Polit Bureau Condemns Pre and Post Poll Violence in Bengal

May 18, 2009

 

Press Statement

 

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

 

Polit Bureau Condemns Pre and Post Poll Violence in Bengal

 

The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) strongly condemns the series of attacks against Party cadre and sympathizers in West Bengal by the Trinamool Congress and in some areas by Congress workers which have been accelerated in the post poll period. Two comrades, including a Forward Bloc worker have been killed in the post poll period and hundreds have been attacked and houses burnt. Women and children have not been spared. Earlier, 26 comrades had been killed in the period between March 7 and May 13. Three electoral officers were also killed by Maoists in a landmine blast. After the polls a police officer was also killed by these armed groups. 

 

The aim behind the violence unleashed primarily by the TMC is to terrorise CPI(M) supporters and drive them out from selected areas, to create lawlessness in the State, deliberately provoke intervention of the police with the undemocratic aim to destabilize the elected state Government and prevent it from working to implement pro-people policies. 

 

These highly condemnable anti-democratic acts must be foiled. Elected members of the TMC and Congress from West Bengal are presumably going to be members of the Central Government. They have to ensure that the democratic and constitutional rights are not trampled in the blatant manner that is being done by their combine in West Bengal. 

 

The Polit Bureau while expressing its grief at the killing of Party cadres and sympathizers, expresses its confidence that the peace loving people of West Bengal will foil the conspiracies which seek to recreate the anarchy and violence of the early seventies.

 

Some details of the attacks are as follows: 

 

In Murshidabad Parliamentary Constituency Congress miscreants killed CPI(M) activist Com. Mantaj Sheikh. They unleashed terror in the Raninagar area in which a police officer, Gopal Mandal was killed.

 

In Uluberia Parliamentary Constituency of Howrah, the Trinamool activists attacked the entire areas of Chitnan gram panchayat and looted and set fire to 43 houses. They tortured women and children. The affected people are now being shifted to a temporary relief camp.

 

In Kaliaganj, Malda, thirty houses of party workers have been set on fire.

 

In Birbhum Parliamentary Constituency the Trinamool goons attacked Com. Dhiren Bagdi, MLA of Mahammadbazar Assembly Constituency. Now he is under treatment in Suri Hospital. At least 15 party workers were injured in this attack. The Trinamool goons set fire to a party camp office, party vehicles and the red flags. In different areas of Birbhum like Mahammadbazar, Murarai, Saintshia attacks are taking place in the name of victory processions. In South 24-Parganas Falta Assembly constituency on the day before the elections, TMC goons had physically attacked the CPI(M) woman MLA Com Chandana Ghosh Dastidar and subjected her to abuse and humiliation. She had to be hospitalized. Following the election results she has again been threatened.

 

The Trinamool activists are continuing attacks in Tamluk, Mahisadal of East Midnapore district. In Khejuri Trinamool has started its attack by digging roads, setting fire to police vehicles and forcing poor people to flee from their homes. Party workers and party offices have been attacked in Kulpi, Canning and Kakdwip in South 24 Parganas district and Rajarhat and Duttaspukur in North 24 Parganas district.

 

Reports of Trinamool attack on CPI(M) are coming from various areas of West Bengal like Sitalkuchi of Coochbehar, Sabang in West Midnapore, Bhangar in South 24 Parganas, Cooper’s Camp area of Nadia etc. 

 

The list of those killed is given below:

Date	Place	Name
March 7	Khejuri, Purba Medinipur	Subal Kajli
March 12	Bankura, Joypur Gram Panchayat	Sayed Ali Bhunia
March 17	Patiram, Dakshin Dinajpur	Ansar Ali
March 18	Baharampore, Haridasmati Panchayat Bhulaveda, Pashim Medinipur, Belpahari Raina, Bardhaman, Titaghar, North 24 Parganas	Gopal Mondal, Durga Desowali, Santosh Mahato, Sohorbdewan, Bijoy Shaw
April 10	Bhulaveda, Paschim Medinipur	Ashim Mondal
April 21	Salbani, Paschim Medinipur	Hambir Mandi, Shakti Sen
April 23	Supurdi Gram Panchayat, Purulia	Baikunta Mahato, Bibhuti Singh Sardar
April 27	Haripal Gram Panchayat, Hooghly	Bhaben Dhig
April 30	Jhargram	Sanjoy Das, Prasad Banerjee, Sougata Karmakar (Electoral Officers)
May 7	Uluberia, Howrah, Jangirpur, Murshidabad	Manowar Ali, Chandu Dalui, Kasinath Mondal
May 8	Bagnan, Howrah	Sk. Saidul, Sk. Babua
May 9	Nandigram, Purba Medinipur	Abdulla Khan,  Sk. Aksar
May 10	Tamluk, Purbo Medinipur	Shawuddin Khan
May 13	Canning, South 24 Parganas	Joynal Mollah
May 15	Bandoan, Purulia	Manu Sing
May 16	Raninagar, Murshidabad	Mamtaz Shekh, Gopal Mondal (Police)
May 17	Chari Anantapur, Maldah	Arabinda Mondal (FB)

 

Total Number of people Killed    31

CPI(M)                                        26  

Forward Bloc                                01

Police                                            01

Electoral officers                           03