Sandeshkhali controversy: Hardly anyone would have heard the name of Sandeshkhali area located in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, bordering Bangladesh, before January 5. Now Sandeshkhali’s name is on the pages of every newspaper. After all, what is the controversy in Sandeshkhali, why are the people here angry with Mamata Banerjee?
A large number of women of Sandeshkhali have been protesting against the Mamata Banerjee government for the last few days. Meanwhile, news of clash between protesting women and police also came.
The women allege that Sheikh Shahjahan, leader of Mamata’s party TMC, sexually harassed them and then forcibly took over the lands.
The women demand that TMC leader Shahjahan Sheikh and his henchmen be arrested. The women have also accused the police of colluding with the accused. BJP leaders have also come out on the streets in support of the victimized women.
The issue of Sandeshkhali has taken a political turn. BJP and TMC are blaming each other. BJP has accused the TMC government of failing in the safety of women. TMC has accused BJP of instigating the controversy for political gains.
Now first know how the dispute started in Sandeshkhali
It is the case of 5 January 2024, when the Enforcement Directorate team had come to raid the residence of TMC leader Shahjahan Sheikh in Sandeshkhali to investigate the ration scam case. There the ED team was attacked and forced to return. Some officers were also injured in the attack.Â
Supporters of Trinamool Congress leader Shahjahan Sheikh have been accused of pelting stones at the ED team. Shahjahan Sheikh is absconding since that day. No one knows where Shahjahan Sheikh is. Did not appear despite summons sent by ED.
A month after this incident, from February 8, the local women of Sandeshkhali started protesting on the streets against Shahjahan Sheikh and his supporters. Since then, demonstrations are being held continuously every day.
The controversy escalated when on February 9, protesting women set fire to three poultry farms owned by Hazra, a supporter of Shahjahan Sheikh. The women alleged that these farms were built on land forcefully snatched from the villagers.
Allegations of protesting women
Protesting women have accused Shahjahan Sheikh and his supporters of sexual harassment. It is claimed that Shahjahan Sheikh’s henchmen used to come at night and forcibly take him away and released him in the morning. They were made to work throughout the night. Everyone was told that there was a meeting at 12 o’clock in the night and they had to go. None of the victim women spoke in front of the camera due to fear. Complained to the police but no help was ever provided. There is no trust even in the government. Â
Another protesting woman alleged that Trinamool Congress people conduct door-to-door surveys in the village. If a beautiful woman or girl is seen in a house, she is taken to the party office. Then the woman is kept there for several nights. The women have also accused TMC leaders Uttam Sardar and Shibprasad Hazra, considered close to Shahjahan Sheikh, of involvement.
However, Shibu Hazra, close to Shahjahan Sheikh, has given clarification and said that all the allegations of sexual harassment of women are false. He is being implicated in a conspiracy. Accused CPM and BJP.
After the Sandeshkhali
controversy escalated, the Governor of West Bengal visited Sandeshkhali on 12 February. After meeting the women here, the Governor told the media, ‘I listened to the mothers and sisters of Sandeshkhali. I did not believe that this could happen in the land of Rabindranath Tagore.
On 13 February, Calcutta High Court judge Justice Apoorva Sinha Ray took suo motu cognizance of the incident. The court directed Mamata government to file a report on the matter by February 20. After this, on February 14, the High Court canceled Section 144 implemented in Sandeshkhali.
On February 13 itself, the women police team of Bengal had visited Sandeshkhali. The State Women’s Commission under the leadership of DIG CID interrogated the protesting women. The next day the police issued a statement saying that none of the women during interrogation made any complaint of rape. All allegations and complaints will be duly investigated. Legal action will be initiated against the accused.
After the State Women’s Commission, the National Women’s Commission visited the spot. NCW claimed in its report that TMC leaders have harassed women. Many women have complained. These leaders snatch their land from women or forcibly arrest the male members of their families.
Apart from this, BJP National President JP Nadda has also formed a high level committee. This committee led by Annapurna Devi includes Pratima Bhowmik, BJP MP Sunita Duggal, Kavita Patidar, Sangeeta Yadav and Brijlal. This committee will submit its report to JP Nadda.
Politics is heating up on Sandeshkhali!
Under the leadership of Bengal BJP President Sukanta Majumdar, the party is protesting against Trinamool Congress in Sandeshkhali. BJP leader Smriti Irani made serious allegations against the Mamata government and said, ‘Mamata’s goons are going from door to door, kidnapping the daughters-in-law of young Hindu families and raping them, they do not say anything on them and the person who says so is suspended from the assembly. Gives.’
Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Suvendu Adhikari has demanded an investigation by NIA on the matter. On the other hand, BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said that a woman Chief Minister should have supported the suffering women of her state. But she is busy protecting those who commit crimes. Mamta Banerjee has no right to remain on the post of Chief Minister. He should resign immediately, only then the victims will get justice.
While speaking on Sandeshkhali in the Assembly, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said, we have taken action on the entire matter. BJP is spoiling the atmosphere by inviting people from outside. BJP people are making statements on this matter wearing masks. Sandeshkhali has become a bunker of RSS. Riots have happened here before also. I have never allowed injustice to happen to anyone nor will I allow it to happen.
Sandeshkhali’s case reached the Supreme Court
On February 15, the Sandeshkhali case reached the Supreme Court. Advocate Alakh Alok Srivastava has filed a petition demanding from the court that the investigation and trial of the case be transferred outside the state.
The petitioner has demanded a CBI or SIT investigation under the supervision of the Supreme Court. Like Manipur, a request has been made to form a committee of 3 judges. Apart from this, compensation should be given to the victims and action should also be taken against the policemen guilty of negligence in the case.
Sandeshkhali is the stronghold of RSS?
Sandeshkhali assembly seat is reserved for Scheduled Caste (SC). Since 2016, TMC has won this seat twice consecutively. In the 2021 assembly elections, TMC candidate Sukumar Mahata defeated the BJP candidate by about 40 thousand votes.
Before 2016, the Left Front was strong on this seat. From 1977 to 2011, the Sandeshkhali assembly seat was continuously held by the Communist Party of India (Marxist). BJP has not won here even once.
Sandeshkhali seat falls in Basirhat Lok Sabha constituency. BJP has never won here even in the Lok Sabha elections. TMC has been winning in the Lok Sabha for three consecutive times.
In the 2019 elections, TMC leader Nusrat Jahan defeated the BJP candidate by about four lakh votes. Before this, it was a stronghold of CPM from 1980 to 2004. TMC leaders in 2019 loksabha elections.
Is Bengal the most unsafe state for women?
In the year 2019, a survey by Gaon Connection found that women of West Bengal feel most unsafe in the country. In the survey, 18,267 families from 19 states were asked how safe the women in their house felt while going out of the house.
In the survey, the highest number of 72.9 percent people from West Bengal said that the environment is not such that one feels safe when going out of the house. 23.4 percent people said that one can still go out during the day but it is not at all safe to go out at night.
If we believe the data of National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), they also present a similar picture. According to the ACRB report, West Bengal is the second largest state in cases of missing women. In 2018, while Maharashtra reported the highest number of missing women at 33,964, 31,299 such cases were reported in West Bengal, a less populous state. Among these, maximum cases were reported in Kolkata, Nadia, Barasat, Barrackpur, Murshidabad.
Not only this, West Bengal is also among the leading states in crimes against women. According to ACRB, in 2020, the maximum number of cases against women, about 49 thousand, were seen in UP. After this, West Bengal (36,439), a state with half the population of UP, came second.
