Life is more precious than a vote: Bengal poll violence victims

Kolkata: In the run-up to any election in West Bengal over the past 10 years, Asaduddin Siddique (48) would distribute leaflets in his village in Murshidabad district, urging residents not to engage in violence. This time around, however, he has given up on his awareness campaign.

“Nothing seems to have changed. Violence still continues and people are still dying. They don’t understand that a life is more precious than one vote,” Siddique told HT.

The small-time businessman from Beldanga village had lost his wife Nurjahan to a crude bomb explosion near a polling booth on the day of voting for panchayat elections on July 22, 2013.

Ten years on, as the eastern state is in the middle of hotly contested panchayat elections again, Siddique has come to terms that it would take a proactive resolve by various political parties to stop poll violence.

Recalling that fateful day in 2013 which shattered his family, Siddique said: “My wife had just come out of the house looking for our younger daughter. When she was returning home, a crude bomb exploded and shrapnel pierced her stomach.”

Siddique was survived by his two daughters — eight and three — and a son who was only one-and-a-half years old at the time.

After his wife’s death, Siddiqui took it upon himself to create awareness among fellow residents about the devastation of poll violence. His leaflets carried the pictures of his three children and a message that they did not get help from anyone — poll panel, state government, police, human rights commission and political parties. “Even though a first information report (FIR) was registered with the Beldanga police station, no one has been arrested in connection with the case,” he said.

Ahead of the July 8 panchayat polls in West Bengal, violence and clashes have been reported from various parts of the state, claiming at least 12 lives and injuring several others so far, according to police data.

The eastern state has had a long history of poll violence abetted by various political parties in fray. During the 2018 panchayat polls, the state reported 20 deaths; the toll stood at 39 in 2013 and 76 five years ago.

Following sporadic incidents of violence reported ahead of the three-tier panchayat polls, the Calcutta high court has directed the State Election Commission to deploy central paramilitary forces across the state. In 2013, too, the high court had issued a similar direction to the state government.

Sufal Sikdar, a resident of Nadia district, had to abandon his studies and join his family business after his father Biplab Sikdar was shot dead in May 2018.

“My father was a BJP [Bharatiya Janata Party] booth president at Melermath in Nadia’s Shantipur. He was shot dead while he was sleeping in the house after the 2018 panchayat poll results were declared,” Sufal recalled. The BJP had won the Melermath panchayat.

Biplab ran a small factory from his house dealing in coloring of cotton strings which were later used for weaving sarees. He was the only bread-earner of the three-member family, comprising his wife and son. Sufal was only 19 at the time of his father’s death and pursing bachelors in philosophy at Shantipur college. “I had to take up the profession and quit studies,” Sufal said. “Till date we haven’t got justice, even though a case was registered.”

Bhola Dafadar, a Trinamool Congress worker, was stabbed and shot dead on May 13, 2018. “He was returning home on the polling day, when CPI(M)-backed goons caught him. He was dragged to a house where they stabbed him and shot him dead,” Bhola’s nephew Shafikul Dafadar said. “Bombs were also hurled at his house.”

After Bhola’s death, his 25-year-old son took up a job to wash cars and buses in Delhi and left the village. Shafikul is contesting the panchayat poll from Bilkumari village at Nakashipara in Nadia district on a TMC ticket. “All the accused in the case are out on bail,” he added.

Nripen Mondol, a Congress block president of Habibpur in Malda, was shot dead days ahead of the 2013 panchayat polls. His brother Malin Mondol, who looks after Nripen’s wife and two children — a son and a daughter who were seven and 16 years old back then — said they have lost track of the case. “I heard that a few people were arrested but all are now on bail and the case is still continuing,” Malin added.

The ruling TMC and the Opposition BJP in the state blame each other for inciting violence.

“West Bengal is politically a very hyper-sensitive state. This time candidates of the opposition parties, who have lost the people’s support and are being rejected, are triggering the violence to create an unrest,” TMC MP Santanu Sen said. “There are 341 blocks and violence has been reported in only four-five blocks.”

BJP spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said violence was introduced in Bengal politics by the “totalitarian” approach of the Left. “The TMC rule is all about hegemony... They betrayed the people,” Bhattacharya said. “Then there is economics. There is no industry and no job but huge natural resources such as sand, coal, fertile land and porous international border among others. The ruling party wants to control these.”