TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Malda: Congress and Trinamool Congress may be alliance partners, but an FIR has been lodged against a Congress legislator in Malda for allegedly attacking a Trinamool Congress councillor. MLA Krishnendu Choudhury along with his wife and hundreds of supporters allegedly attacked the house of Trinamool councillor of English Bazar municipality Santanu Saha on Thursday morning. In a bid to save Saha, Trinamool secretary Chhoton Moulik was injured. Even Trinamool district president Goutam Chakraborty was assaulted. Later, a large police force led by additional police superintendent Kalyan Mukherjee went to control the situation. “My son was attacked by the MLA and his associates. They tried to kill him. Choudhury also threatened that he would raze our house. Thanks to timely police intervention, my son’s life was saved,” said Santanu’s mother, Baby Saha, in a complaint lodged with English Bazar police. Moulik, who was hospitalized after being attacked, also lodged a similar complaint against Choudhury and two of his associates. Inspector-in-charge of English Bazaar police station Bipul Majumder acknowledged that police have received two complaints against Choudhury. Goutam Chakraborty said Saha was attacked because for the past few days, hundreds of Congress supporters were switching over to Trinamool under his initiative. “Our organization is growing. This has caused Choudhury to panic and lead the attack.” Saha, a former Choudhury loyalist, had recently switched allegiance to Trinamool. With Chakraborty being the new Trinamool district president, the party has begun to make its presence felt in the strong Congress bastion. Many leaders and workers of Congress in English Bazar and Old Malda have defected to Trinamool. However, Choudhury claimed there was no politics involved in the incident. He cited personal reasons behind it. “Saha has been making slanderous remarks against my family for quite some time. He was trying to malign me and my close associates. So, my supporters have decided to boycott him socially,” Choudhury said. Trinamool has started a campaign condemning Choudhury’s attack. Even district Congress leaders are not supporting him. “It is not proper to attack someone by going to his house and sending a wrong message to supporters,” said Narendra Tiwari, district Congress leader and chairman of English Bazaar municipality. Cong office set ablaze Malda: Four persons were severely injured after a Congress party office was set ablaze at Ashapur in Malda on Wednesday. Congress has blamed CPM for the attack, though CPM has denied the allegation. Sources said that the CPM-dominated union of van drivers was collecting ‘subscription’ for the last few days from all vehicles. The Congress panchayat pradhan, Mahababul Haque, reportedly protested against that. The attack took place after that. TNN
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Friday, September 4, 2009
2 rabies deaths despite vaccination
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Malda: The lives of 35 dog bite victims are hanging in balance after two people died showing rabies symptoms while the vaccination process was still on in Malda’s Harishchandrapur. The dog that bit the two victims also attacked 35 other villagers, two of them school students aged three and 10. Doctors said the two deaths over the past two days indicate that the vaccine may have become ineffective, which would mean that all the other villagers taking the vaccine are under threat. Malda CMOH Dr Srimanta Roy conceded that both victims — Alfaj Ali (46) and Pir Muhammad (45) — had died with symptoms of rabies. “What’s alarming is that the victims, as well as a number of others, are being vaccinated presently. We have already started field visits, apart from convening a district-level meeting to discuss the threat. We are also checking the quality of the vaccines supplied by the government agency,” Roy said. Though Roy hinted that both victims may have taken the first vaccine shot beyond the stipulated time, reports from the villages indicate otherwise. Pir, who died on Wednesday, had been bitten on August 3 and had taken the first vaccine on August 4 — within the crucial first 24 hours. Ali died on Thursday. While Pir was due for a fourth vaccine dose on Sunday, Ali too had already taken three vaccine shots. Both are residents of Kopra village under Vindol gram panchayat in Harishchandrapur block. With the two deaths, panic has gripped a cluster of villages like Kopra, Lakhanpur and Nisanpur. Hetu Sheikh, another patient showing signs of hydrophobia, was referred to Malda district hospital from Chanchal on Thursday. A dreaded disease in rural Bengal, the initial symptoms of rabies include headache and fever. If the vaccine is not administered, the symptoms may progress to acute pain, violent movements, sudden excitement, depression and inability to swallow water. The final stage shows mania and acute lethargy. Most patients pass into coma after this and die of respiratory failure.
Malda: The lives of 35 dog bite victims are hanging in balance after two people died showing rabies symptoms while the vaccination process was still on in Malda’s Harishchandrapur. The dog that bit the two victims also attacked 35 other villagers, two of them school students aged three and 10. Doctors said the two deaths over the past two days indicate that the vaccine may have become ineffective, which would mean that all the other villagers taking the vaccine are under threat. Malda CMOH Dr Srimanta Roy conceded that both victims — Alfaj Ali (46) and Pir Muhammad (45) — had died with symptoms of rabies. “What’s alarming is that the victims, as well as a number of others, are being vaccinated presently. We have already started field visits, apart from convening a district-level meeting to discuss the threat. We are also checking the quality of the vaccines supplied by the government agency,” Roy said. Though Roy hinted that both victims may have taken the first vaccine shot beyond the stipulated time, reports from the villages indicate otherwise. Pir, who died on Wednesday, had been bitten on August 3 and had taken the first vaccine on August 4 — within the crucial first 24 hours. Ali died on Thursday. While Pir was due for a fourth vaccine dose on Sunday, Ali too had already taken three vaccine shots. Both are residents of Kopra village under Vindol gram panchayat in Harishchandrapur block. With the two deaths, panic has gripped a cluster of villages like Kopra, Lakhanpur and Nisanpur. Hetu Sheikh, another patient showing signs of hydrophobia, was referred to Malda district hospital from Chanchal on Thursday. A dreaded disease in rural Bengal, the initial symptoms of rabies include headache and fever. If the vaccine is not administered, the symptoms may progress to acute pain, violent movements, sudden excitement, depression and inability to swallow water. The final stage shows mania and acute lethargy. Most patients pass into coma after this and die of respiratory failure.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Ruckus over ‘baby swap’
Malda: The Malda district hospital witnessed a ruckus over the alleged swap of newborns on Saturday. Relatives of one of the babies lodged a complaint after being allegedly roughed up by hospital workers. Sources said both Nilufa Biwi (19) of Jalangi in Old Malda and Nurmahal Biwi of English Bazaar were hospitalised on Friday and both had their babies on Saturday morning. While Nilufa delivered a boy, Nurmahal had a daughter. However, when the mothers were taken to their beds, Nilufa was given a girl. Nilufa’s husband Dulal Sheikh and his mother Nurnehar Biwi took up the issue with the nurses immediately. But the latter allegedly roughed up Nurnehar. Nurmahal, too, informed the nurses about the swap. Though the mistake was rectified, Nurnehar lodged a complaint with English Bazaar police, who assured her of a probe. Hospital superintendent Animesh Roy also promised to look into the matter. TNN
Customs staff roughed up
Malda: A team of five Customs officials was roughed up by a group of miscreants and their car ransacked while they were on their way to make a raid in Malda on Wednesday. Two of the officials were even ‘abducted’, but they were released later. A team of Customs officials, led by circle superintendent A B Singh, arrived in Malda from Raiganj to raid a hideout of contrabands. However, when the car reached Sukanto More in English Bazaar around 8.30 am, an armed gang attacked them. Even as onlookers rushed to their rescue, the gang picked up Singh and Anjan Ghosh on a bike and sped away. The abducted officials were later released. Another Customs car was also attacked at Narayanpur. “We have filed a case,” said SP Satyajit Bandyopadhyay.
Man arrested with hundreds of govt files
PRANK OR MADNESS?
Subhro Maitra TNN
Malda: This case of the missing files didn’t need a Holmes or a Poirot. Residents of Malda’s Englishbazar on Tuesday nabbed a man, who had been stealing files from government offices for months. A raid in his house uncovered a hoard of files — including those from the police station, treasury, health department, SDO office and the railways. He has been arrested. In his late thirties, Sajal Sinha entered government o f f i c e s a n d walked out with imp o r t a n t files for no ap p a re n t reason. Local residents claimed he was eccentric by nature. On Tuesday morning, pedestrians at Krishnapally in English Bazaar noticed files from the office of the District Inspector of Schools scattered on the road. The DI office was informed, but minutes later, Sinha arrived at the spot and introducing himself as an employee of the DI office, wanted to take the files away. But other employees of the same office were present and could not identify him. Sinha’s game was up when some local residents identified him as someone known for his eccentric behaviour. The crowd then went to Sinha’s home and a search revealed hundreds of government files from under his bed. These included files belonging to the police station, the treasury, the health department, the SDO office, North Bengal State Transport Corporation, railways and the DI Schools. Sinha admitted that he was in the habit of p i n ch i n g filed from g ove r n - ment offices. S i n h a was arrested on Wednesday, but police were not sure if he had a criminal motive. “He seems to have psychological problems. He may have been playing a prank,” SP Satyajit Bandyopadhyay said. District magistrate Sridhar Ghosh has ordered an inquiry. “It is surprising that so many files were missing from these departments for so long. I’ve asked the police to Inquire into the matter thoroughly.” Sub Divisional Officer (Malda) Prakash Pal denied that any files were missing from his office.
Subhro Maitra TNN
Malda: This case of the missing files didn’t need a Holmes or a Poirot. Residents of Malda’s Englishbazar on Tuesday nabbed a man, who had been stealing files from government offices for months. A raid in his house uncovered a hoard of files — including those from the police station, treasury, health department, SDO office and the railways. He has been arrested. In his late thirties, Sajal Sinha entered government o f f i c e s a n d walked out with imp o r t a n t files for no ap p a re n t reason. Local residents claimed he was eccentric by nature. On Tuesday morning, pedestrians at Krishnapally in English Bazaar noticed files from the office of the District Inspector of Schools scattered on the road. The DI office was informed, but minutes later, Sinha arrived at the spot and introducing himself as an employee of the DI office, wanted to take the files away. But other employees of the same office were present and could not identify him. Sinha’s game was up when some local residents identified him as someone known for his eccentric behaviour. The crowd then went to Sinha’s home and a search revealed hundreds of government files from under his bed. These included files belonging to the police station, the treasury, the health department, the SDO office, North Bengal State Transport Corporation, railways and the DI Schools. Sinha admitted that he was in the habit of p i n ch i n g filed from g ove r n - ment offices. S i n h a was arrested on Wednesday, but police were not sure if he had a criminal motive. “He seems to have psychological problems. He may have been playing a prank,” SP Satyajit Bandyopadhyay said. District magistrate Sridhar Ghosh has ordered an inquiry. “It is surprising that so many files were missing from these departments for so long. I’ve asked the police to Inquire into the matter thoroughly.” Sub Divisional Officer (Malda) Prakash Pal denied that any files were missing from his office.
Shrine pillage: Malda MPs move court
IN COURT
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Kolkata: Fearing arrest in connection with the Malda shrine pillage case, Congress MPs, Abu Hasem Khan Chowdhury and Mousam Noor, moved high court on Tuesday seeking anticipatory bail. The move comes after the Malda police started a criminal case against the duo for allegedly pillaging a religious shrine, Piranapir Dargah, in Englishbazar. The Congress leaders have been charged with rioting, looting money, assault and preventing government servants from performing their duties, some of which fall under non-bailable sections of IPC. The Congress MPs, however, denied their involvement in the fracas. Claiming to have been falsely implicated in the case, Chowdhury and Noor said in the petition that the religious shrine situated in Kazigram is run by a society, Ainaye Hind Committee. Deceased Congress leader Rubi Noor, sister of Abdul Ghani Khan Chowdhury, was the president of the society. After her demise, Abu Hasem became its president on July 15, 2009, while Noor became a member of the committee. The petitioners claimed that the offerings of the devotees at the dargah were not being properly accounted for and the funds were not being used for its maintenance. In view of that, the committee took a resolution to collect the funds and the offerings by the devotees in a separate bank account. Even after noticing wrongful acts by some ‘unscrupulous elements’, the MPs urged the local police for safety and security of the committee members. But, they alleged, the police remained mute spectator and allowed those elements to squander away the dargah funds. The petitioners alleged that Shenaz Quadri, a member of the ruling party, was instrumental in coaxing the police to initiate a false criminal case against them. They stated that Jayanta Lodh Chowdhury, a sub-inspector of the Englishbazar PS, lodged a suo motu complaint against the MPs. The petitioners pleaded that they had collected the money from the dargah pursuant to a valid resolution of the committee dated August 20, 2009, for depositing it in a separate bank account to be operated by a treasurer of the committee in order to prevent pilferage of funds and offerings by unauthorised persons.
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Kolkata: Fearing arrest in connection with the Malda shrine pillage case, Congress MPs, Abu Hasem Khan Chowdhury and Mousam Noor, moved high court on Tuesday seeking anticipatory bail. The move comes after the Malda police started a criminal case against the duo for allegedly pillaging a religious shrine, Piranapir Dargah, in Englishbazar. The Congress leaders have been charged with rioting, looting money, assault and preventing government servants from performing their duties, some of which fall under non-bailable sections of IPC. The Congress MPs, however, denied their involvement in the fracas. Claiming to have been falsely implicated in the case, Chowdhury and Noor said in the petition that the religious shrine situated in Kazigram is run by a society, Ainaye Hind Committee. Deceased Congress leader Rubi Noor, sister of Abdul Ghani Khan Chowdhury, was the president of the society. After her demise, Abu Hasem became its president on July 15, 2009, while Noor became a member of the committee. The petitioners claimed that the offerings of the devotees at the dargah were not being properly accounted for and the funds were not being used for its maintenance. In view of that, the committee took a resolution to collect the funds and the offerings by the devotees in a separate bank account. Even after noticing wrongful acts by some ‘unscrupulous elements’, the MPs urged the local police for safety and security of the committee members. But, they alleged, the police remained mute spectator and allowed those elements to squander away the dargah funds. The petitioners alleged that Shenaz Quadri, a member of the ruling party, was instrumental in coaxing the police to initiate a false criminal case against them. They stated that Jayanta Lodh Chowdhury, a sub-inspector of the Englishbazar PS, lodged a suo motu complaint against the MPs. The petitioners pleaded that they had collected the money from the dargah pursuant to a valid resolution of the committee dated August 20, 2009, for depositing it in a separate bank account to be operated by a treasurer of the committee in order to prevent pilferage of funds and offerings by unauthorised persons.
Malda pillage: Case filed against MPs
Malda: Police have filed cases against Congress leaders — including MPs Abu Hasem Khan Chowdhury and Mousam Noor — for allegedly pillaging the donation boxes at Pirana Pir, a religious shrine at Englishbazar on Saturday. “We have lodged a case under sections 143, 341, 186, 353, 323 and 379 IPC R/W 188 IPC against South Malda MP Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury, North Malda MP Mousam Noor and Congress leaders Sahida Noor, Mustaque Alam, Hasan Ali Shah and Asadul Sardar,” said SP Satyajit Bandyopadhyaya. One person, Sannan Sheikh, has been arrested. Abu Hasem has denied the charge. TNN
Cong MPs in Malda shrine pillage row
Subhro Maitra TNN
Malda: A dispute over a religious property took an ugly turn in Malda on Saturday with VVIPs of the district, including Congress MPs Abu Hasem Khan Chowdhury and Mousam Noor, drawn into the fracas. The venue was Pirana Pir — a religious shrine under Englishbazar. The two MPs were present on the spot while their associates were allegedly pillaging the donation boxes. Sabiul Khan, one of the caretakers of the shrine, lodged a police complaint. Police have initiated a case of snatching. Trouble broke out at 11 am when the devotees had assembled for the morning prayers. “Suddenly, a group of people rushed into the shrine and snatched the 11 donation boxes. They assaulted us when we tried to stop them,” said Khan. He feared that the toughs had tacit support of the district Congress leaders. The shrine originally belonged to Meherunnesa, the mother-in-law of late MLA and Congress leader Rubi Noor. Soon after Rubi Noor’s death, her daughter Mousam claimed her right on the property. But her sister-in-law Sahnaj Qadri opposed it. The dispute reached such a point that the MP approached the police to establish her claim. The police did not get into the legal wrangle. Instead, policemen were posted at the shrine. Though Mousam denied a hand in the fracas, Qadri put the blame squarely on her. SP Satyajit Bandyopadhyay said: “We have received a snatching complaint and are looking into it.”
Malda: A dispute over a religious property took an ugly turn in Malda on Saturday with VVIPs of the district, including Congress MPs Abu Hasem Khan Chowdhury and Mousam Noor, drawn into the fracas. The venue was Pirana Pir — a religious shrine under Englishbazar. The two MPs were present on the spot while their associates were allegedly pillaging the donation boxes. Sabiul Khan, one of the caretakers of the shrine, lodged a police complaint. Police have initiated a case of snatching. Trouble broke out at 11 am when the devotees had assembled for the morning prayers. “Suddenly, a group of people rushed into the shrine and snatched the 11 donation boxes. They assaulted us when we tried to stop them,” said Khan. He feared that the toughs had tacit support of the district Congress leaders. The shrine originally belonged to Meherunnesa, the mother-in-law of late MLA and Congress leader Rubi Noor. Soon after Rubi Noor’s death, her daughter Mousam claimed her right on the property. But her sister-in-law Sahnaj Qadri opposed it. The dispute reached such a point that the MP approached the police to establish her claim. The police did not get into the legal wrangle. Instead, policemen were posted at the shrine. Though Mousam denied a hand in the fracas, Qadri put the blame squarely on her. SP Satyajit Bandyopadhyay said: “We have received a snatching complaint and are looking into it.”
