Prominent youth leader and and member of the Zilla Parishad has urged the farmers to remain calm in the face of this attack and to organise mass mobilization campaigns so that the landless tillers cal be re-instated of in their lands . Land grabbing incident by Trinamool led jotdaars has been reported from places of East Midnapore districts also.

SUDIPTA BOSE