VIOLENCE-BENGAL-GOVERNOR
Kolkata, April 19 (UNI) West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Saturday visited the family members of Haragobinda Das (71) and his son Chandan Das (41) who were lynched after being dragged out of their Jafrabad home in Murshidabad's Samshergunje during Waqf protests last week, official sources said.
The Governor’s visit came in the face of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s request to him not to tour the riot-affected areas.
“I talked to the affected family members and assured them that their complaints have been noted with a sympathetic approach. I will take up their grievances with the state as well as the Central government,” Bose told media after emerging from the victims’ vandalised home.
He said he has given his Raj Bhavan phone number as well as Peace Room number to the people so that they ca contact him whenever they needed. Besides, security arrangements of the residents of the affected areas have been tightened.
“I want peace to return first, besides safety of the people," Bose, who arrived in the trouble-hit Murshidabad after visiting a relief centre at Baishnabnagar in Malda district on Friday.
Hundreds of affected people, mostly women from Dhulian and Suti and Samshergunge in Murshidabad deserted their homes after Waqf protests turned violent last week. The women arrived at Malda seeking safety after crossing the Ganga on boats with the BSF support.
A four-member National Commission for Women (NCW) headed by its chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar also reached Murshidabad after visiting Malda on Friday and met the affected families on Saturday.
An NCW member, Archana Majumdar, told media that the situation was unspeakable and inhuman. “The situation is in the knowledge of Union Home minister Amit Shah. The NCW will take up the matter with him as well as the National Human Rights Commission after identifying the hotspots,” Majumdar said.
The commission members noted that most people, especially women, demanded setting up of permanent BSF camps in places like Dhulian and elsewhere as they were feeling insecure after cases of frenzied arson, looting and vandalism in the name of protests.
The commission members after visiting Dhulian moved to Bedbona, another violence-hit area. The affected people broke down when the commission members and Bose visited them separately. One of the affected women, Jyoti Das, said many like her have been rendered homeless. “We need permanent BSF camps here,” Das said.
Meanwhile, a report from Malda said advocate and BJP leader Priyanka Tibrewal reached Baishnabnagar's Parrlal school relief camp and met the displaced people. Her visit came after the Calcutta high court permission. Tibrewal after visiting the areas would report the situation to the National Human Rights Commission.
UNI PC PRS