Monday, July 6, 2009
Taka mantri Pranab babu can do anything, says Jangipur
The finance minister’s constituency has faith in its leader as well as a few humble requests
Avijit Ghosh TNN In Raghunathganj, the biggest town in the Jangipur Lok Sabha constituency, roadside hotels flaunt their religious identity: Noor Muslim Hotel or Ram Krishna Hindu Hotel. Here cycle rickshaws rule the roads and its only cinema hall survives on Tollywood potboilers starring perpetual Prosenjit and latest posterboy, Deb. Bookstores don't sell English novels and street-side shops are stuffed with cheap porn VCDs, some in Bangla. The town does have a few internet parlours and ATM machines too. And they do work, if there is power. But the heart of finance minister Pranab Mukherjee’s constituency lies beyond its municipal area in the great hinterland of central Bengal — home to at least 5 lakh bidi workers. Located on the northern part of West Bengal’s Murshidabad district, Jangipur has about 65% Muslim voters. Most socio-economic indicators are pretty low, including a sad 45% literacy. The area is also ravaged by soil erosion and poisoned by arsenic-laden water. And despite recent improvements, several hinterland roads are extremely hard to negotiate, says local journalist Biman Hazra. Simply put, nobody worries here about fringe benefit tax. When Pranab babu campaigned in these parts back in 2004, his cavalcade of swank cars raised both dust and eyebrows. The ‘outsider’ prompts a sense of awe. Five years on, the outsider has been accepted and embraced; his image growing even larger than the cut-outs that still adorn parts of Raghunathganj. Reason: cutting across class and geography, a vast majority says he has delivered more than any MP in the past three decades. No surprise, his margin of victory tripled: from 37,000 votes in 2004 to 1.28 lakh in 2009. But in democracy, expectation can be an insatiable maw. And its crushing load is best summed up by bus conductor Sheikh Mujibur Rehman: “Uni to taka mantri. (He’s the minister of money). He can do anything,” he says. Not many in Jangipur understand the nuances of the Budget. But they believe that the man presenting the country’s annual financial outline is resourceful enough to do anything. “Only he can get vapour lights for our village,” says Jintu Sheikh, a carpenter who works in Kolkata. Most demands, though, go beyond the personal. Pranab Mukherjee’s achievements in the previous term included setting up a provident fund regional office for bidi workers and a regional passport office in nearby Behrampore to facilitate Haj pilgrimages. Projects in the works include a food-processing park, an electric crematorium and a Rs 55 crore-plant to purge the water of arsenic content meant for Raghunathganj and the 84 villages around it. But no project has fired the local imagination as dramatically as the building of a college in Sagardighi, a first in the predominantly rural area. “With a capacity of 500, it will take care of students from seven higher secondary schools spread over 187 villages,” says principal Siddheshwar Pahadi. Adds college student Moumita Saha, “We are looking forward to the science section being completed. Then we will have computers.” Top city businessman Prosenjit Dey wants a daily shuttle between Kolkata and Jangipur. “That would be great for traders and businessmen,” he says. Adds Pahadi, “There is no girls’ college here. Jangipur badly needs one. We would also like our heritage — the old dargahs and temples — to be protected and preserved.” But for many, survival tops the agenda. In Phadilpur Dihpara village, Taslima Khatun rolls out bidis, a job known to cause tuberculosis and bronchial asthma. Rollers like her get Rs 45 per 1,000 bidis. Some manage to roll 1,200 per day but Taslima, who looks much older than her 40 years, manages only 500. “I would like Rs 60 per 1,000,” she says. Perhaps the wish of every bidi worker in the region. Farther down towards the Bangladesh border, the sky quickly turns into a dark canvas. Soon it’s just red earth and pouring rain. Unmindful, about 100 workers beaver away with soil erosion repairs — laying out huge blocks of stone in iron nets — on the Padma’s banks. But 60-yearold farmer Zain-ul-Abidin is unhappy. “We need to dump many more stones into the river. Otherwise the river will keep swallowing up the land,” he says. Abidin knows the pain of loss. Last year he lost 11 acres to the river. “See those trees,” he points towards a cluster about 2 kilometres away. “Once the river used to be there. Now it has travelled here and taken our homes. Aamra pather bhikiri hoye gelam (We have become beggars).” Abidin and 300 displaced families from Baira Chintamani, Kahla, Shekalipur and other villages in Jangipur have a succinct charter of demand. “We want more money invested in anti-erosion repairs. And we want to be rehabilitated,” he says. But even with Pranab babu in charge of the nation’s treasure chest, the old farmer isn’t sure his wish will be fulfilled. “It is not a demand really,” he says, “only a prayer.” WITH INPUTS FROM SUBHRO MAITRA
Avijit Ghosh TNN In Raghunathganj, the biggest town in the Jangipur Lok Sabha constituency, roadside hotels flaunt their religious identity: Noor Muslim Hotel or Ram Krishna Hindu Hotel. Here cycle rickshaws rule the roads and its only cinema hall survives on Tollywood potboilers starring perpetual Prosenjit and latest posterboy, Deb. Bookstores don't sell English novels and street-side shops are stuffed with cheap porn VCDs, some in Bangla. The town does have a few internet parlours and ATM machines too. And they do work, if there is power. But the heart of finance minister Pranab Mukherjee’s constituency lies beyond its municipal area in the great hinterland of central Bengal — home to at least 5 lakh bidi workers. Located on the northern part of West Bengal’s Murshidabad district, Jangipur has about 65% Muslim voters. Most socio-economic indicators are pretty low, including a sad 45% literacy. The area is also ravaged by soil erosion and poisoned by arsenic-laden water. And despite recent improvements, several hinterland roads are extremely hard to negotiate, says local journalist Biman Hazra. Simply put, nobody worries here about fringe benefit tax. When Pranab babu campaigned in these parts back in 2004, his cavalcade of swank cars raised both dust and eyebrows. The ‘outsider’ prompts a sense of awe. Five years on, the outsider has been accepted and embraced; his image growing even larger than the cut-outs that still adorn parts of Raghunathganj. Reason: cutting across class and geography, a vast majority says he has delivered more than any MP in the past three decades. No surprise, his margin of victory tripled: from 37,000 votes in 2004 to 1.28 lakh in 2009. But in democracy, expectation can be an insatiable maw. And its crushing load is best summed up by bus conductor Sheikh Mujibur Rehman: “Uni to taka mantri. (He’s the minister of money). He can do anything,” he says. Not many in Jangipur understand the nuances of the Budget. But they believe that the man presenting the country’s annual financial outline is resourceful enough to do anything. “Only he can get vapour lights for our village,” says Jintu Sheikh, a carpenter who works in Kolkata. Most demands, though, go beyond the personal. Pranab Mukherjee’s achievements in the previous term included setting up a provident fund regional office for bidi workers and a regional passport office in nearby Behrampore to facilitate Haj pilgrimages. Projects in the works include a food-processing park, an electric crematorium and a Rs 55 crore-plant to purge the water of arsenic content meant for Raghunathganj and the 84 villages around it. But no project has fired the local imagination as dramatically as the building of a college in Sagardighi, a first in the predominantly rural area. “With a capacity of 500, it will take care of students from seven higher secondary schools spread over 187 villages,” says principal Siddheshwar Pahadi. Adds college student Moumita Saha, “We are looking forward to the science section being completed. Then we will have computers.” Top city businessman Prosenjit Dey wants a daily shuttle between Kolkata and Jangipur. “That would be great for traders and businessmen,” he says. Adds Pahadi, “There is no girls’ college here. Jangipur badly needs one. We would also like our heritage — the old dargahs and temples — to be protected and preserved.” But for many, survival tops the agenda. In Phadilpur Dihpara village, Taslima Khatun rolls out bidis, a job known to cause tuberculosis and bronchial asthma. Rollers like her get Rs 45 per 1,000 bidis. Some manage to roll 1,200 per day but Taslima, who looks much older than her 40 years, manages only 500. “I would like Rs 60 per 1,000,” she says. Perhaps the wish of every bidi worker in the region. Farther down towards the Bangladesh border, the sky quickly turns into a dark canvas. Soon it’s just red earth and pouring rain. Unmindful, about 100 workers beaver away with soil erosion repairs — laying out huge blocks of stone in iron nets — on the Padma’s banks. But 60-yearold farmer Zain-ul-Abidin is unhappy. “We need to dump many more stones into the river. Otherwise the river will keep swallowing up the land,” he says. Abidin knows the pain of loss. Last year he lost 11 acres to the river. “See those trees,” he points towards a cluster about 2 kilometres away. “Once the river used to be there. Now it has travelled here and taken our homes. Aamra pather bhikiri hoye gelam (We have become beggars).” Abidin and 300 displaced families from Baira Chintamani, Kahla, Shekalipur and other villages in Jangipur have a succinct charter of demand. “We want more money invested in anti-erosion repairs. And we want to be rehabilitated,” he says. But even with Pranab babu in charge of the nation’s treasure chest, the old farmer isn’t sure his wish will be fulfilled. “It is not a demand really,” he says, “only a prayer.” WITH INPUTS FROM SUBHRO MAITRA
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Storm-hit farmer commits suicide
Subhro Maitra TNN
Malda: A farmer, who lost his home and his standing crops to Cyclone Aila, committed suicide on Wednesday night. Forty-year-old Gul Mohammad of Birasthali village had taken loans from money lenders but hoped to repay his debt from a bumper crop. The storm ruined everything. To make matters worse for Gul, his wife was seriously ill and needed surgery. Finding himself trapped, the farmer took a bottle of pesticide and killed himself. Gul would take loans every year to sow boro crop on his 2.5 bigha of land and repay them after harvest, and still manage to live comfortably. This year, the annual ritual went haywire, thanks to Cyclone Aila. He had taken a loan of about Rs 40,000 but had no worries because he was confident of a big harvest. Then, his wife Saleha Biwi fell ill. And Aila struck. His house was wrecked and his land flooded. In desperation, Gul tried to reap whatever crops he could salvage but the labourers demanded at least half of the harvest. Pleading to panchayat and BDO office did not yield any result. Helpless, Gul took poison last night. The ailing Saleha, who now has to take care of three minor children, is deeply in shock. Chanchal subdivisional officer Debjani Dutta said: “We know Gul Mohammad had suffered a huge loss, like the other farmers of the area. But we are not certain whether it was the reason for his suicide.”
Malda: A farmer, who lost his home and his standing crops to Cyclone Aila, committed suicide on Wednesday night. Forty-year-old Gul Mohammad of Birasthali village had taken loans from money lenders but hoped to repay his debt from a bumper crop. The storm ruined everything. To make matters worse for Gul, his wife was seriously ill and needed surgery. Finding himself trapped, the farmer took a bottle of pesticide and killed himself. Gul would take loans every year to sow boro crop on his 2.5 bigha of land and repay them after harvest, and still manage to live comfortably. This year, the annual ritual went haywire, thanks to Cyclone Aila. He had taken a loan of about Rs 40,000 but had no worries because he was confident of a big harvest. Then, his wife Saleha Biwi fell ill. And Aila struck. His house was wrecked and his land flooded. In desperation, Gul tried to reap whatever crops he could salvage but the labourers demanded at least half of the harvest. Pleading to panchayat and BDO office did not yield any result. Helpless, Gul took poison last night. The ailing Saleha, who now has to take care of three minor children, is deeply in shock. Chanchal subdivisional officer Debjani Dutta said: “We know Gul Mohammad had suffered a huge loss, like the other farmers of the area. But we are not certain whether it was the reason for his suicide.”
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Minority Jitters For Ruling Combine, CPM Pulls Out All Stops To Woo People
Goons & autos may not sway Bengali Muslims Krishnendu Bandyopadhyay & Subhro Maitra TNN Kolkata: Autos were ferrying burqa-clad women to booths at Metiabruz. CPM youths were bringing their voters to the booths. The scene was almost the same like previous years, but the confidence was absent.“Le to a raha hay, lekin woh log kya vote de rahein hai (They might take the voters to booths, but do they vote for them)?” wondered Sheikh Taukhat, a tailor, outside the Kasab Para Primary School in Metiabruz. So, has the crucial minority vote swung away from the Left? The answer will be available only on May 16. But, on May 13, some knee-jerk reaction and some desperation on the part of the ruling CPM showed that not everything is hunky-dory with their once-captive minority vote bank. There is a sharp divide, too. Non-Bengali Muslims still find “hardly anything wrong” with CPM. But things might not be the same with their Bengali counterparts. Moinuddin Mollah, Mohammad Iqbal or Israful Gazi were enjoying a real holiday (Wednesday is the weekly holiday in this dorjimoholla). But the mood there was sharply different from that of Garden Reach, dominated by non-Bengali Muslim voters. The Bengali-speaking Muslims are struck by Nandigram, Singur or Bhangar. They are voting for paribartan (change). “This time people are talking about a change after 30 years...” mumbled Gazi. In fact, the influence of Nandigram, which is across the Hooghly, is more evident here than any other place. If many of the ostagars (master tailors) have their homes in Nandigram, the regular bus service between Metiabruz and Nandigram takes the cut pieces there for the tailors. No wonder, the sense of insecurity in Nandigram has crept into the minds of the people living here. Sensing the erosion, Mokhtars are over-active. Mokhtar, a new kid in the crime block of the port area, and his gang members, roamed about Metiabruz to beat the anti-Left voters back to their homes. When Ali Mohammad went to Maulana Abdul Bari School to vote, he found his vote had already been cast. An infuriated Ali sought an explanation from the presiding officer. Mokhtar’s boys caught him by the collar, threw him out and beat him up. “I only wanted to vote peacefully. They beat us up mercilessly. I thought I would die,” said Mohammad. From early morning, CPM did everything to mobilise its infamous election machinery in this minority belt. Its partymen almost chose their voters while removing the suspecting ones. State armed police constables and home guards manned many booths. “There is no central force personnel at some of the most sensitive booths,” alleged Somen Mitra, the Trinamool candidate from Diamond Harbour. At booths 96, 97 and 97A, at the Pachur High School were fully ‘sanitized,’ there are three polling agents — all of CPM, of course, two in the name of Independent candidates. “All are going ‘peacefully’. Same was the scene at Judge Abdul Bari School where all the five booths missed the Trinamool polling agents. Being asked, the agents, too, have to search for card in their pockets bearing the names of the Independents they are representing. At Paharpur Road, the main gate of Apsara apartment, was blocked since morning. The residents were prevented, not by force, but by intimidation. Cadres were keeping vigil by sitting idle on the ground floor. Journalists were not allowed to go in.
In crisis, CPM relies on Rajabazar voters Arnab Ganguly TNN Kolkata:
It’s around 2 in the afternoon. Halima Begum walks out of the polling booth at ward No. 29’s maternity home and clinic. The autorickshaw that had brought her to the booth is nowhere to be seen. With no other option, Halima starts walking towards her Rajabazar residence. “Woh sab mohalla ke larke hain. Auto chalate hain. Subah aake hum se kaha ki chachi aap ko booth tak pahunchha denge. Humne to socha tha wapas bhi le jayenge. Ab khud hi jana parega ((They are from my neighbourhood. Most of them drive autorickshaws. They came in the morning and said that they would drop me at the booth. I thought they would take me back as well. Now I have to go on my own),” Halima said. But the auto driver’s job was over. He had gone to some other place to bring some other voters to the booth. With padyatras and speeches over, it’s time for hardcore electioneering to ensure that none of the supporters fail to cast his vote. At the heart of the city’s minority belt, CPM went all out to woo voters. Having been on the back foot in rural Bengal ever since the Singur and Nandigram agitations erupted and a vast section of the minority community voters had apparently rejected the ruling party, Rajabazar is likely to bring the smiles back on the leaders’ faces. Voters, majority of them Urdu-speaking Muslims, turned up in large numbers at the booths to exercise their right. The majority of autorickshaw drivers being under control of the ruling party, the drivers had a busy day, ferrying supporters to the polling booths. “We have been asked to take voters to the booths. The issue of payment will be settled later,” said Altaf Hussain, an autorickshaw driver from Kadapara. Half an hour before the booths opened on Wednesday morning, CPM workers were busy at Momin High School, Baitulmal Girls High School and ward No. 29’s maternity home and clinic, mobilising voters. Autorickshaws that ply on the Mechhua, Sealdah, Rajabazar and Manicktala routes were used to transport voters — mostly women and elderly from their homes — to the booth. The distance to be travelled varied between 500 metres and a kilometre. “This year the number of booths has gone up, making it easier. Earlier, there used to be long queues. This time there was hardly any delay,” said Mohammad Bashiruddin, while coming out of Momin High School. CPM workers were busy checking whether voters were carrying their photo identity cards. Many of the voters were sent back home because they had brought old cards or had no documents at all. “Itna baar bola in logon ko. Samajhte hi nahin hain (Told him them so many times but they don’t understand at all),” said Akbar Miyan, a CPM worker at Rajabazar. “Koi dikkat nahin hai (There is no problem),” said Sheikh Mubarak, resident of Chamrusi lane. Till 1 pm, polling was brisk at all the three booths. “We are telling all the voters to display their voters identity card and the slip, so that no outsider can enter the booth. Everything is peaceful at the moment,” said Pargat Singh, the BSF official present at the booth.
