Democracy Crushed in W. Bengal

Incidences similar to Sandeshkhali will keep on repeating as we have chosen to ignore the breeding grounds of these criminals
 

“What can not be talked about can also not be put to rest and if it is not the wounds continue to fester from generation to generation”. Bruno Bettleheim.

The media is hungry for TRP. Investigations and reporting have gone for a toss. Sandeshkhali is in the news everywhere but what happened to the journalists, police, and human rights groups till Enforcement Directorate officials were attacked? If one looks deeper nobody is perturbed by the humiliation of women, it is sheer coincidence that the culprit attacked the agency and normal became abnormal. Colouring newspapers with gory details may help in improving TRP but eradication needs serious investigations to gather sustainable evidence and to lead prosecution with grit. Unfortunately, nothing is visible on ground zero.

The people of Bharat fought relentlessly yet the freedom they earned was truncated by the two leaders at the top. In their romanticism with idealism, they failed to see the ground realities. They did not implement the terms and conditions of the Accession of India Act signed by them. As a result, Muslims did not leave India in good numbers. The migration was mainly from east Punjab and a few Rajputana states. Similarly, on the eastern border, it was from West Bengal and Bihar, mainly. Instead of understanding the fake narrative promoted to divide India and making policies accordingly, these leaders focussed on appeasement. The ordinary Muslims neither supported partition nor expected the politicians to provide them with freebies. The rouges hijacked the agenda and the country suffered along with good citizens.

Sandeshkhali is a reminder that democracy has failed the Indian good citizens due to appeasement politics.

Proof of this was evident from day one when the first education minister nominated by Nehru was Maulana Abul Kalam Azad who did not have formal education and was a failed leader who could not withstand the onslaught of ZINNA which led to the partition of India. The newly independent India was to rewrite history to eliminate distortion made by invaders but we promoted a fake ganga jamuni bhaichara. There is not a single incident that can be attributed to this fake narrative. The study of the history of Mathura and close by Yamuna River area indicated plundering loot massacre rape and destruction of temples by every invader worth his name. it is a pity that the textbooks taught peaceful coexistence at a time when the country was bleeding under the execution of DIRECT ACTION DAY.

Ordinary Muslims never thought of partition nor demanded madrasa, funding of salaries of Imams, etc however politicians kept rolling out these benefits and deprived the community of modern education and employability. As a result, political parties could reap the benefits of mass voting while the masses were kept poor and unemployed.

There would be many more Sandeshkhali already happening as reporting, taking cognizance, and punishing the guilty is not in our DNA as a nation. Spoke persons of political parties will persuade the nation, not to give it a communal colour.

So much so is the confidence of these political Bahubalis that it took all empowered police 56 days and an equal number of reprimands by the WB High Court. senior Trinamool leaders seem to be confident that Sandeshkhali will “settle” soon and people will forget Shahjahan as the incidents and allegations are “partly fabricated by the BJP and CPM”.

One may feel surprised by this attitude but the facts support this belief. Let's analyse the fate of similar incidents that occurred in the past.

Wrong policies hurt the nation immediately after India got freedom.

The Indian leaders were celebrating tryst with destiny while the Kashmiri women in the north were suffering the horror of rape and murder. It took no time for Pakistan's leadership to ditch the illusion of peaceful living post-partition. The whole world was aghast at the atrocities rendered but our prime minister was busy ensuring Shaikh Abdulla became the Sadar of Kashmir, Indian forces were not given the signal to defend till it was too late and the United Nations was trusted more than the Indian army which was defeating the Pakistan army and kabayalis.

1990 exodus of Kashmiri pandits and rape and murder of Kashmiri women.

Failing to prosecute Pakistan for human rights violations in 1948 emboldened the rogue elements. Extremism and rape became the fate of the Kashmir Velly. It culminated in the annihilation of Kashmiri Pandits from the valley. What happened becomes more painful when one finds that no court took Suo moto cognizance and the highest court refused to admit a petition claiming that the incident is too old to investigate. What hurts most is that the same court took all measures to ensure the delivery of justice when the victims were not Hindu women. The world knows about the plight Thanks to the arrogance of extremists like Bitta Karate and others who narrated their shameful crimes on camera with pride.

“When JKLF leader Bitta Karate admitted to killing 20 Kashmiri Pandits.” India Today web desk May 24, 2017.

The national leadership of that time opted to engage with these criminals hoping to bring peace in the valley.