In crisis, CPM relies on Rajabazar voters Arnab Ganguly TNN Kolkata:
It’s around 2 in the afternoon. Halima Begum walks out of the polling booth at ward No. 29’s maternity home and clinic. The autorickshaw that had brought her to the booth is nowhere to be seen. With no other option, Halima starts walking towards her Rajabazar residence. “Woh sab mohalla ke larke hain. Auto chalate hain. Subah aake hum se kaha ki chachi aap ko booth tak pahunchha denge. Humne to socha tha wapas bhi le jayenge. Ab khud hi jana parega ((They are from my neighbourhood. Most of them drive autorickshaws. They came in the morning and said that they would drop me at the booth. I thought they would take me back as well. Now I have to go on my own),” Halima said. But the auto driver’s job was over. He had gone to some other place to bring some other voters to the booth. With padyatras and speeches over, it’s time for hardcore electioneering to ensure that none of the supporters fail to cast his vote. At the heart of the city’s minority belt, CPM went all out to woo voters. Having been on the back foot in rural Bengal ever since the Singur and Nandigram agitations erupted and a vast section of the minority community voters had apparently rejected the ruling party, Rajabazar is likely to bring the smiles back on the leaders’ faces. Voters, majority of them Urdu-speaking Muslims, turned up in large numbers at the booths to exercise their right. The majority of autorickshaw drivers being under control of the ruling party, the drivers had a busy day, ferrying supporters to the polling booths. “We have been asked to take voters to the booths. The issue of payment will be settled later,” said Altaf Hussain, an autorickshaw driver from Kadapara. Half an hour before the booths opened on Wednesday morning, CPM workers were busy at Momin High School, Baitulmal Girls High School and ward No. 29’s maternity home and clinic, mobilising voters. Autorickshaws that ply on the Mechhua, Sealdah, Rajabazar and Manicktala routes were used to transport voters — mostly women and elderly from their homes — to the booth. The distance to be travelled varied between 500 metres and a kilometre. “This year the number of booths has gone up, making it easier. Earlier, there used to be long queues. This time there was hardly any delay,” said Mohammad Bashiruddin, while coming out of Momin High School. CPM workers were busy checking whether voters were carrying their photo identity cards. Many of the voters were sent back home because they had brought old cards or had no documents at all. “Itna baar bola in logon ko. Samajhte hi nahin hain (Told him them so many times but they don’t understand at all),” said Akbar Miyan, a CPM worker at Rajabazar. “Koi dikkat nahin hai (There is no problem),” said Sheikh Mubarak, resident of Chamrusi lane. Till 1 pm, polling was brisk at all the three booths. “We are telling all the voters to display their voters identity card and the slip, so that no outsider can enter the booth. Everything is peaceful at the moment,” said Pargat Singh, the BSF official present at the booth.
Booth captured, in 15 mins
Krishnendu Bandyopadhyay & Subhro Maitra TNN
It’s 9.30 am and an unusually long queue of voters has assembled at the gates of Lenin Memorial KMC Primary school (booth 12, 12A and 34 of Metiabruz assembly segment) on Garden Reach Road. A shove here, a push there and soon, all hell breaks loose with people in the queue rushing forward, complaining that people were not moving at all. We look around for paramilitary personnel as trouble seems imminent, but there is none. This ‘sensitive’ booth is guarded only by a home-guard, an armed constable and a sub-inspector. 9.40 am: We wait for a few minutes and decide to check out the chaos inside for ourselves. But the home-guard refuses to allow us inside — despite our displaying the Election Commission authority letter granting access. The ensuing argument costs us another, very precious, three minutes. Then, he says he would take the presiding officer’s permission before allowing us in. 9.50 am: We are allowed entry. But by then, everything has been put to order. We leave the premises, but decide to stand opposite the booth and keep watch. Sher Ali, a KMC worker, says a bomb had been exploded near the gate in the morning to scare away voters. “Women are really scared to come out and vote,” he says. 10 am: We don’t have to wait for long. Groups of well-built youths start arriving at the booth in autos. Three autos come within an interval of two minutes. Though they stand in the queue, it is not difficult to understand that they are not your regular voters. Soon, they start pushing the people in front. Gently, at first. Then, it turns into a jostle. And, in a flash, people standing in the queue find these youths going ahead of them at the gate. 10.15 am: The youths start pushing their way into the booths. Police put on a show of trying to stop them, but their reluctance is clearly visible. The toughs simply make their way through. The booth capturing is complete. The policemen, who were earlier busy preventing mediapersons from entering the booths, pretend as if nothing had happened. 10.16 am: The booth is captured inside and, as a result, jammed outside. Police, with renewed vigour, start maintaining the queue of voters outside. They seem relieved that ‘line-violators’ are no more in the queue. Ironically, they are inside the booth! Now, all quiet on the election front.
It’s 9.30 am and an unusually long queue of voters has assembled at the gates of Lenin Memorial KMC Primary school (booth 12, 12A and 34 of Metiabruz assembly segment) on Garden Reach Road. A shove here, a push there and soon, all hell breaks loose with people in the queue rushing forward, complaining that people were not moving at all. We look around for paramilitary personnel as trouble seems imminent, but there is none. This ‘sensitive’ booth is guarded only by a home-guard, an armed constable and a sub-inspector. 9.40 am: We wait for a few minutes and decide to check out the chaos inside for ourselves. But the home-guard refuses to allow us inside — despite our displaying the Election Commission authority letter granting access. The ensuing argument costs us another, very precious, three minutes. Then, he says he would take the presiding officer’s permission before allowing us in. 9.50 am: We are allowed entry. But by then, everything has been put to order. We leave the premises, but decide to stand opposite the booth and keep watch. Sher Ali, a KMC worker, says a bomb had been exploded near the gate in the morning to scare away voters. “Women are really scared to come out and vote,” he says. 10 am: We don’t have to wait for long. Groups of well-built youths start arriving at the booth in autos. Three autos come within an interval of two minutes. Though they stand in the queue, it is not difficult to understand that they are not your regular voters. Soon, they start pushing the people in front. Gently, at first. Then, it turns into a jostle. And, in a flash, people standing in the queue find these youths going ahead of them at the gate. 10.15 am: The youths start pushing their way into the booths. Police put on a show of trying to stop them, but their reluctance is clearly visible. The toughs simply make their way through. The booth capturing is complete. The policemen, who were earlier busy preventing mediapersons from entering the booths, pretend as if nothing had happened. 10.16 am: The booth is captured inside and, as a result, jammed outside. Police, with renewed vigour, start maintaining the queue of voters outside. They seem relieved that ‘line-violators’ are no more in the queue. Ironically, they are inside the booth! Now, all quiet on the election front.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Polls over, but candidates brace for close finish
Subhro Maitra, Pinak Priya Bhattacharya & Ashish Poddar TNN
Malda/Alipurduar/Balurgh at/Krishnagar: In Malda North, Balurghat and Alipurduar, the battle for the ballot ended over a week back. But the anxiety of candidates — locked in a close fight till the very end — is far from over. It’s no different in Krishnagar, that went to the polls on Thursday. Though the ballot’s been cast and their fate sealed, the candidates put up a brave face, claiming to have just pulled it off at the home stretch. At Alipurduar, where a vote boycott by tribals, and Nepalis’ support to BJP has queered the pitch, all three candidates are cautious. “The poll boycott by the tribals will directly affect the Left Front vote bank. The GJM cause will also come as a blow to the ruling party. Most Nepalis used to cast their vote for the Front as well. We are therefore confident of winning this seat,” said Trinamool candidate Pawan Lakra. BJP’s Manoj Tigga, on the other hand, is banking on Nepali votes. “I will win,” he said. RSP’s Manohar Tirkey, whose seat was considered one of the most secure till the tribal boycott and Nepali desertion turned it wobbly, is putting up a brave face as well. “There hasn’t been much polling in the tea belt. But we have been compensated by strong voting in the plains. The voting percentage in villages was much higher than earlier. It should go in our favour,” he said. M a u s a m Noor, the young Congress candidate from Malda North, who was pitted against CPM veteran Sailen Sarkar, is also banking on the high 80% turnout to create an upset. Now campaigning for Somen Mitra at Diamond Harbour, Noor acknowledged it had been a tough fight but hoped to pull through with the dents she had made in CPM strongholds like Bamangola and Gajole. “Even now, I continue to get calls from womenfolk in families that have traditionally voted for CPM,” Noor said. CPM secretary Jiban Maitra, who has been rallying forces for Sarkar, dismissed any erosion in the Left vote. Acknowledging the opponent’s charm, he said people went only to “see Mausam, not vote for her”. Maitra felt Sakar would score with votes at Habibpur and Gajole, that did not go to Congress as perceived. Another Sarkar aide said the deciding factor would be an anti-minority sentiment among some Congress supporters in Old Malda. In Balurghat, Trinamool candidate Biplab Mitra is upbeat. If re-alignment of the constituency following delimitation and rift in the CPM-RSP ranks had fuelled hopes of an upset, the huge 87% turnout has given it a shot in the arm. “The voter turnout points to an anti-incumbency wave. Minorities also voted for us in large numbers,” he said. RSP leader Prosanta Majumder disagreed, analyzing the massive turnout as a revolt against the “unholy” alliance between Congress and Trinamool. In south Bengal, CPM Krishnagar candidate Jyo t i r m oye e Sikdar expressed confidence of winning by a margin of 50,000 votes. But so did rival Tapas Paul. “I am not bothered about BJP candidate Satyabrata Mukherjee eating into the Congress vote share. Of the seven Assembly segments in Krishnagar, six seats are in our grasp. Remember, we got 52% votes in the panchayat elections,” Sikdar said. Tapas Pal’s campaign manager Ujjal Biswas said the star candidate would ride votes from the minority community to win comfortably. “We don’t believe BJP will make any difference. They created some excitement in the beginning but it petered out,” Biswas said.
Malda/Alipurduar/Balurgh at/Krishnagar: In Malda North, Balurghat and Alipurduar, the battle for the ballot ended over a week back. But the anxiety of candidates — locked in a close fight till the very end — is far from over. It’s no different in Krishnagar, that went to the polls on Thursday. Though the ballot’s been cast and their fate sealed, the candidates put up a brave face, claiming to have just pulled it off at the home stretch. At Alipurduar, where a vote boycott by tribals, and Nepalis’ support to BJP has queered the pitch, all three candidates are cautious. “The poll boycott by the tribals will directly affect the Left Front vote bank. The GJM cause will also come as a blow to the ruling party. Most Nepalis used to cast their vote for the Front as well. We are therefore confident of winning this seat,” said Trinamool candidate Pawan Lakra. BJP’s Manoj Tigga, on the other hand, is banking on Nepali votes. “I will win,” he said. RSP’s Manohar Tirkey, whose seat was considered one of the most secure till the tribal boycott and Nepali desertion turned it wobbly, is putting up a brave face as well. “There hasn’t been much polling in the tea belt. But we have been compensated by strong voting in the plains. The voting percentage in villages was much higher than earlier. It should go in our favour,” he said. M a u s a m Noor, the young Congress candidate from Malda North, who was pitted against CPM veteran Sailen Sarkar, is also banking on the high 80% turnout to create an upset. Now campaigning for Somen Mitra at Diamond Harbour, Noor acknowledged it had been a tough fight but hoped to pull through with the dents she had made in CPM strongholds like Bamangola and Gajole. “Even now, I continue to get calls from womenfolk in families that have traditionally voted for CPM,” Noor said. CPM secretary Jiban Maitra, who has been rallying forces for Sarkar, dismissed any erosion in the Left vote. Acknowledging the opponent’s charm, he said people went only to “see Mausam, not vote for her”. Maitra felt Sakar would score with votes at Habibpur and Gajole, that did not go to Congress as perceived. Another Sarkar aide said the deciding factor would be an anti-minority sentiment among some Congress supporters in Old Malda. In Balurghat, Trinamool candidate Biplab Mitra is upbeat. If re-alignment of the constituency following delimitation and rift in the CPM-RSP ranks had fuelled hopes of an upset, the huge 87% turnout has given it a shot in the arm. “The voter turnout points to an anti-incumbency wave. Minorities also voted for us in large numbers,” he said. RSP leader Prosanta Majumder disagreed, analyzing the massive turnout as a revolt against the “unholy” alliance between Congress and Trinamool. In south Bengal, CPM Krishnagar candidate Jyo t i r m oye e Sikdar expressed confidence of winning by a margin of 50,000 votes. But so did rival Tapas Paul. “I am not bothered about BJP candidate Satyabrata Mukherjee eating into the Congress vote share. Of the seven Assembly segments in Krishnagar, six seats are in our grasp. Remember, we got 52% votes in the panchayat elections,” Sikdar said. Tapas Pal’s campaign manager Ujjal Biswas said the star candidate would ride votes from the minority community to win comfortably. “We don’t believe BJP will make any difference. They created some excitement in the beginning but it petered out,” Biswas said.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Tall tales about big leader, but little on the ground
AURA AND THE MAN
Subhro Maitra TNN
Few in Jangipur have seen the dhoti-kurta clad leader who dares to “take on Pakistan and fight terrorism”. Some have attended his rallies, but most have only caught fleeting images of him on TV as he holds forth on a range of issues in Delhi. Nonetheless, everyone in Jangipur — the politically indifferent housewife, the committed party worker, the underpaid bidi labourer — is taken in by Pranab Mukherjee, their ‘VIP candidate’, who is seen as an agent of change and the mediator of all good things that might happen here. None on either side of the political divide is quite sure how these myths emerged. But it was never more apparent on polling day. Thirty-year-old Hiru Das has been cycling around the constituency since 5 am, a Congress flag fluttering from the handlebar. Pointing proudly at the Tricolour, Das smiles when asked about the elections. “There is only one candidate here, Pranab Mukherjee. He is a very important person and has done a lot for the area. He has built colleges and universities for us and also built roads... and a lot of other things,” Das trails off. Mukherjee, however, has so far only been a party to the announcement that a branch of the Aligarh Muslim University will come up at Jangipur. As for “colleges and universities”, none is quite sure what Das is talking about. But the “big man” has a larger than life image. He is even credited for building embankments that will eradicate floods from the district. “He has built embankments and from this year there will be no floods or erosion. Why shouldn’t we vote for him?” asks Alema Bibi of Khargram. Alema, like her neighbour Shibu Haldar, has not seen the leader on his campaign trail. Nor heard his speeches or poll promises. She is probably not aware that no embankments have been built either, by Mukherjee or anybody else. But the aura around the leader has left her too dazed to verify facts. “He has the guts to take on terrorists. Uni khub boro manush, uni amader bhalo korben (He is a big man and will do us a lot of good),” she said. Even bidi workers, who form a sizeable section of voters, believe Mukherjee will improve their lot. With a daily earning of Rs 40 or even less, they barely manage to make ends meet. “Has Pranab babu promised you a higher wage?” The question is greeted with a look of indifference. “It’s too small a matter for him to even talk about. Let him win the seat, he will take good care of us,” said Samad of Amarpur village, who has been fortunate to see the leader in person while Mukherjee was campaigning. Golenur Bewa of Boroj village agrees. “He is the one who got the skull and bones sign removed from bidi packets and saved us from unemployment,” she says. Even the local CPM has been left searching for answers. They admit they are having to fight Mukherjee’s aura — a task for which they were not prepared. The man himself stayed away from the election hullabaloo on Thursday. He neither made a public appearance, nor a round of the booths. As the media waited at his local residence, Mukherjee refused to show up, burying himself in a book of poems. “I am a great admirer of Sudhin Datta’s poems and was reading them today,” he said.
Subhro Maitra TNN
Few in Jangipur have seen the dhoti-kurta clad leader who dares to “take on Pakistan and fight terrorism”. Some have attended his rallies, but most have only caught fleeting images of him on TV as he holds forth on a range of issues in Delhi. Nonetheless, everyone in Jangipur — the politically indifferent housewife, the committed party worker, the underpaid bidi labourer — is taken in by Pranab Mukherjee, their ‘VIP candidate’, who is seen as an agent of change and the mediator of all good things that might happen here. None on either side of the political divide is quite sure how these myths emerged. But it was never more apparent on polling day. Thirty-year-old Hiru Das has been cycling around the constituency since 5 am, a Congress flag fluttering from the handlebar. Pointing proudly at the Tricolour, Das smiles when asked about the elections. “There is only one candidate here, Pranab Mukherjee. He is a very important person and has done a lot for the area. He has built colleges and universities for us and also built roads... and a lot of other things,” Das trails off. Mukherjee, however, has so far only been a party to the announcement that a branch of the Aligarh Muslim University will come up at Jangipur. As for “colleges and universities”, none is quite sure what Das is talking about. But the “big man” has a larger than life image. He is even credited for building embankments that will eradicate floods from the district. “He has built embankments and from this year there will be no floods or erosion. Why shouldn’t we vote for him?” asks Alema Bibi of Khargram. Alema, like her neighbour Shibu Haldar, has not seen the leader on his campaign trail. Nor heard his speeches or poll promises. She is probably not aware that no embankments have been built either, by Mukherjee or anybody else. But the aura around the leader has left her too dazed to verify facts. “He has the guts to take on terrorists. Uni khub boro manush, uni amader bhalo korben (He is a big man and will do us a lot of good),” she said. Even bidi workers, who form a sizeable section of voters, believe Mukherjee will improve their lot. With a daily earning of Rs 40 or even less, they barely manage to make ends meet. “Has Pranab babu promised you a higher wage?” The question is greeted with a look of indifference. “It’s too small a matter for him to even talk about. Let him win the seat, he will take good care of us,” said Samad of Amarpur village, who has been fortunate to see the leader in person while Mukherjee was campaigning. Golenur Bewa of Boroj village agrees. “He is the one who got the skull and bones sign removed from bidi packets and saved us from unemployment,” she says. Even the local CPM has been left searching for answers. They admit they are having to fight Mukherjee’s aura — a task for which they were not prepared. The man himself stayed away from the election hullabaloo on Thursday. He neither made a public appearance, nor a round of the booths. As the media waited at his local residence, Mukherjee refused to show up, burying himself in a book of poems. “I am a great admirer of Sudhin Datta’s poems and was reading them today,” he said.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
12,000 Malda voters boycott poll
DANCE Of DEMOCRACY
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Malda: As many as 12,000 voters boycotted the poll in Malda on Thursday, saying basic demands, such as bijli, sadak or paani (electricity, roads and water) have not been met all these years. Voters at 11 booths of Manikchak, one each at Malatipur and Habibpur stuck to their decision of boycotting the poll after they had earlier submitted a memorandum to that effect. When the residents of Gobardhantola, Mannutola and North Chandipur failed to turn up at the booths, district officials rushed to the villagers but failed to convince them to vote. “Had the culvert, lying broken for years at Rampur Khari, been repaired, it would have reduced the distance from the main road by 7 km. Our repeated appeals have only yielded promises,” said Ashoke Shil. “For the stretch of 3 km to 4 km, we have only one tube well and no alternative source of water during droughts,” said Ismal Oraon, a villager. “Since neither any party nor any official promised to provide basic amenities, we found no reason to vote,” said Anil Burman, another villager. The 1,138 voters of Amtola Nanditola of Manikchak or the 1,000-odd voters of North Chandipur, who for years have been demanding drinking water and a bridge over Fulohar river, seemed too disgusted. “Though we tried to convince the villagers to vote, they refused to budge from their boycott call,” said Suresh Mandal, the CPM chief of a gram panchayat. Polling in Malda was as high as nearly 75%, said district magistrate Sridhar Kumar Ghosh, although the final tally was yet to be prepared. Barring a few stray incidents in Sujapur, Harishchandrapur and Kaliachak, polling in both Malda North and South constituencies passed off peacefully. CPM has demanded a repoll in the two booths of the Sujapur Assembly segment. “At booths 75 and 75A of Jaluabathan village, our voters could not vote as Congress had captured the booths,” said Jiban Maitra, CPM district secretary. The administration, however, is yet to decide on a repoll. “The decision will be taken only after the presiding officer and the observers submit their reports,” said the DM. On the other hand, Congress candidates Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury and his niece Mausam Noor expressed happiness with the trend. “Though we had apprehended widespread rigging and booth-capturing by CPM, the situation was not as disastrous,” said Khan Choudhury. Polling in South Dinajpur district, too, was as high as 76%. “There was no demand for a repoll, as polling went off peacefully,” said district magistrate Ashok Banerjee. However, the voters of Syedpur village under Kumarganj Assembly segment and Kurbanpur under Harirampur, boycotted the poll.
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Malda: As many as 12,000 voters boycotted the poll in Malda on Thursday, saying basic demands, such as bijli, sadak or paani (electricity, roads and water) have not been met all these years. Voters at 11 booths of Manikchak, one each at Malatipur and Habibpur stuck to their decision of boycotting the poll after they had earlier submitted a memorandum to that effect. When the residents of Gobardhantola, Mannutola and North Chandipur failed to turn up at the booths, district officials rushed to the villagers but failed to convince them to vote. “Had the culvert, lying broken for years at Rampur Khari, been repaired, it would have reduced the distance from the main road by 7 km. Our repeated appeals have only yielded promises,” said Ashoke Shil. “For the stretch of 3 km to 4 km, we have only one tube well and no alternative source of water during droughts,” said Ismal Oraon, a villager. “Since neither any party nor any official promised to provide basic amenities, we found no reason to vote,” said Anil Burman, another villager. The 1,138 voters of Amtola Nanditola of Manikchak or the 1,000-odd voters of North Chandipur, who for years have been demanding drinking water and a bridge over Fulohar river, seemed too disgusted. “Though we tried to convince the villagers to vote, they refused to budge from their boycott call,” said Suresh Mandal, the CPM chief of a gram panchayat. Polling in Malda was as high as nearly 75%, said district magistrate Sridhar Kumar Ghosh, although the final tally was yet to be prepared. Barring a few stray incidents in Sujapur, Harishchandrapur and Kaliachak, polling in both Malda North and South constituencies passed off peacefully. CPM has demanded a repoll in the two booths of the Sujapur Assembly segment. “At booths 75 and 75A of Jaluabathan village, our voters could not vote as Congress had captured the booths,” said Jiban Maitra, CPM district secretary. The administration, however, is yet to decide on a repoll. “The decision will be taken only after the presiding officer and the observers submit their reports,” said the DM. On the other hand, Congress candidates Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury and his niece Mausam Noor expressed happiness with the trend. “Though we had apprehended widespread rigging and booth-capturing by CPM, the situation was not as disastrous,” said Khan Choudhury. Polling in South Dinajpur district, too, was as high as 76%. “There was no demand for a repoll, as polling went off peacefully,” said district magistrate Ashok Banerjee. However, the voters of Syedpur village under Kumarganj Assembly segment and Kurbanpur under Harirampur, boycotted the poll.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Two votes each, but same tale of woe
VOTING IN TWO LOK SABHA SEATS
Subhro Maitra TNN
Gobindapur: The tiny hamlet of Gobindapur sits practically on the border of Bengal and Bihar. A bone-jarring 60-km ride from Malda, and then a 3-km walk along dusty tracts will bring you to this nondescript village, which like most remote settlements in this country, lacks every basic facility. Yet, the 1,150-odd villagers here enjoy a unique distinction. On Thursday, they will queue up twice to cast their votes, once for Bengal and then again for Bihar. There is no hide and seek about this. Rather, all of them have valid election photo identity cards (EPIC) issued by both states. “We have two MPs, two MLAs, even two panchayat members, and naturally two votes,” says septuagenarian Paresh Yadav with glee. In the narrow bylanes, posters of North Malda candidates Mausam Noor and Sailen Sarkar jostle for space with those of Katihar nominees Tarique Anwar and Nikhil Choudhuri. The impoverished men and women, mostly Muslims, have already made up their mind on who to vote for in which state. Two polling stations have been set up — one at Chhabilaltola Primary School for the Bengal vote and another at Baharsal Primary School for the Bihar vote. On Thursday, election officials of both Bihar and Bengal will occupy the respective polling centres while police from both the states will look after law and order. What if the presiding officer in the second booth bars them from casting the second vote? “No question,” says gram panchayat member Abdur Rahaman, “This is the practice here. We are used to this.” Right since Independence, Gobindapur has been a point of dispute between Bengal and Bihar. With the river Fulohar changing its course, the land records of the village are with Amdabad, Bihar, while law and order is with Ratua police station, Bengal. The villagers, however, find little to cheer about in this arrangement. The list of woes is endless. “We are basically no man’s child. The nearest health centre is 5 km away, the high school 3 km away and there’s neither road nor transport. Our plight is ignored by both states,” says Paresh Yadav. “We have to submit our land tax at Katihar, but depend on West Bengal for ration card, electricity or any basic amenities. We have submitted a number of deputations to leaders on both sides to settle our land dispute, but to no avail,” points out Rahman. “My wife Pakija Khatun got the job of an ICDS worker in Amdabad, but after serving one year her services were terminated and she was labelled a non-Bihari,” says Najrul Islam. Political workers from both states concede that Gobindapur gets a raw deal. “Bihar did nothing to develop the roads despite several reminders,” admits Md Majibar Ali, a member of Durgapur panchayat of Bihar. “Bengal has not taken any initiative to survey land and settle the issue of the citizenship with Bihar,” accepts Ratua Congress leader and former Malda Zilla Parishad member Soumitra Roy. But, it’s election time and the tale of neglect will be buried for a day in the excitement of casting two votes. For, two sets of candidates have approached them with promises.
Subhro Maitra TNN
Gobindapur: The tiny hamlet of Gobindapur sits practically on the border of Bengal and Bihar. A bone-jarring 60-km ride from Malda, and then a 3-km walk along dusty tracts will bring you to this nondescript village, which like most remote settlements in this country, lacks every basic facility. Yet, the 1,150-odd villagers here enjoy a unique distinction. On Thursday, they will queue up twice to cast their votes, once for Bengal and then again for Bihar. There is no hide and seek about this. Rather, all of them have valid election photo identity cards (EPIC) issued by both states. “We have two MPs, two MLAs, even two panchayat members, and naturally two votes,” says septuagenarian Paresh Yadav with glee. In the narrow bylanes, posters of North Malda candidates Mausam Noor and Sailen Sarkar jostle for space with those of Katihar nominees Tarique Anwar and Nikhil Choudhuri. The impoverished men and women, mostly Muslims, have already made up their mind on who to vote for in which state. Two polling stations have been set up — one at Chhabilaltola Primary School for the Bengal vote and another at Baharsal Primary School for the Bihar vote. On Thursday, election officials of both Bihar and Bengal will occupy the respective polling centres while police from both the states will look after law and order. What if the presiding officer in the second booth bars them from casting the second vote? “No question,” says gram panchayat member Abdur Rahaman, “This is the practice here. We are used to this.” Right since Independence, Gobindapur has been a point of dispute between Bengal and Bihar. With the river Fulohar changing its course, the land records of the village are with Amdabad, Bihar, while law and order is with Ratua police station, Bengal. The villagers, however, find little to cheer about in this arrangement. The list of woes is endless. “We are basically no man’s child. The nearest health centre is 5 km away, the high school 3 km away and there’s neither road nor transport. Our plight is ignored by both states,” says Paresh Yadav. “We have to submit our land tax at Katihar, but depend on West Bengal for ration card, electricity or any basic amenities. We have submitted a number of deputations to leaders on both sides to settle our land dispute, but to no avail,” points out Rahman. “My wife Pakija Khatun got the job of an ICDS worker in Amdabad, but after serving one year her services were terminated and she was labelled a non-Bihari,” says Najrul Islam. Political workers from both states concede that Gobindapur gets a raw deal. “Bihar did nothing to develop the roads despite several reminders,” admits Md Majibar Ali, a member of Durgapur panchayat of Bihar. “Bengal has not taken any initiative to survey land and settle the issue of the citizenship with Bihar,” accepts Ratua Congress leader and former Malda Zilla Parishad member Soumitra Roy. But, it’s election time and the tale of neglect will be buried for a day in the excitement of casting two votes. For, two sets of candidates have approached them with promises.
Cooling down on voting day
Rain will bring relief from the scorching sun over the next 48 hrs — in time for the first phase of voting in Bengal, says the Met
Devjyot Ghoshal TNN
As the heat and dust in poll-bound Bengal settled down on Tuesday, campaigning too ended for the first phase of the Lok Sabha election in the state. And with it came some good news from the weatherman — the first time in the cruellest April in decades. Those who go out to vote on April 30, Thursday, can expect a milder sun and, with luck, a cool breeze. The Alipore Meteorological Office on Tuesday indicated an end to the sweltering heat within 48 hours. Met director GC Debnath predicted a sharp dip in temperature following spells of rains in northern and western parts of the state. “On election day (April 30), isolated rain and thundershowers are expected in parts of North Bengal, including Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar. There is the possibility of thunderclouds in the remaining parts of the state. A significant drop in temperature can be expected in Bankura, Midnapore and Purulia. The average temperature will be around 35-36°C,” Debnath said on Tuesday. The news brought cheer to a parties that had feared a low turnout in the intense heat. Bankura and Purulia are roasting in 45°C heat. In Midnapore, Malda, Dinajpur, Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar, the mercury is pushing past 42 degrees, leaving the land scorched and parched. The government and election personnel also breathed easy following the prediction. In Midnapore, the administration has arranged for water and oral rehydration solution (ORS) in polling booths. Purulia district magistrate Santanu Bose said special water carriers had been fixed for booths and tarpaulin sheets requisitioned to provide cover to the aged. The weather though, will do nothing to neutralise the Maoist factor. Everyone is hoping that the ballot will win over the bullet. In Malda, creased political brows eased as news of weather change trickled in. Fearing low turnout, parties have already set up water stalls at crossroads and plan to erect tents en route to booths. In Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar and Alipurduar constituencies, parties are optimistic of a high turnout following improved weather situation. The administration, though, is taking no chances and has already organized mobile medical teams to combat weather-related exigencies. Unlike elsewhere, politicians in Darjeeling sulked at the prospect of rain playing spoil-sport. A fickle weather would make it difficult for voters to trek to remote polling booths such as Sirikhola, located at 12,000 feet above sea-level. Darjeeling apart, political parties in the rest of the state are urging voters to cast their ballot before noon and avoid the blazing sun. “The weather has been hostile. If rains arrive, it will be a huge relief. But we are advising people to vote early to avoid inclement weather,” said WBPCC general secretary Manas Bhuniya. Doctors advised added precautions. “Take plenty of liquids. Homemade ORS of water mixed with sugar and salt is very effective. Those walking long distances should take short breaks and avoid eating oily or heavy food. Those queuing up at polling booths should stretch their bodies at regular intervals,” pre-ventive medicine specialist Debashish Basu said. (With inputs from Sukumar Mahato, Debajyoti Chakraborty, Subhro Maitra, Pinak Priya Bhattacharya and Deep Gazmer)
Devjyot Ghoshal TNN
As the heat and dust in poll-bound Bengal settled down on Tuesday, campaigning too ended for the first phase of the Lok Sabha election in the state. And with it came some good news from the weatherman — the first time in the cruellest April in decades. Those who go out to vote on April 30, Thursday, can expect a milder sun and, with luck, a cool breeze. The Alipore Meteorological Office on Tuesday indicated an end to the sweltering heat within 48 hours. Met director GC Debnath predicted a sharp dip in temperature following spells of rains in northern and western parts of the state. “On election day (April 30), isolated rain and thundershowers are expected in parts of North Bengal, including Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar. There is the possibility of thunderclouds in the remaining parts of the state. A significant drop in temperature can be expected in Bankura, Midnapore and Purulia. The average temperature will be around 35-36°C,” Debnath said on Tuesday. The news brought cheer to a parties that had feared a low turnout in the intense heat. Bankura and Purulia are roasting in 45°C heat. In Midnapore, Malda, Dinajpur, Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar, the mercury is pushing past 42 degrees, leaving the land scorched and parched. The government and election personnel also breathed easy following the prediction. In Midnapore, the administration has arranged for water and oral rehydration solution (ORS) in polling booths. Purulia district magistrate Santanu Bose said special water carriers had been fixed for booths and tarpaulin sheets requisitioned to provide cover to the aged. The weather though, will do nothing to neutralise the Maoist factor. Everyone is hoping that the ballot will win over the bullet. In Malda, creased political brows eased as news of weather change trickled in. Fearing low turnout, parties have already set up water stalls at crossroads and plan to erect tents en route to booths. In Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar and Alipurduar constituencies, parties are optimistic of a high turnout following improved weather situation. The administration, though, is taking no chances and has already organized mobile medical teams to combat weather-related exigencies. Unlike elsewhere, politicians in Darjeeling sulked at the prospect of rain playing spoil-sport. A fickle weather would make it difficult for voters to trek to remote polling booths such as Sirikhola, located at 12,000 feet above sea-level. Darjeeling apart, political parties in the rest of the state are urging voters to cast their ballot before noon and avoid the blazing sun. “The weather has been hostile. If rains arrive, it will be a huge relief. But we are advising people to vote early to avoid inclement weather,” said WBPCC general secretary Manas Bhuniya. Doctors advised added precautions. “Take plenty of liquids. Homemade ORS of water mixed with sugar and salt is very effective. Those walking long distances should take short breaks and avoid eating oily or heavy food. Those queuing up at polling booths should stretch their bodies at regular intervals,” pre-ventive medicine specialist Debashish Basu said. (With inputs from Sukumar Mahato, Debajyoti Chakraborty, Subhro Maitra, Pinak Priya Bhattacharya and Deep Gazmer)
Kids give charter of demands to Mausam
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Malda: The last few days on the road have been hot and dusty, and Mausam Noor was looking tired on the last day of campaigning. Little did the Congress candidate from Malda North know that a refreshing experience was waiting for her as her convoy rolled into Baharal in Ratua on Tuesday for a last-minute bid to reach out to voters. At the nearby village of Kahala, a group of children — all in the 10-12 age group — were waiting for Mausam. Curiosity made her stop, though most of her poll managers didn’t see the point in spending time with those who hadn’t even reached voting age. It turned out to be time well spent. The group of kids had been brought to meet Mausam by Rajadighi Community Health Service Society, a local NGO. They handed over a charter of demands to Mausam, apart from speaking to her of their grievances. Children like Dalinur Khatun (12) of Kaligram and Prakash Munda (11) of Alampur didn’t ask for roads or electricity. They asked Mausam to ensure that the Child Labour Prohibition and Regulation Act was implemented strictly and requested her to abolish child labour up to 18 years. The 14-point charter included the comprehensive scheme for children rescued from child labour, ending all violence against children and ensuring their education. Visibly delighted to meet the ch i l d re n , Mausam got out of her car, held their hands and spoke to them. Tribal boy Kishan Munda (12), who hails from Old Malda, told her how a neighbourhood girl of his age had been married off. “I don’t know what to say. I’ll certainly remember you even if I lose the election,” Mausam said. Other children like Sarita and Prakash were busy calculating whose hands had Mausam held the longest. Shibesh Das, the member of Rajadighi Community Health Service Society who led the children, said, “Save the Children has taken up this project with partner NGOs to draw the attention of political parties to the issues affecting India future generations.”
Malda: The last few days on the road have been hot and dusty, and Mausam Noor was looking tired on the last day of campaigning. Little did the Congress candidate from Malda North know that a refreshing experience was waiting for her as her convoy rolled into Baharal in Ratua on Tuesday for a last-minute bid to reach out to voters. At the nearby village of Kahala, a group of children — all in the 10-12 age group — were waiting for Mausam. Curiosity made her stop, though most of her poll managers didn’t see the point in spending time with those who hadn’t even reached voting age. It turned out to be time well spent. The group of kids had been brought to meet Mausam by Rajadighi Community Health Service Society, a local NGO. They handed over a charter of demands to Mausam, apart from speaking to her of their grievances. Children like Dalinur Khatun (12) of Kaligram and Prakash Munda (11) of Alampur didn’t ask for roads or electricity. They asked Mausam to ensure that the Child Labour Prohibition and Regulation Act was implemented strictly and requested her to abolish child labour up to 18 years. The 14-point charter included the comprehensive scheme for children rescued from child labour, ending all violence against children and ensuring their education. Visibly delighted to meet the ch i l d re n , Mausam got out of her car, held their hands and spoke to them. Tribal boy Kishan Munda (12), who hails from Old Malda, told her how a neighbourhood girl of his age had been married off. “I don’t know what to say. I’ll certainly remember you even if I lose the election,” Mausam said. Other children like Sarita and Prakash were busy calculating whose hands had Mausam held the longest. Shibesh Das, the member of Rajadighi Community Health Service Society who led the children, said, “Save the Children has taken up this project with partner NGOs to draw the attention of political parties to the issues affecting India future generations.”