Ajmer sex scandal

The 1992 Ajmer scandal was the agony of gangrapes and blackmailing where reportedly 250 school and college-going girls aged between 11 to 20 years were the victims of this monstrous crime. The story of the scandal came to light with an article published by Dainik Navajyoti, a local newspaper, which detailed the events of the crimes and featured some of the images taken by the rapists. In September 1992, 18 serial offenders were charged in court out of which the first eight to go to trial were sentenced to life in prison; however, four of them were later acquitted by the Rajasthan High Court in 2001. In 2007, a fast-track in Ajmer convicted Farooq Chishti, but in 2013, the High Court released him on time served. (the information is freely available on the internet)

Here one can see that those 250 girls and women suffering rape, blackmail could not shake the conscience of the nation.  The Supreme Court noted in this case, "Unfortunately many of the victims who appeared as witnesses turned hostile and one can appreciate the reason why they did not want to depose against the appellants as that would have exposed them as well and would have adversely affected their future life." Few also linked it to another case such as Dr. Mohammed Khalil Chisty, as known as ISI member and in jail for a murder case in 1992 in Ajmer. One has to read the following news to understand the plight of the victims. Even after 30 years, the pain is never-ending.

“Gangraped in teens, visiting courts as grandmothers: 1992 Ajmer horror is an open wound.

Ajmer gangrape and blackmail case was a toxic mix of political patronage, religious reach, impunity, and small-town glamour. Thirty years on, closure still seems far.”

The print. in by Jyoti Yadav,29 January 2022.

The court and the police could have used forensic evidences and could have avoided producing the witnesses or it could have been done in secrecy but the pride and security of victims is not the concern. The concern is condoning the sentences in the name of the good behaviour of the culprits. All parties’ advocates and the judiciary are out to help these criminals.

Jails have earned notorious reputation for providing 5-star facilities to convicted criminals time and again many are running their operations unabated.

The Nirbhaya murder convict is enjoying life in an unknown part of southern India. Nation

Until this protection and care are given to the victims. Sandeshkhali-type incidents will happen time and again. Inefficient Police are seeking refuge in protestors calling names. Whatever might happen, no government ever punished the reckless administration for hiding avoiding, or doing casual investigation. Criminals are to be punished but India needs a system which had the teeth to punish the support system else more grave news will follow.

Grey areas of Sandeshkhali incidence

•             Despite multiple cases against, including extortion, assault, and murder, with whose support Shahjahan managed to evade prosecution. Police claim that he was involved in illegal cross-border trade and frequently escaped to Bangladesh to avoid arrest. in 2020, he was accused of a double murder of two BJP leaders but managed to disappear without a trace. Embolden Shahjahan took control of a market in Sarberia, renovated it, and renamed it after himself in 2021.

•             in a short span the government has received 240 plus complaints and returned the land to over a hundred owners. It also claims to resolve all the complaints in one month. But the unanswered question is who helped the goon to get these transfers implemented in government records and when the government officials will be punished.

•             How agricultural land was converted to fish farms. Why complaints were not entertained till the Enforcement Directorate intervened.

•             The decision to send the two senior law-keepers to Sandeshkhali with unusual alacrity to Bermajur-Kachharipara, where TMC leader Maiti’s house was attacked, indicates that local police did not have the trust of the people and might be in collaboration with the accused.

Sandeshkhali is a war against India

West Bengal state government has been encouraging anti-India forces. Their stand on CAA and similar issues is against the policies enacted by Parliament. As the matter has gone to the highest court, therefore there is no point in further discussion.

Crime taking place in Sandeshkhali was not given cognizance by the State Police. The only offense which was beyond the preview of state administration was money laundering. When the central agency registered the case and started investigation the team was attacked at the place of the raid. This criminal act gels well with the state leadership policy of not permitting CBI in the past. (this matter also reached the Supreme Court). The Bahubali did not wait for political gimmick and took the law into his own hands. An attack on the enforcement directorate is nothing less than an attack on the sovereignty of the nation as the officers were working on behalf of the president of India. West Bengal police do not have the credentials to do justice to an investigation, as it failed to take cognizance of crime from day one. It may not be a surprise if the arrested goon enjoys hospitality similar to the one enjoyed by Atiq Ahamed and Mukhtar Ansari. The culprit should be taken into custody by the Enforcement Directorate and Justice should be delivered on time.

West Bengal is a border state and the goon has been using the border to evade law. It is high time that West Bengal politicians should learn to refrain from instigating communal emotions. the state failed the test of ‘Direct Action Day’ in 1946. People who claimed to cut the chicken's neck are still active.

“Agitate and cut off chicken's neck corridor to isolate Assam from India: Sharjeel Imam” India Today Jan 25, 2020.

Let Sandeshkhali showcase the might as well as the reach of the long hands of Law.

By Rakesh kumar

(The content of this article reflects the views of writers and contributors, not necessarily those of the publisher and editor. All disputes are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of competent courts and forums in Delhi/New Delhi only)