Brinda returns Sonia barb
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Malda: Reacting to Sonia Gandhi’s comments against the Left Front government in Bengal the day before, Brinda Karat tore into the Congress at rallies in Malda and Gajole on Tuesday. “Before criticizing the Bengal government, Sonia Gandhi must answer why a farmer commits suicide every 30 minutes in Maharashtra after so many years of Congress rule there,” she thundered. Karat was referring to Sonia’s remark that “the Bengal government would have to answer why it has not done anything for the poor in so many years”. Karat said Congress was “shedding tears” for minorities, farmers and tribals before the election. “But what have they done all these years? If they did anything at all, it was due to the Left Front’s pressure,” she said. “Sensing their inevitable defeat in North Malda, Congress is now playing the communal card. But people of the state are conscious enough to refuse them,” she said. “Sonia said a lot regarding the ‘Prime Minister fashion’ in our Third Front. All we want to say is that the people of India have decided not to accept the Congress fashion in Delhi,” she said. Regarding Sonia’s comment on the “Bengal government’s autocratic attitude”, Karat said: “Sonia’s comment on West Bengal was tantamount to insulting the people. In Bengal, the voting percentage is 70% to 80%. But in Amethi, from where Rahul Gandhi is contesting, the poll percentage is 40 to 45%. Is it not ‘tanashahi’ (autocracy),” she wondered.
Malda: Reacting to Sonia Gandhi’s comments against the Left Front government in Bengal the day before, Brinda Karat tore into the Congress at rallies in Malda and Gajole on Tuesday. “Before criticizing the Bengal government, Sonia Gandhi must answer why a farmer commits suicide every 30 minutes in Maharashtra after so many years of Congress rule there,” she thundered. Karat was referring to Sonia’s remark that “the Bengal government would have to answer why it has not done anything for the poor in so many years”. Karat said Congress was “shedding tears” for minorities, farmers and tribals before the election. “But what have they done all these years? If they did anything at all, it was due to the Left Front’s pressure,” she said. “Sensing their inevitable defeat in North Malda, Congress is now playing the communal card. But people of the state are conscious enough to refuse them,” she said. “Sonia said a lot regarding the ‘Prime Minister fashion’ in our Third Front. All we want to say is that the people of India have decided not to accept the Congress fashion in Delhi,” she said. Regarding Sonia’s comment on the “Bengal government’s autocratic attitude”, Karat said: “Sonia’s comment on West Bengal was tantamount to insulting the people. In Bengal, the voting percentage is 70% to 80%. But in Amethi, from where Rahul Gandhi is contesting, the poll percentage is 40 to 45%. Is it not ‘tanashahi’ (autocracy),” she wondered.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Women stage roadblock demanding quack’s release
Malda: Hundreds of women of Malda’s Chhatiangachhi village have been on the warpath, demanding immediate release of a quack, held for performing an illegal abortion on a teenage mentally challenged girl, who was allegedly raped. The reason? The quack is the only medical practitioner in miles. The girl, a resident of Stationpara in Malda’s Habibpur, was allegedly raped by her neighbour. On April 20, when it was found that she was pregnant, villagers took her to Ratan Pal, a village quack. However, acting on a complaint, police arrested Pal and the alleged rapist. On April 22, he was produced in court, which sent him to 14 days’ jail custody. Two days later, hundreds of women blocked the highway, demanding Pal’s release. They continued with the protest near Bulbulchandi station till late in the evening, paralyzing traffic movement. They lifted the roadblock, but vowed to intensify their agitation if Pal was not released soon. “As there is no immediate hope of Pal’s release, we fear the agitation might resurface any time,” said a police officer. TNN
Left has to answer for neglecting poor: Sonia
Invokes Ghani Khan Memory, Says Left Did Politics For Own Gains
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Malda/Islampur/Behrampore: Sonia Gandhi slammed the CPM-led government on Monday for trying to “hijack” development programmes run by Pradesh Congress president Pranab Mukherjee. “He has played an important role in all these projects. Nobody else can take credit for these,” she said both at Samsi and Islampur in North Dinajpur, referring to how CPM has been claiming that its MPs “forced” the UPA government to announce welfare schemes. “We have increased the procurement price of paddy by Rs 300 per quintal but farmers here are not getting the advantage. They have also failed to implement the Rajiv Gandhi Rural Electrification scheme in villages. The Bengal government will have to answer why they have not done anything for the poor in so many years,” Sonia said. Mamata Banerjee, too, threw a Left hook. “The CPM government has done nothing for the state except giving out more liquor licences,” she said. In Samsi — where Rahul Gandhi has shared the dais with Ghani Khan Choudhury’s niece Mausam Noor and brother Abu Hasem Khan two days ago — Sonia spoke of the Gandhi family’s relations with the Ghani Khan clan. “Here, Mausam Noor and Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury are contesting the elections to fulfil Ghani Khan’s dream,” she said. If it was Ghani Khan in Malda, Priya Ranjan Das Munshi came up in Islampur where his wife Deepa Das Munshi is the candidate. “From train services to Raigunj to a proposed institution on the lines of AIIMS, Priya Ranjan Das Munshi has done a lot for this area. Deepa is the candidate as he is ill,” Sonia reminded the voters who had elected Priya to Lok Sabha in 2004. “CPM is scared of the Congress-Trinamool alliance,” she said. “Congress has led the country in the right direction while the Left parties have done politics for their own gains. In spite of reservations from some of partners in the UPA, the Congress pressed forward with the Rs 63,000 crore loan waiver for farmers. We could have done more had there not been opposition from our erstwhile partners.” Sonia dismissed the proposed Third Front as a “power-hungry, opportunist combine”. “The Third Front is devoid of any vision and is only trying to grab power. There are many aspirants for the prime minister’s post but it is only Congress that can provide a stable and strong government at the Centre. We are here to serve people and not because of the power that comes with the post,” Sonia said. She did not elaborate much on Nandigram or Singur. “Whatever the Left may say, you know what their real stance is,” she said. Like her son, Sonia also climbed over barricades to reach out to people. Several barricades collapsed when the crowd surged to meet her. Her bodyguards, who had their hearts in their mouths all this while, finally would have no more of it and whisked her away towards the waiting chopper. Sonia had to wait nearly an hour at the VIP lounge of Bagdogra airport after an IAF Mig-21’s undercarriage malfunctioned on landing, leaving the runway blocked.
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Malda/Islampur/Behrampore: Sonia Gandhi slammed the CPM-led government on Monday for trying to “hijack” development programmes run by Pradesh Congress president Pranab Mukherjee. “He has played an important role in all these projects. Nobody else can take credit for these,” she said both at Samsi and Islampur in North Dinajpur, referring to how CPM has been claiming that its MPs “forced” the UPA government to announce welfare schemes. “We have increased the procurement price of paddy by Rs 300 per quintal but farmers here are not getting the advantage. They have also failed to implement the Rajiv Gandhi Rural Electrification scheme in villages. The Bengal government will have to answer why they have not done anything for the poor in so many years,” Sonia said. Mamata Banerjee, too, threw a Left hook. “The CPM government has done nothing for the state except giving out more liquor licences,” she said. In Samsi — where Rahul Gandhi has shared the dais with Ghani Khan Choudhury’s niece Mausam Noor and brother Abu Hasem Khan two days ago — Sonia spoke of the Gandhi family’s relations with the Ghani Khan clan. “Here, Mausam Noor and Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury are contesting the elections to fulfil Ghani Khan’s dream,” she said. If it was Ghani Khan in Malda, Priya Ranjan Das Munshi came up in Islampur where his wife Deepa Das Munshi is the candidate. “From train services to Raigunj to a proposed institution on the lines of AIIMS, Priya Ranjan Das Munshi has done a lot for this area. Deepa is the candidate as he is ill,” Sonia reminded the voters who had elected Priya to Lok Sabha in 2004. “CPM is scared of the Congress-Trinamool alliance,” she said. “Congress has led the country in the right direction while the Left parties have done politics for their own gains. In spite of reservations from some of partners in the UPA, the Congress pressed forward with the Rs 63,000 crore loan waiver for farmers. We could have done more had there not been opposition from our erstwhile partners.” Sonia dismissed the proposed Third Front as a “power-hungry, opportunist combine”. “The Third Front is devoid of any vision and is only trying to grab power. There are many aspirants for the prime minister’s post but it is only Congress that can provide a stable and strong government at the Centre. We are here to serve people and not because of the power that comes with the post,” Sonia said. She did not elaborate much on Nandigram or Singur. “Whatever the Left may say, you know what their real stance is,” she said. Like her son, Sonia also climbed over barricades to reach out to people. Several barricades collapsed when the crowd surged to meet her. Her bodyguards, who had their hearts in their mouths all this while, finally would have no more of it and whisked her away towards the waiting chopper. Sonia had to wait nearly an hour at the VIP lounge of Bagdogra airport after an IAF Mig-21’s undercarriage malfunctioned on landing, leaving the runway blocked.
Cong supporter killed at Malda rally venue
Subhro Maitra TNN
Malda: One person was killed and five were injured after a tree branch — groaning under the weight of Congress supporters — collapsed on him at Samsi College Ground, 70 km from Malda, the venue of Sonia Gandhi’s meeting. Md Abu Dar (55), a diehard Congress supporter of Jagannathpur village, had travelled 30 km to attend Sonia’s rally in support of Mausam Noor, the Congress candidate for Malda North. Since 9.30 am, he — along with other villagers — was waiting to catch a glimpse of Sonia. However, with the crowd increasing by the minute (it had crossed 1.5 lakh, say police), the ground was hardly enough to accommodate them all. The barricades could not bear the pressure, neither did the mango tree on the field. It fell down, injuring five, including Dar, who were standing below it. Dar was one of those who were critically injured, and was taken to Ratua Hospital. He, however, died on the way. Superintendent of police Satyajit Bandyopadhyay, while confirming the death, said: “Tarak Mandal of Bilaimari was also seriously inured. He was taken to Malda hospital.” The father of three sons and 4 daughters, Dar was a known Congress supporter. Congress leaders Mausam Noor and Mustaque Alam visited Dar’s home after receiving the news. “The inadequate police infrastructure was responsible for the tragedy. Thanks to Congress workers, there was no further damage,” said Alam.
Malda: One person was killed and five were injured after a tree branch — groaning under the weight of Congress supporters — collapsed on him at Samsi College Ground, 70 km from Malda, the venue of Sonia Gandhi’s meeting. Md Abu Dar (55), a diehard Congress supporter of Jagannathpur village, had travelled 30 km to attend Sonia’s rally in support of Mausam Noor, the Congress candidate for Malda North. Since 9.30 am, he — along with other villagers — was waiting to catch a glimpse of Sonia. However, with the crowd increasing by the minute (it had crossed 1.5 lakh, say police), the ground was hardly enough to accommodate them all. The barricades could not bear the pressure, neither did the mango tree on the field. It fell down, injuring five, including Dar, who were standing below it. Dar was one of those who were critically injured, and was taken to Ratua Hospital. He, however, died on the way. Superintendent of police Satyajit Bandyopadhyay, while confirming the death, said: “Tarak Mandal of Bilaimari was also seriously inured. He was taken to Malda hospital.” The father of three sons and 4 daughters, Dar was a known Congress supporter. Congress leaders Mausam Noor and Mustaque Alam visited Dar’s home after receiving the news. “The inadequate police infrastructure was responsible for the tragedy. Thanks to Congress workers, there was no further damage,” said Alam.
Left Is Scared Of Opp Mahajot, Says Cong Chief
9 yrs on, Sonia & Mamata share dais
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Malda/Islampur/Behrampore: Two days after Rahul Gandhi blazed a Left-singeing trail across Bengal, mother Sonia Gandhi landed in the state on Monday to carry on the Red bashing, this time with Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee at her side. The Left is running scared of the Congress-Trinamool alliance, the UPA chief said, heaping praise on Mamata. The AICC chairperson always had a soft corner for Mamata and made it a point to talk to her in Parliament. The Trinamool boss, in turn, met Sonia in confidence even when some Pradesh Congress leaders were averse to an alliance. During his visit to Kolkata, Rahul had said he had “fond memories” of Mamata visiting their home when Indira and Rajiv Gandhi were alive. The bonhomie was seen in public for the first time in nine years at Behrampore’s Lalgola on Monday. A crowd of 1.5 lakh turned up to see Mamata, Sonia and state Congress president Pranab Mukherjee — the architects of the new alliance that has emerged as a major challenge to Left Front — share the dais in Behrampore. Over a lakh gathered in Malda and Islampur as well. Sonia carried on from where Rahul had left. The theme was the same: poverty and underdevelopment in Bengal. Like her son, she also painted the Left as “anti-poor”, but needled CPM further on the Sachar Committee report. “The state government will have to answer why they have not done anything for the poor in so many years,” Sonia said in Behrampore. In Samsi, 70 km from Malda, she dug it in hard: “CPM should introspect what it has done to Sonar Bangla. The state government failed to implement the NREGA scheme that assures 100 days’ jobs to the rural poor. Even job cards have not been issued to people seeking jobs.” “I feel sorry when I see the condition of the poor in West Bengal and the Left Front calls itself the messiah of the poor.” Reaching out to the sizeable minority population in the region, Sonia laid emphasis on how the UPA government had paid heed to the Sachhar Committee recommendations. “The Left Front government does not have a particularly good record as far as implementation of the Sachhar report goes,” she said. In Behrampore, she spoke of a proposed branch of Aligarh Muslim University and projects to provide security to labourers from the unorganized sector. Sonia also slammed the CPM-led government for trying to “hijack” development programmes run by the Pradesh Congress president.
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Malda/Islampur/Behrampore: Two days after Rahul Gandhi blazed a Left-singeing trail across Bengal, mother Sonia Gandhi landed in the state on Monday to carry on the Red bashing, this time with Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee at her side. The Left is running scared of the Congress-Trinamool alliance, the UPA chief said, heaping praise on Mamata. The AICC chairperson always had a soft corner for Mamata and made it a point to talk to her in Parliament. The Trinamool boss, in turn, met Sonia in confidence even when some Pradesh Congress leaders were averse to an alliance. During his visit to Kolkata, Rahul had said he had “fond memories” of Mamata visiting their home when Indira and Rajiv Gandhi were alive. The bonhomie was seen in public for the first time in nine years at Behrampore’s Lalgola on Monday. A crowd of 1.5 lakh turned up to see Mamata, Sonia and state Congress president Pranab Mukherjee — the architects of the new alliance that has emerged as a major challenge to Left Front — share the dais in Behrampore. Over a lakh gathered in Malda and Islampur as well. Sonia carried on from where Rahul had left. The theme was the same: poverty and underdevelopment in Bengal. Like her son, she also painted the Left as “anti-poor”, but needled CPM further on the Sachar Committee report. “The state government will have to answer why they have not done anything for the poor in so many years,” Sonia said in Behrampore. In Samsi, 70 km from Malda, she dug it in hard: “CPM should introspect what it has done to Sonar Bangla. The state government failed to implement the NREGA scheme that assures 100 days’ jobs to the rural poor. Even job cards have not been issued to people seeking jobs.” “I feel sorry when I see the condition of the poor in West Bengal and the Left Front calls itself the messiah of the poor.” Reaching out to the sizeable minority population in the region, Sonia laid emphasis on how the UPA government had paid heed to the Sachhar Committee recommendations. “The Left Front government does not have a particularly good record as far as implementation of the Sachhar report goes,” she said. In Behrampore, she spoke of a proposed branch of Aligarh Muslim University and projects to provide security to labourers from the unorganized sector. Sonia also slammed the CPM-led government for trying to “hijack” development programmes run by the Pradesh Congress president.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Mishti doi for Rahul at dinner, breakfast
SWEET TOOTH
Jayanta Gupta TNN
Kolkata: A light dinner — nothing too rich or spicy — and yes, mishti doi to polish it off. Those were Rahul Gandhi’s specifications for dinner on Friday night after a whirlwind tour of the state that left the ruling Left Front with a bitter aftertaste. Rahul spent the night not at any star hotel but the Ordnance Factory Board’s inspection bungalow in Dum Dum. The 39-year-old AICC general secretary had informed the hosts that he wouldn’t have “rich or heavy” food. Immediately after he reached the bungalow around 7 pm, fruit juice, tea, coffee and light snacks were served. The staff is not sure whether Rahul had any of these, though. “Special Protection Group (SPG) officers directed us to lay out the food, including dinner, on a table and leave. Nobody was allowed to be present when Rahul had his meal. The menu included rice, phulkas (rotis), dal, sabzi, chicken curry, rasgullas and of course mishti doi. There was no way of knowing what he actually had. But we were told not to make the food too rich or spicy,” a member of the bungalow staff said. Early on Saturday morning, Rahul left for a star hotel on EM Bypass to meet Pradesh Congress leaders. Also present were Trinamool Congress leaders Mukul Roy and Javed Khan. Roy handed over an uttoriyo and a kurta-churidaar set to Rahul on behalf of Mamata Banerjee. “He is very fond of mishti doi and had some in the morning,” Congress leader Maya Ghosh said. Rahul mentioned during his press conference later that mishti doi was his favourite and he always has some when in Kolkata. The SPG was not very generous though, and many a Congress leader, carrying a pot of the sweet, was turned away. Every food item that Rahul had during his tour was tested (as well as tasted) for poisoning by experts, who are part of SPG. After the press conference in Kolkata on Saturday, Rahul was keen for some tea with journalists. But the SPG would have nothing of it. Finally, Rahul strode up to the journalists for an informal interaction. Memories of Rajiv came alive in Purulia and Jalpaiguri on Friday as Rahul went up to the crowds, hugged children and clasped extended hands. Barely a year before his assassination in May, 1991, Rajiv Gandhi had addressed a huge gathering at the Park Circus Maidan in Kolkata. Nearly 18 years later, son Rahul was touring the state, breaking barriers — both physical and mental — while SPG personnel had their hearts in their mouths. Unlike other people of his stature, the AICC general secretary did not try to mask his surprise on receiving a garland of Sal flowers from local Trinamool leader Bibhabati Tudu in Bankura. Rahul made it clear that he had never seen such flowers before. He studied the flowers before bringing the garland to his nose to catch a whiff of the fragrance. The mercury had breached the 40-degree mark when Rahul’s chopper touched down at Purulia. Save for a drink of water, Rahul did not — or was not allowed to — have anything. There was chaos when he started leaving the dais. A hoarding came loose and fell on Congress leader Pradip Bhattacharya, resulting in a minor head injury. An unfazed Rahul walked towards the crowd, smiling and waving. Malda, the Congress stronghold that it is, was a different experience altogether. Rahul was seen talking to Malda North candidate Mausam Noor, who was clearly thrilled. Trinamool leader Babla Sarkar gifted him an uttoriyo. Local MLA Krishnendu Narayan Chowdhury had the privilege of handing over Malda’s special amshotto (mango-preserve). It was a tired Rahul who landed in Kolkata around 6.35 pm. He had made it clear to WBPCC that he did not wish to disturb traffic in Kolkata. His carcade made its way from the airport to the OFB’s bungalow. (With inputs from Debajyoti Chakraborty in Purulia & Bankura, Subhro Maitra in Malda and Pinak Priya Bhattacharya in Jalpaiguri)
Jayanta Gupta TNN
Kolkata: A light dinner — nothing too rich or spicy — and yes, mishti doi to polish it off. Those were Rahul Gandhi’s specifications for dinner on Friday night after a whirlwind tour of the state that left the ruling Left Front with a bitter aftertaste. Rahul spent the night not at any star hotel but the Ordnance Factory Board’s inspection bungalow in Dum Dum. The 39-year-old AICC general secretary had informed the hosts that he wouldn’t have “rich or heavy” food. Immediately after he reached the bungalow around 7 pm, fruit juice, tea, coffee and light snacks were served. The staff is not sure whether Rahul had any of these, though. “Special Protection Group (SPG) officers directed us to lay out the food, including dinner, on a table and leave. Nobody was allowed to be present when Rahul had his meal. The menu included rice, phulkas (rotis), dal, sabzi, chicken curry, rasgullas and of course mishti doi. There was no way of knowing what he actually had. But we were told not to make the food too rich or spicy,” a member of the bungalow staff said. Early on Saturday morning, Rahul left for a star hotel on EM Bypass to meet Pradesh Congress leaders. Also present were Trinamool Congress leaders Mukul Roy and Javed Khan. Roy handed over an uttoriyo and a kurta-churidaar set to Rahul on behalf of Mamata Banerjee. “He is very fond of mishti doi and had some in the morning,” Congress leader Maya Ghosh said. Rahul mentioned during his press conference later that mishti doi was his favourite and he always has some when in Kolkata. The SPG was not very generous though, and many a Congress leader, carrying a pot of the sweet, was turned away. Every food item that Rahul had during his tour was tested (as well as tasted) for poisoning by experts, who are part of SPG. After the press conference in Kolkata on Saturday, Rahul was keen for some tea with journalists. But the SPG would have nothing of it. Finally, Rahul strode up to the journalists for an informal interaction. Memories of Rajiv came alive in Purulia and Jalpaiguri on Friday as Rahul went up to the crowds, hugged children and clasped extended hands. Barely a year before his assassination in May, 1991, Rajiv Gandhi had addressed a huge gathering at the Park Circus Maidan in Kolkata. Nearly 18 years later, son Rahul was touring the state, breaking barriers — both physical and mental — while SPG personnel had their hearts in their mouths. Unlike other people of his stature, the AICC general secretary did not try to mask his surprise on receiving a garland of Sal flowers from local Trinamool leader Bibhabati Tudu in Bankura. Rahul made it clear that he had never seen such flowers before. He studied the flowers before bringing the garland to his nose to catch a whiff of the fragrance. The mercury had breached the 40-degree mark when Rahul’s chopper touched down at Purulia. Save for a drink of water, Rahul did not — or was not allowed to — have anything. There was chaos when he started leaving the dais. A hoarding came loose and fell on Congress leader Pradip Bhattacharya, resulting in a minor head injury. An unfazed Rahul walked towards the crowd, smiling and waving. Malda, the Congress stronghold that it is, was a different experience altogether. Rahul was seen talking to Malda North candidate Mausam Noor, who was clearly thrilled. Trinamool leader Babla Sarkar gifted him an uttoriyo. Local MLA Krishnendu Narayan Chowdhury had the privilege of handing over Malda’s special amshotto (mango-preserve). It was a tired Rahul who landed in Kolkata around 6.35 pm. He had made it clear to WBPCC that he did not wish to disturb traffic in Kolkata. His carcade made its way from the airport to the OFB’s bungalow. (With inputs from Debajyoti Chakraborty in Purulia & Bankura, Subhro Maitra in Malda and Pinak Priya Bhattacharya in Jalpaiguri)
We need no lessons from him: CM
Not yet ready for PM post: Rahul
Shrugs Off Salvo On Dynastic Rule
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Kolkata: A youngster with a simple and straight approach to life, who takes his birth in the Nehru-Gandhi family as a fait accompli and would refuse to be Prime Minister if he were offered the chair in the near future. That was how 39-yearold Rahul Gandhi put himself across here on Saturday. If Friday’s whirlwind campaign in Bengal’s hinterland showed shades of a seasoned politician, the press conference here a day later only proved that Rahul had come of age. His body language said it all. Sleeves rolled up, arms on the table, he meant business. The smiles came readily. The answers were always after a few seconds’ pause, the words chosen carefully. Eye contact was constant. And about the only time he shrugged was when he was asked about the Opposition charge that Congress was trying to impose dynastic rule on India. The AICC general secretary admitted he could not do anything about it. Nor did he agree with it. “Manmohan Singh is not of the Gandhi family,” he pointed out. “I belong to that family. I can’t change that. They were my parents, she (Indira Gandhi) was my grandmother.” But he argued that his principles and feelings would remain the same whether he was a Gandhi or not. And no, he would not like to be Prime Minister, at least not immediately. “I would refuse, for two reasons,” he said, when asked whether he would accept the chair in the near future. His priority is to build Congress into a “strong, propoor and youthful organization”. Also, he did not have the experience for it. He was repeatedly asked about his perception of the state government — only a day ago he’d torn into the Left as “retrograde” and “anti-poor”. Rahul chose not to step into the thorny post-poll alliance issue, saying he was a “mere party campaigner”, and pointing out that whatever he said were his “personal feelings”. “I speak about things as I see them,” he said. “I feel the Left Front government in West Bengal has failed to deliver. I was shocked on my first visit to Purulia (on Friday). I had the perception that only Bihar and Uttar Pradesh are bad. But now I find that the level of poverty in Bengal is comparable with some of the poorest places in Orissa.”
Chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has reacted sharply to Rahul Gandhi’s comment that Bengal was worse off than UP or Bihar. “We don’t have to learn about our farmers’ condition from him. Rather, he has to learn more about our state before commenting on us,” the CM said in Samsi, 70 km from Malda. “Being young and unaware of Bengal, he commented adversely on our state and the condition of the poor,” Bhattacharjee added. Taking the attack to Congress, he said: “During the last five years, about 1 lakh farmers committed suicide, but the Manmohan Singh government did nothing to curb it.” TNN ‘Left doesn’t have right ideas about growth’ Kolkata: Rahul Gandhi reiterated on Saturday that even if Congress took the support of the Left later it would not change the “reality of what he had seen in Bengal”. Nandigram occurred because of the Left Front’s failure to maintain a balance between growth and pro-poor policies, he remarked. “What we need is a balance between growth and people who suffer by that growth. In Nandigram that balance was mismanaged,” he said, pointing out that “the government has to hold the hand of the people suffering.” Rahul felt strongly about the need for balanced development and favoured a policy of growth “that ensured that poor people were looked after”. The Left, he felt, “did not have the right ideas of growth”. It had not been able to create a situation where economic development generated enough money to take up antipoverty programmes. “The Left doesn’t know how to generate money for this purpose.” He likened NDA with the Left, saying NDA too had focussed on liberalization and had forgotten the poor. When he came to Bengal, he knew that the Left had been slow in liberalization. “I expected something on the distribution side,” but was shocked to find nothing there either. “There is nothing on programmes like National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and Indira Awas Yojana.” Half of the funds released on IAY to the state had remained unspent. His priorities for the country, two decades from now, are to improve on the education system and ensure that money spent on development reached the poor. When asked about the alliance with Trinamool Congress, he cleverly side-stepped any tricky posers. “I have seen her (Mamata Banerjee) in my father’s house, and with my grandmother also, when I was small. I would like to meet her,” he said. “I admire her because of her simplicity and also because Mamata wants to be with common people.” Asked whether Congress was keeping its doors open for a post-poll understanding with Left, Rahul skirted the issue. “I am nobody to say. That is for the party president and Prime Minister to decide. But as a general principle, I can say that the doors of Congress are open for anyone willing to join us,” he said. Pradesh Congress president Pranab Mukherjee, who sat beside Rahul throughout the press conference, came to his rescue just once, when Rahul was asked on Congress’ role during the Babri Masjid demolition. Mukherjee said the Congress government at the Centre had been “misled by the assertion of BJP, due to then Uttar Pradesh chief minister Kalyan Singh, that the mosque would be protected. Rahul joined in, saying: “Babri Masjid was broken by the politics of BJP. It was broken by the politics of division, it was broken by dividing Indians against Indians.” When asked about free and fair elections in Bengal, he passed the question to Mukherjee, who said the Centre would ensure deployment of paramilitary forces at sensitive booths.
Shrugs Off Salvo On Dynastic Rule
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Kolkata: A youngster with a simple and straight approach to life, who takes his birth in the Nehru-Gandhi family as a fait accompli and would refuse to be Prime Minister if he were offered the chair in the near future. That was how 39-yearold Rahul Gandhi put himself across here on Saturday. If Friday’s whirlwind campaign in Bengal’s hinterland showed shades of a seasoned politician, the press conference here a day later only proved that Rahul had come of age. His body language said it all. Sleeves rolled up, arms on the table, he meant business. The smiles came readily. The answers were always after a few seconds’ pause, the words chosen carefully. Eye contact was constant. And about the only time he shrugged was when he was asked about the Opposition charge that Congress was trying to impose dynastic rule on India. The AICC general secretary admitted he could not do anything about it. Nor did he agree with it. “Manmohan Singh is not of the Gandhi family,” he pointed out. “I belong to that family. I can’t change that. They were my parents, she (Indira Gandhi) was my grandmother.” But he argued that his principles and feelings would remain the same whether he was a Gandhi or not. And no, he would not like to be Prime Minister, at least not immediately. “I would refuse, for two reasons,” he said, when asked whether he would accept the chair in the near future. His priority is to build Congress into a “strong, propoor and youthful organization”. Also, he did not have the experience for it. He was repeatedly asked about his perception of the state government — only a day ago he’d torn into the Left as “retrograde” and “anti-poor”. Rahul chose not to step into the thorny post-poll alliance issue, saying he was a “mere party campaigner”, and pointing out that whatever he said were his “personal feelings”. “I speak about things as I see them,” he said. “I feel the Left Front government in West Bengal has failed to deliver. I was shocked on my first visit to Purulia (on Friday). I had the perception that only Bihar and Uttar Pradesh are bad. But now I find that the level of poverty in Bengal is comparable with some of the poorest places in Orissa.”
Chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has reacted sharply to Rahul Gandhi’s comment that Bengal was worse off than UP or Bihar. “We don’t have to learn about our farmers’ condition from him. Rather, he has to learn more about our state before commenting on us,” the CM said in Samsi, 70 km from Malda. “Being young and unaware of Bengal, he commented adversely on our state and the condition of the poor,” Bhattacharjee added. Taking the attack to Congress, he said: “During the last five years, about 1 lakh farmers committed suicide, but the Manmohan Singh government did nothing to curb it.” TNN ‘Left doesn’t have right ideas about growth’ Kolkata: Rahul Gandhi reiterated on Saturday that even if Congress took the support of the Left later it would not change the “reality of what he had seen in Bengal”. Nandigram occurred because of the Left Front’s failure to maintain a balance between growth and pro-poor policies, he remarked. “What we need is a balance between growth and people who suffer by that growth. In Nandigram that balance was mismanaged,” he said, pointing out that “the government has to hold the hand of the people suffering.” Rahul felt strongly about the need for balanced development and favoured a policy of growth “that ensured that poor people were looked after”. The Left, he felt, “did not have the right ideas of growth”. It had not been able to create a situation where economic development generated enough money to take up antipoverty programmes. “The Left doesn’t know how to generate money for this purpose.” He likened NDA with the Left, saying NDA too had focussed on liberalization and had forgotten the poor. When he came to Bengal, he knew that the Left had been slow in liberalization. “I expected something on the distribution side,” but was shocked to find nothing there either. “There is nothing on programmes like National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and Indira Awas Yojana.” Half of the funds released on IAY to the state had remained unspent. His priorities for the country, two decades from now, are to improve on the education system and ensure that money spent on development reached the poor. When asked about the alliance with Trinamool Congress, he cleverly side-stepped any tricky posers. “I have seen her (Mamata Banerjee) in my father’s house, and with my grandmother also, when I was small. I would like to meet her,” he said. “I admire her because of her simplicity and also because Mamata wants to be with common people.” Asked whether Congress was keeping its doors open for a post-poll understanding with Left, Rahul skirted the issue. “I am nobody to say. That is for the party president and Prime Minister to decide. But as a general principle, I can say that the doors of Congress are open for anyone willing to join us,” he said. Pradesh Congress president Pranab Mukherjee, who sat beside Rahul throughout the press conference, came to his rescue just once, when Rahul was asked on Congress’ role during the Babri Masjid demolition. Mukherjee said the Congress government at the Centre had been “misled by the assertion of BJP, due to then Uttar Pradesh chief minister Kalyan Singh, that the mosque would be protected. Rahul joined in, saying: “Babri Masjid was broken by the politics of BJP. It was broken by the politics of division, it was broken by dividing Indians against Indians.” When asked about free and fair elections in Bengal, he passed the question to Mukherjee, who said the Centre would ensure deployment of paramilitary forces at sensitive booths.
Rahul tears into ‘retrograde’ Left
Prithvijit Mitra, Subhro Maitra & Pinak Priya Bhattacharya TNN
Malda/Malbazar/Purulia/Bankura: Rahul Gandhi tore into Left Front during his whirlwind campaign in Bengal on Friday, barbs laced with stinging statistics and a new confidence in his voice. “When I went to China last year, communist leaders there asked me why CPM in Bengal banks on 40-yearold slogans,” Rahul said at a Malbazar rally, cheered on by thousands. Rahul, who flew into Bengal on Friday, was no longer a ‘probationer politician’, as some had called him during his initiation in the 2004 Lok Sabha election. This was a seasoned politician, a practised speaker who knew how much — and what — to pack into a 15-minute speech. In Purulia and Bankura, the Congress youth mascot spoke of hunger, poverty and the state government’s failure to implement the 100-day rural job guarantee scheme. In Malbazar, he spoke of tribal land rights and hunger deaths in closed tea gardens. Bengal got a picture of an increasingly assertive and aggressive Rahul, who, it is clear, is headed for a bigger role in the national arena. And his decision to hold a press conference in Kolkata on Saturday indicates the importance he and Sonia Gandhi are giving to the Trinamool-Congress alliance. Rahul hit where he knew it would hurt most. “What sort of communists are they?” he repeatedly asked. “Communists struggle for the poor. But this (LF) government has been doing things that hurt the poor. We had sent Rs 30 crore for housing for the poor under Indira Awas Yojana. Thirty per cent of the amount was not spent. The same happened with employment schemes,” said Rahul, slamming CPM for sticking to “an age-old, rejected variety of communism” that stunted growth. The one-time UPA allies came in for stinging criticism for their “40-year-old retrograde policies” and “cowardice” over the nuclear deal. “The communists are still holding on to dated ideas about world politics. They refused to support us on the nuclear deal, claiming we were being arm-twisted by the US. In the new world, no one can be browbeaten, but they refused to see this. We went ahead with the deal as it was for the betterment of the people. Left Front needs to update itself.” ‘Cute’ Rahul invokes youth power Malda/Malbazar/Purulia/Bank ura: Everywhere Rahul Gandhi went during his whirlwind campaign, the atmosphere was electric. Thousands stood for hours in the sweltering heat for a glimpse. Women climbed on chairs with children in arms for a better view, men rushed the bamboo barricades. Rahul triggered a cheer whenever he waved to the crowd, or sprinkled some Bengali on his speeches. “Maldar jonoshadharon ke janai amar namoskar,” was his opening line in Malda. In Bankura, it was “Bankurar manuser joi ho”, driving the crowd wild. In his trademark starched kurta-pajama and a Tricolour angavastram — reminiscent of his late father Rajiv Gandhi — Rahul invoked youth power. Only the young and the liberal, he said, could see through the “evil designs” of the “Communist government” and bring it crashing down. “The communists never want the development of the country; they only want their party to flourish. They forget that India is no longer what she was 70 years ago. The world has taken note of our power and is afraid of us.” Cries of “Rahul, we love you” were often heard. “He is so fair and cute. And he speaks so well. I wish his voice was a bit more manly, but he is a darling,” said second-year student Reshmi Choudhury, who waited under the scorching sun for an hour. Her classmate Anuradha had a different take. “Rahul has the makings of a good politician. It was evident from his speech that he has done quite a bit of homework on Bengal politics,” she said. Housewife Smita Mondol of Madabnagar was not too bothered about Rahul’s political future. “He is so good-looking. Babar motoi dekhte, (he looks like his father),” said Smita. “Na, babar cheyeo bhalo (better than his father),” felt Jayesha Biwi. Septuagenarian Younis Ali came all the way from Sekhpura, in Manikchak, after offering his Friday namaaz just to catch a glimpse of the “future PM”. “Dekhlam, tobe dur theke” (Saw him, but only from a distance),” Ali rued. The Congress leader had evidently done his homework well. On the Malda dais, Rahul was flanked by Congress candidates for the Malda South and North seats — Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury and his niece Mausam Noor, both from the Ghani Khan clan. In Bankura, he made it a point to have Trinamool congress leader Kashinath Mishra at his side. And he knew which nerves to touch. “It’s a shame that Purulia is still one of the country’s most backward areas. Here poor people can’t eat even once a day. Maoists have taken advantage of the deprivation and lack of development to strike root here,” he said, adding he found Bengal “even more backward than Uttar Pradesh”. “I work in UP but Bengal seems worse,” he said at Malbazar in North Bengal. “The government looked on passively while thousands of workers in Jalpaiguri’s 16 closed tea gardens died of malnourishment. And in the school dropout rate, Bengal is second only to Bihar.” Over the years the Left Front government has failed to utilize several thousand crores of central funds for development sent from New Delhi, he said. “As much as 40% of the funds go back unutilized. It’s among the highest in the country. In Bengal, people have got just 20 days’ work under the 100-day rural work guarantee scheme whereas in Congress-run Andhra Pradesh, it’s near 100%,” Rahul said. “The time has come for the people of Bengal to vote for change. You, the youth, have always shown the way to the rest of the country. Do it again.” (With inputs from Debajyoti Chakraborty in Purulia and Bankura)
Malda/Malbazar/Purulia/Bankura: Rahul Gandhi tore into Left Front during his whirlwind campaign in Bengal on Friday, barbs laced with stinging statistics and a new confidence in his voice. “When I went to China last year, communist leaders there asked me why CPM in Bengal banks on 40-yearold slogans,” Rahul said at a Malbazar rally, cheered on by thousands. Rahul, who flew into Bengal on Friday, was no longer a ‘probationer politician’, as some had called him during his initiation in the 2004 Lok Sabha election. This was a seasoned politician, a practised speaker who knew how much — and what — to pack into a 15-minute speech. In Purulia and Bankura, the Congress youth mascot spoke of hunger, poverty and the state government’s failure to implement the 100-day rural job guarantee scheme. In Malbazar, he spoke of tribal land rights and hunger deaths in closed tea gardens. Bengal got a picture of an increasingly assertive and aggressive Rahul, who, it is clear, is headed for a bigger role in the national arena. And his decision to hold a press conference in Kolkata on Saturday indicates the importance he and Sonia Gandhi are giving to the Trinamool-Congress alliance. Rahul hit where he knew it would hurt most. “What sort of communists are they?” he repeatedly asked. “Communists struggle for the poor. But this (LF) government has been doing things that hurt the poor. We had sent Rs 30 crore for housing for the poor under Indira Awas Yojana. Thirty per cent of the amount was not spent. The same happened with employment schemes,” said Rahul, slamming CPM for sticking to “an age-old, rejected variety of communism” that stunted growth. The one-time UPA allies came in for stinging criticism for their “40-year-old retrograde policies” and “cowardice” over the nuclear deal. “The communists are still holding on to dated ideas about world politics. They refused to support us on the nuclear deal, claiming we were being arm-twisted by the US. In the new world, no one can be browbeaten, but they refused to see this. We went ahead with the deal as it was for the betterment of the people. Left Front needs to update itself.” ‘Cute’ Rahul invokes youth power Malda/Malbazar/Purulia/Bank ura: Everywhere Rahul Gandhi went during his whirlwind campaign, the atmosphere was electric. Thousands stood for hours in the sweltering heat for a glimpse. Women climbed on chairs with children in arms for a better view, men rushed the bamboo barricades. Rahul triggered a cheer whenever he waved to the crowd, or sprinkled some Bengali on his speeches. “Maldar jonoshadharon ke janai amar namoskar,” was his opening line in Malda. In Bankura, it was “Bankurar manuser joi ho”, driving the crowd wild. In his trademark starched kurta-pajama and a Tricolour angavastram — reminiscent of his late father Rajiv Gandhi — Rahul invoked youth power. Only the young and the liberal, he said, could see through the “evil designs” of the “Communist government” and bring it crashing down. “The communists never want the development of the country; they only want their party to flourish. They forget that India is no longer what she was 70 years ago. The world has taken note of our power and is afraid of us.” Cries of “Rahul, we love you” were often heard. “He is so fair and cute. And he speaks so well. I wish his voice was a bit more manly, but he is a darling,” said second-year student Reshmi Choudhury, who waited under the scorching sun for an hour. Her classmate Anuradha had a different take. “Rahul has the makings of a good politician. It was evident from his speech that he has done quite a bit of homework on Bengal politics,” she said. Housewife Smita Mondol of Madabnagar was not too bothered about Rahul’s political future. “He is so good-looking. Babar motoi dekhte, (he looks like his father),” said Smita. “Na, babar cheyeo bhalo (better than his father),” felt Jayesha Biwi. Septuagenarian Younis Ali came all the way from Sekhpura, in Manikchak, after offering his Friday namaaz just to catch a glimpse of the “future PM”. “Dekhlam, tobe dur theke” (Saw him, but only from a distance),” Ali rued. The Congress leader had evidently done his homework well. On the Malda dais, Rahul was flanked by Congress candidates for the Malda South and North seats — Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury and his niece Mausam Noor, both from the Ghani Khan clan. In Bankura, he made it a point to have Trinamool congress leader Kashinath Mishra at his side. And he knew which nerves to touch. “It’s a shame that Purulia is still one of the country’s most backward areas. Here poor people can’t eat even once a day. Maoists have taken advantage of the deprivation and lack of development to strike root here,” he said, adding he found Bengal “even more backward than Uttar Pradesh”. “I work in UP but Bengal seems worse,” he said at Malbazar in North Bengal. “The government looked on passively while thousands of workers in Jalpaiguri’s 16 closed tea gardens died of malnourishment. And in the school dropout rate, Bengal is second only to Bihar.” Over the years the Left Front government has failed to utilize several thousand crores of central funds for development sent from New Delhi, he said. “As much as 40% of the funds go back unutilized. It’s among the highest in the country. In Bengal, people have got just 20 days’ work under the 100-day rural work guarantee scheme whereas in Congress-run Andhra Pradesh, it’s near 100%,” Rahul said. “The time has come for the people of Bengal to vote for change. You, the youth, have always shown the way to the rest of the country. Do it again.” (With inputs from Debajyoti Chakraborty in Purulia and Bankura)
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Polls add to drought woes in Malda
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Malda: The polls have added to the troubles of the millions of drought-hit people of Malda and South Dinajpur as under the model code of conduct, no new schemes can be taken up till the election is over. District magistrate Sridhar Ghosh conceded that due to the lack of rainfall, the condition is getting worse by the day in blocks like Habibpur, Old Malda and Bamangola. “I’ve sought a report on the drought from the blocks,” he said. In fact, the stretch between Tapan and Balurghat in South Dinajpur is perhaps the worst sufferer as it has received no rainfall in several months. Crops on around 5,000 acres will be destroyed due to the lack of water. Worse, the villagers are suffering an acute drinking water crisis. More than 5,000 voters of Habibpur and Bamangola have given a poll boycott call, demanding water and power. The villagers of Aiho in Habibpur block also blocked a road two days back. Two booths of Bamangola — Chhatia and Anaharpara — and four of Habibpur have already submitted their memorandum to the administration. Rajesh Kerketta, BDO of Habibpur, conceded that though the villagers’ demand is legitimate, they can do nothing before the election. “We are trying to convince them against the boycott,” he said. Bamangola BDO Anjan Ghosh admitted that the condition was serious. “The drought situation this year is perhaps the worst in recent years and if there is no immediate rainfall, it will go beyond control,” he said.
Malda: The polls have added to the troubles of the millions of drought-hit people of Malda and South Dinajpur as under the model code of conduct, no new schemes can be taken up till the election is over. District magistrate Sridhar Ghosh conceded that due to the lack of rainfall, the condition is getting worse by the day in blocks like Habibpur, Old Malda and Bamangola. “I’ve sought a report on the drought from the blocks,” he said. In fact, the stretch between Tapan and Balurghat in South Dinajpur is perhaps the worst sufferer as it has received no rainfall in several months. Crops on around 5,000 acres will be destroyed due to the lack of water. Worse, the villagers are suffering an acute drinking water crisis. More than 5,000 voters of Habibpur and Bamangola have given a poll boycott call, demanding water and power. The villagers of Aiho in Habibpur block also blocked a road two days back. Two booths of Bamangola — Chhatia and Anaharpara — and four of Habibpur have already submitted their memorandum to the administration. Rajesh Kerketta, BDO of Habibpur, conceded that though the villagers’ demand is legitimate, they can do nothing before the election. “We are trying to convince them against the boycott,” he said. Bamangola BDO Anjan Ghosh admitted that the condition was serious. “The drought situation this year is perhaps the worst in recent years and if there is no immediate rainfall, it will go beyond control,” he said.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Mamata, Pranab take on Left
Subhro Maitra & Pinak Priya Bhattacharya TNN
Balurghat/Cooch Behar/Jalpaiguri: In the same party, they couldn’t see eye to eye. Then they went their separate ways in politics — till an electoral understanding and a shared loathing for the Left brought them together for a landmark alliance. Now, veteran Pranab Mukherjee and firebrand Mamata Banerjee seem to be gelling well as a campaign team. At Balurghat on Sunday, their first election rally since the Trinamool Congress and the Congress struck an alliance, the two were all smiles and bonhomie. Mamata, erstwhile bete noire, was happy to play second fiddle to Pranabda. Waving to the crowd together, they made for a happy picture that hinted at a long-lasting alliance. While Mamata restricted herself to a brief five minute speech, the external affairs minister went on to speak for about 15 minutes. As the Trinamool chief referred reverentially as “Pranabda”, Mukherjee was quick to reciprocate, describing Mamata as the “symbol of youth revolution in Bengal”. In his speech, the union minister lambasted the CPM for failing to bring about development in the state. “Those who could not extend their rule beyond three states are now dreaming of forming a government at the centre. May I ask them what have you done in 32 years in Bengal? Better learn to rule a state first, then think of the country”, said Mukherjee. Flanked by Mamata and Trinamool candidate Biplab Mitra, Mukherjee was scathing in his attack against CPM. “The CPM is arguing in favour of an independent foreign policy and nuclear-free South Asia. If India, Pakistan and other countries give up nuclear weapons, why not China? Comrades, why are you silent about China?” said Mukherjee. Regarding the prospect of a Third Front, Mukherjee was even sharper in his criticism. “What is a third front? Is CPM dreaming of forming a government with all 64 seats in three states? Neither Chandrababu Naidu, Jayalalithaa nor Mayawati were able to win a single seat outside their own state.” Justifying Congress’ alliance with Trinamool in the state, Mukherjee said, “People’s wish and Mamata’s wisdom are behind this alliance. Her role in Parliament during the presidential election and the no-confidence motion brought by BJP and CPM was praiseworthy. She detached herself from the communal parties. While allotting more seats to Trinamool we accepted the reality.” Mukherjee took on the state government on the development issue. “Was there no place apart from Singur and Nandigram to create industries? Why are they not developing the infrastructure at other places? Mukherjee asked. Mamata Banerjee, in her short speech claimed credit for implementing the Eklakhi-Balurghat railway project and promised to extend it further if they came to power. “ Though the two leaders reached Cooch Behar at 5 pm because of the chopper fiasco, people waited for hours to catch a glimpse of the two leaders. Mamata lambasted BJP for supporting Gorkhaland and fielding Jaswant Singh from Darjeeling with GJM’s support. She also appealed to the tribals to lift the poll boycott call. “If you stay away from polling it will help CPM. Whatever your grievances are please reflect it in the electronic voting machines so that this government is thrown out,” she said. External affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee blamed the state government for the sorry state of affairs in the tea gardens. “Centre had announced a package for revival of the closed tea gardens but the state government failed to implement it,” said Mukherjee. As dusk had fallen by the time they finished, the chopper couldn’t take off and the duo travelled by road to Birpara for the next meeting. The poll pitch was raised there as well, with both leaders slamming the Left on various counts. But the final thrust was left for the meeting at Jalpaiguri, where the team reached only around 9 pm. The 70,000-strong crowd had been waiting since 1 pm. Both leaders slammed the Left on the Gorkhaland issue, reminding people that the call of a Gorkha homeland was endorsed by the undivided CPI in the 1940s. Pranab pointed at the figures of the rural job guarantee scheme to highlight the Left’s failure. While Andhra had provided 78 days of work, Maharashtra 88 days and Tamil Nadu 93 days, Bengal had provided work for only 19 days out of the guaranteed 100, he said. Copter fiasco spoils campaign party Balurghat/Cooch Behar: The Pranab-Mamata North Bengal campaign was almost thrown out of gear on Sunday after the chopper that was supposed to ferry them from Balurghat to Cooch behar was detected to be low on fuel. The two leaders were to leave Balurghat Railway Maidan, the meeting venue, at 1.30 pm but were delayed by one and a half hours as the copter was refuelled. Balurghat Trinamool leader Biplab Mitra claimed, “It is an attempt to sabotage their programme. Administration has intentionally delayed the refilling so that their Cooch Behar plans get affected.” District magistrate Ashok Banerjee denied the allegation. “When we heard about the fuel shortage, we arranged for it. But it took time.” The two leaders reached Cooch Behar and Birpara late, and finally wound up at Jalpaiguri around 10 pm. TNN
Balurghat/Cooch Behar/Jalpaiguri: In the same party, they couldn’t see eye to eye. Then they went their separate ways in politics — till an electoral understanding and a shared loathing for the Left brought them together for a landmark alliance. Now, veteran Pranab Mukherjee and firebrand Mamata Banerjee seem to be gelling well as a campaign team. At Balurghat on Sunday, their first election rally since the Trinamool Congress and the Congress struck an alliance, the two were all smiles and bonhomie. Mamata, erstwhile bete noire, was happy to play second fiddle to Pranabda. Waving to the crowd together, they made for a happy picture that hinted at a long-lasting alliance. While Mamata restricted herself to a brief five minute speech, the external affairs minister went on to speak for about 15 minutes. As the Trinamool chief referred reverentially as “Pranabda”, Mukherjee was quick to reciprocate, describing Mamata as the “symbol of youth revolution in Bengal”. In his speech, the union minister lambasted the CPM for failing to bring about development in the state. “Those who could not extend their rule beyond three states are now dreaming of forming a government at the centre. May I ask them what have you done in 32 years in Bengal? Better learn to rule a state first, then think of the country”, said Mukherjee. Flanked by Mamata and Trinamool candidate Biplab Mitra, Mukherjee was scathing in his attack against CPM. “The CPM is arguing in favour of an independent foreign policy and nuclear-free South Asia. If India, Pakistan and other countries give up nuclear weapons, why not China? Comrades, why are you silent about China?” said Mukherjee. Regarding the prospect of a Third Front, Mukherjee was even sharper in his criticism. “What is a third front? Is CPM dreaming of forming a government with all 64 seats in three states? Neither Chandrababu Naidu, Jayalalithaa nor Mayawati were able to win a single seat outside their own state.” Justifying Congress’ alliance with Trinamool in the state, Mukherjee said, “People’s wish and Mamata’s wisdom are behind this alliance. Her role in Parliament during the presidential election and the no-confidence motion brought by BJP and CPM was praiseworthy. She detached herself from the communal parties. While allotting more seats to Trinamool we accepted the reality.” Mukherjee took on the state government on the development issue. “Was there no place apart from Singur and Nandigram to create industries? Why are they not developing the infrastructure at other places? Mukherjee asked. Mamata Banerjee, in her short speech claimed credit for implementing the Eklakhi-Balurghat railway project and promised to extend it further if they came to power. “ Though the two leaders reached Cooch Behar at 5 pm because of the chopper fiasco, people waited for hours to catch a glimpse of the two leaders. Mamata lambasted BJP for supporting Gorkhaland and fielding Jaswant Singh from Darjeeling with GJM’s support. She also appealed to the tribals to lift the poll boycott call. “If you stay away from polling it will help CPM. Whatever your grievances are please reflect it in the electronic voting machines so that this government is thrown out,” she said. External affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee blamed the state government for the sorry state of affairs in the tea gardens. “Centre had announced a package for revival of the closed tea gardens but the state government failed to implement it,” said Mukherjee. As dusk had fallen by the time they finished, the chopper couldn’t take off and the duo travelled by road to Birpara for the next meeting. The poll pitch was raised there as well, with both leaders slamming the Left on various counts. But the final thrust was left for the meeting at Jalpaiguri, where the team reached only around 9 pm. The 70,000-strong crowd had been waiting since 1 pm. Both leaders slammed the Left on the Gorkhaland issue, reminding people that the call of a Gorkha homeland was endorsed by the undivided CPI in the 1940s. Pranab pointed at the figures of the rural job guarantee scheme to highlight the Left’s failure. While Andhra had provided 78 days of work, Maharashtra 88 days and Tamil Nadu 93 days, Bengal had provided work for only 19 days out of the guaranteed 100, he said. Copter fiasco spoils campaign party Balurghat/Cooch Behar: The Pranab-Mamata North Bengal campaign was almost thrown out of gear on Sunday after the chopper that was supposed to ferry them from Balurghat to Cooch behar was detected to be low on fuel. The two leaders were to leave Balurghat Railway Maidan, the meeting venue, at 1.30 pm but were delayed by one and a half hours as the copter was refuelled. Balurghat Trinamool leader Biplab Mitra claimed, “It is an attempt to sabotage their programme. Administration has intentionally delayed the refilling so that their Cooch Behar plans get affected.” District magistrate Ashok Banerjee denied the allegation. “When we heard about the fuel shortage, we arranged for it. But it took time.” The two leaders reached Cooch Behar and Birpara late, and finally wound up at Jalpaiguri around 10 pm. TNN
Left infighting gives Trinamool edge in Balurghat
Subhro Maitra TNN
Balurghat: Infighting in the ruling coalition threatens to give Trinamool Congress the edge for the Lok Sabha election in Balurghat. Left Front partners, CPM and RSP, here, have the least camaraderie, which has become a major source of concern for state-level Left leaders in Kolkata, about 450 kilometre south. RSP district secretary Prasanta Majumdar, who was hospitalised after being assaulted by CPM supporters at Tapan block of South Dinajpur, is now the Left Front candidate from Balurghat, to the utter chagrin of CPM supporters. The pre-election peace thus seems both fragile and ominous for the Left, especially at the grass roots. CPM’s Harilal Rabidas, a member of the Dipkhanda gram panchayat in Tapan, is categorical: “How can we accept an RSP candidate here? How can we forget the trouble he meted out to us?” He, along with Rejaul Sarkar and Nareya Burman, have chosen to be inactive during the polls. “We should vote for Trinamool to oust RSP forever,” said a young CPM worker, Madan Sarkar. But at the district level, it seems all hunky-dory. “This time, unity is at its best as we, the partners, are fighting the polls together,” said RSP leader Sucheta Biswas, also chairperson of Balurghat Municipality. If infighting in the Front makes Trinamool candidate Biplab Mitra optimistic, delimitation has raised his hopes further. The new-look Balurghat constituency lost Assembly segment Gajole to Malda North. It used to give the Left a massive lead of 30,000 votes. Instead, it has got Itahar, which voted for Congress in the last panchayat election. “Trinamool and Congress never fought together here. This time, the myth of the Left stronghold is sure to collapse here,” said Mitra. True to his claim, the Opposition vote, divided between Congress and Trinamool-BJP, was higher than that of RSP in 2004. South Dinajpur has seen peasant movements like Tebhaga land reformation since the Forties. The Left leadership doubts whether the land reform movement cut any ice with young voters. “Today’s generation does not know the Emergency or the land movement,” conceded Biswas. The condition of the marginal farmers, too, has worsened with ages. “The problem is there with the supporting price of crops or marketing,” said RSP leader Kali Kar. In fact, a vast dry stretch of land, thanks to severe water scarcity, amid otherwise green Balurghat goes against the Left’s success story in agriculture. The Opposition, incidentally, banks on development. The posters in support of Trinamool thank Mamata Banerjee for the long awaited railconnectivity to Balurghat. “Mamatadi, during her stint as railway minister, implemented the dream of Barkatda (ABA Ghani Khan Choudhury) of Eklakhi-Balurghat rail. Railway minister Lalu Prasad himself referred to that. What has our MP Ranen Burman done in 20 long years?” asked Mitra. If there is no strong protest on part of the ruling party on this, Majumder describes this railway service as a “mockery”. Only a single train runs to Kolkata and that too upto Kolkata station. This hardly benefits the people of Balurghat. In fact the deserted look of the station with no approach road, poor condition of the platform supports his view. Majumder sets his priority right — Teesta River Project, Railway service and rural electrification. Mitra, on the other hand, leaves no chance of taking a dig at RSP. Years back, Majumder fought a municipal election and lost in the Sixties. “Now at 69, he has been picked to fight the Lok Sabha election. Though it is a desperate attempt of the party to save its face, people cannot be fooled for long,” he claimed.
Balurghat: Infighting in the ruling coalition threatens to give Trinamool Congress the edge for the Lok Sabha election in Balurghat. Left Front partners, CPM and RSP, here, have the least camaraderie, which has become a major source of concern for state-level Left leaders in Kolkata, about 450 kilometre south. RSP district secretary Prasanta Majumdar, who was hospitalised after being assaulted by CPM supporters at Tapan block of South Dinajpur, is now the Left Front candidate from Balurghat, to the utter chagrin of CPM supporters. The pre-election peace thus seems both fragile and ominous for the Left, especially at the grass roots. CPM’s Harilal Rabidas, a member of the Dipkhanda gram panchayat in Tapan, is categorical: “How can we accept an RSP candidate here? How can we forget the trouble he meted out to us?” He, along with Rejaul Sarkar and Nareya Burman, have chosen to be inactive during the polls. “We should vote for Trinamool to oust RSP forever,” said a young CPM worker, Madan Sarkar. But at the district level, it seems all hunky-dory. “This time, unity is at its best as we, the partners, are fighting the polls together,” said RSP leader Sucheta Biswas, also chairperson of Balurghat Municipality. If infighting in the Front makes Trinamool candidate Biplab Mitra optimistic, delimitation has raised his hopes further. The new-look Balurghat constituency lost Assembly segment Gajole to Malda North. It used to give the Left a massive lead of 30,000 votes. Instead, it has got Itahar, which voted for Congress in the last panchayat election. “Trinamool and Congress never fought together here. This time, the myth of the Left stronghold is sure to collapse here,” said Mitra. True to his claim, the Opposition vote, divided between Congress and Trinamool-BJP, was higher than that of RSP in 2004. South Dinajpur has seen peasant movements like Tebhaga land reformation since the Forties. The Left leadership doubts whether the land reform movement cut any ice with young voters. “Today’s generation does not know the Emergency or the land movement,” conceded Biswas. The condition of the marginal farmers, too, has worsened with ages. “The problem is there with the supporting price of crops or marketing,” said RSP leader Kali Kar. In fact, a vast dry stretch of land, thanks to severe water scarcity, amid otherwise green Balurghat goes against the Left’s success story in agriculture. The Opposition, incidentally, banks on development. The posters in support of Trinamool thank Mamata Banerjee for the long awaited railconnectivity to Balurghat. “Mamatadi, during her stint as railway minister, implemented the dream of Barkatda (ABA Ghani Khan Choudhury) of Eklakhi-Balurghat rail. Railway minister Lalu Prasad himself referred to that. What has our MP Ranen Burman done in 20 long years?” asked Mitra. If there is no strong protest on part of the ruling party on this, Majumder describes this railway service as a “mockery”. Only a single train runs to Kolkata and that too upto Kolkata station. This hardly benefits the people of Balurghat. In fact the deserted look of the station with no approach road, poor condition of the platform supports his view. Majumder sets his priority right — Teesta River Project, Railway service and rural electrification. Mitra, on the other hand, leaves no chance of taking a dig at RSP. Years back, Majumder fought a municipal election and lost in the Sixties. “Now at 69, he has been picked to fight the Lok Sabha election. Though it is a desperate attempt of the party to save its face, people cannot be fooled for long,” he claimed.
Deepa plays boudi & bahu card to connect with Priya turf
Krishnendu Bandyopadhyay & Subhro Maitra TNN
Raiganj: She is the bahu of Raiganj and a boudi (sister-in-law) to its people. Ailing Congress leader Priya Ranjan Das Munshi’s wife Deepa is going the extra mile to seek the blessings of her in-laws. Delimitation brought Kaliagunge, her in-laws’ place, from the Balurghat parliamentary seat to her Raiganj constituency. Deepa, who is said to have seldom visited her in-laws’, is now staying with them. “In election time, she is definitely a better bahu,” chuckles a senior district Congress leader. Besides, Kaliagunge has a strong Left base. Deepa is not merely the wife of Priya Ranjan, former PCC chief and Union information and broadcasting minister. She herself is a power centre in the Pradesh Congress. No surprise that in the traditional Congress bastion of Raiganj, she draws a lot of attention. “She is a good speaker, adept at striking the right emotional chord with the electorate,” says Bhabani Shankar Biswas of Raiganj. “The future of the state perhaps lies with boudi in the north and didi (Mamata) in south Bengal,” he adds. But the reality is that Boudi and Didi do not see eye to eye. Deepa and Mamata have publicly expressed their displeasure for each other. The Mahajot has not taken strong roots in Raiganj. Not that Deepa cares much about it, given that her constituency is an out-and-out Congress stronghold. In fact, she strongly opposed the alliance with Trinamool Congress but had to swallow the bitter pill when it came about, despite her resistance. Now, a former Trinamool MLA is a nagging concern for her. Abdul Karim Chowdhury — one time Trinamool North Dinajpur chief and eight-term MLA from Islampore — resigned from the party to contest the Raiganj parliamentary seat as an Independent. Islampore, which was previously part of the Darjeeling Lok Sabha constituency, is a new addition to Raiganj. Some Congress leaders say Chowdhury is contesting at Mamata’s behest just to spoil Boudi’s poll prospects, and that he would return to Trinamool after the election. Chowdhury has a major following in Islampore and says: “My workers have built a strong base in Raiganj in the past few years. I have been with Mamata Banerjee since the formation of Trinamool in 1999. In Raiganj, we had a good chance on our own and I cannot support Deepa Das Munshi as a Congress candidate.” To mitigate the Chowdhury effect, Deepa has organized a rally at Islampore, to be addressed by Rahul Gandhi. “Many Trinamool workers are with Abdul Karim Chowdhury. Former Congress minister Jainal Abedin has also been seen campaigning for him,” she said, exuding confidence one moment and concern the other. A celebrated theatre actress, oscillations from sorrow to joy, from despair to hope or from low-key to high-pitched rhetoric come easy to her. “Chowdhury’s candidacy is a blessing in disguise as it has left no room for complacency for us,” says a youth leader and a shadow of Boudi. She punctuates her speeches with ‘Priyada’, as Priya Ranjan Das Munshi is known to his supporters. “Last year, he got the best parliamentarian’s award. Today he is speechless, battling for life at a hospital,” Deepa pauses for a second and changes her tone. “I am only voicing his words, asking for your favour for him,” she says during a meeting at Narayanpur. She then goes on to dwell about Priyada’s contribution to the area, a long list that begins with rail-connectivity to Raiganj. “People of Raiganj had to travel to Malda to board a train to Kolkata. Now, they can even travel straight to Delhi from Raiganj,” she says. A man standing just behind her gives the cue for applause. Delimitation, Deepa says, has worked to her advantage. “We have a Congress-led zilla parishad. People of Raiganj love Priyada. A lot of CPM members have been joining Congress. People are sensing victory. But a part of my mind always lies in Apollo Hospital, Delhi. Every 10 days, I rush to Delhi just to see him. His illness makes me more resolute about winning,” says Deepa. This time, CPM fielded its North Dinajpur district secretary, Bireswar Lahiri, from Raiganj. Acting district secretary Subir Biswas says, “Congress is celebrating over some CPM people joining their party. But you will be surprised how many Congress people have joined CPM secretly. Congress has promised a lot, but delivered very little. People of Raiganj are fed up with Congress. I sense a landslide victory for Lahiri.”
Raiganj: She is the bahu of Raiganj and a boudi (sister-in-law) to its people. Ailing Congress leader Priya Ranjan Das Munshi’s wife Deepa is going the extra mile to seek the blessings of her in-laws. Delimitation brought Kaliagunge, her in-laws’ place, from the Balurghat parliamentary seat to her Raiganj constituency. Deepa, who is said to have seldom visited her in-laws’, is now staying with them. “In election time, she is definitely a better bahu,” chuckles a senior district Congress leader. Besides, Kaliagunge has a strong Left base. Deepa is not merely the wife of Priya Ranjan, former PCC chief and Union information and broadcasting minister. She herself is a power centre in the Pradesh Congress. No surprise that in the traditional Congress bastion of Raiganj, she draws a lot of attention. “She is a good speaker, adept at striking the right emotional chord with the electorate,” says Bhabani Shankar Biswas of Raiganj. “The future of the state perhaps lies with boudi in the north and didi (Mamata) in south Bengal,” he adds. But the reality is that Boudi and Didi do not see eye to eye. Deepa and Mamata have publicly expressed their displeasure for each other. The Mahajot has not taken strong roots in Raiganj. Not that Deepa cares much about it, given that her constituency is an out-and-out Congress stronghold. In fact, she strongly opposed the alliance with Trinamool Congress but had to swallow the bitter pill when it came about, despite her resistance. Now, a former Trinamool MLA is a nagging concern for her. Abdul Karim Chowdhury — one time Trinamool North Dinajpur chief and eight-term MLA from Islampore — resigned from the party to contest the Raiganj parliamentary seat as an Independent. Islampore, which was previously part of the Darjeeling Lok Sabha constituency, is a new addition to Raiganj. Some Congress leaders say Chowdhury is contesting at Mamata’s behest just to spoil Boudi’s poll prospects, and that he would return to Trinamool after the election. Chowdhury has a major following in Islampore and says: “My workers have built a strong base in Raiganj in the past few years. I have been with Mamata Banerjee since the formation of Trinamool in 1999. In Raiganj, we had a good chance on our own and I cannot support Deepa Das Munshi as a Congress candidate.” To mitigate the Chowdhury effect, Deepa has organized a rally at Islampore, to be addressed by Rahul Gandhi. “Many Trinamool workers are with Abdul Karim Chowdhury. Former Congress minister Jainal Abedin has also been seen campaigning for him,” she said, exuding confidence one moment and concern the other. A celebrated theatre actress, oscillations from sorrow to joy, from despair to hope or from low-key to high-pitched rhetoric come easy to her. “Chowdhury’s candidacy is a blessing in disguise as it has left no room for complacency for us,” says a youth leader and a shadow of Boudi. She punctuates her speeches with ‘Priyada’, as Priya Ranjan Das Munshi is known to his supporters. “Last year, he got the best parliamentarian’s award. Today he is speechless, battling for life at a hospital,” Deepa pauses for a second and changes her tone. “I am only voicing his words, asking for your favour for him,” she says during a meeting at Narayanpur. She then goes on to dwell about Priyada’s contribution to the area, a long list that begins with rail-connectivity to Raiganj. “People of Raiganj had to travel to Malda to board a train to Kolkata. Now, they can even travel straight to Delhi from Raiganj,” she says. A man standing just behind her gives the cue for applause. Delimitation, Deepa says, has worked to her advantage. “We have a Congress-led zilla parishad. People of Raiganj love Priyada. A lot of CPM members have been joining Congress. People are sensing victory. But a part of my mind always lies in Apollo Hospital, Delhi. Every 10 days, I rush to Delhi just to see him. His illness makes me more resolute about winning,” says Deepa. This time, CPM fielded its North Dinajpur district secretary, Bireswar Lahiri, from Raiganj. Acting district secretary Subir Biswas says, “Congress is celebrating over some CPM people joining their party. But you will be surprised how many Congress people have joined CPM secretly. Congress has promised a lot, but delivered very little. People of Raiganj are fed up with Congress. I sense a landslide victory for Lahiri.”
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Ghani Khan clan banks on legacy
Barkatda is gone, but his magic is still alive. His niece and brother are basking in his glory. And the Left finds it can’t ignore the legacy
Krishnendu Bandyopadhyay & Subhro Maitra TNN
Malda: Malda patriarch Abu Barkat Ataul Ghani Khan Chowdhury — Barkatda to supporters — is no more. Yet, his shadow looms large, at least over Malda South and Malda North, from where his brother Abu Hasem Khan Chowdhury (Daluda) and his niece Mausam Benazir Noor are contesting the parliamentary election. In Malda, 330 km north of Kolkata, the Left still finds it awkward to deal with Ghani Khan’s spectre, even three years after his death. The people of Malda fondly remember how Ghani Khan, as railway minister, became an agent of change for Malda. He became Pradesh Congress chief and an invincible MP from Malda. “If the Gandhis are the first family of Indian politics, the Ghani Khan clan is indisputably the first family of Malda,” says Soumitra Roy, a spirited youth Congress leader from Ratua, an arid zone of north Malda. So, 80-90% of the speeches of both Daluda and Mausam revolve round ‘Barkatda’ or ‘Barkatmama’ (Barkat-uncle). “Barkatda never asked for votes. People used to sway to his waving hand. Mausam is hard-working and intelligent. She going everywhere, meeting people and asking for votes in the name of her late uncle. It is creating magic,” says Ratan Dasgupta, a keen observer of Malda’s politics for decades. The dusty village path of Salatpur, a remote area in north Malda, resembles Amethi as Mausam enters the arena, virtually raising a dust-storm. She stands seemingly unperturbed on a jeep as swirls of dust choke the lungs. Women jostle just to touch her. Youngsters click her pictures on mobile phones. Draped in a light salwar, dupatta and tricolour uttariyo, Mausam said: “I am overwhelmed by the people’s response. I am not even one full-term (five year) old in my Sujapur Assembly constituency. So, here I am known by my late uncle. I am only humbly reminding the electorate of Barkatmama and Priyamama (Priya Ranjan Das Munshi) about this.” After delimitation, some parts of Priya Ranjan’s Raiganj parliamentary constituency have become a part of newly created Malda North seat. For the first time, the Left is nurturing a craving for this seat. A seasoned Sailen Sarkar, the state’s environment and parliamentary affairs minister, has been pitted against the young Mausam. Sarkar, who was defeated thrice by Ghani and once by his brother Dalu in the undivided Malda parliamentary seat, feels his chances of winning Malda North are “very high”. Mausam retorts: “I have a family tradition of defeating him.” Mausam’s supporters say Sarkar’s own slogan may boomerang. In 2004, Sarkar coined the slogan: “Tarunyer jhare, jhore pore shukno pata (Dry leaves drop in the storm of the youth).” Young Pranab Das was fielded against Barkatda in his last election. Not many people liked Barkatda being compared to a dry leaf. “But now, Mausam is surely a storm and Sarkar a dry leaf,” they say. However, Mausam’s candidature has created a sharp rift in the Kotwali family (Ghani’s family house is in the Kotwali area, on the outskirts of Malda town). Malda district Congress president Daluda wanted his brother Abu Naser Khan Chowdhury (Lebu) to be the candidate for the newly formed North seat. But, much to the surprise of the family, AICC gave the ticket to Mausam. PCC chief Pranab Mukherjee had to intervene and Daluda, Lebuda and Mausam jointly came before the media. But it seems to be a fragile peace. Neither Daluda nor Lebuda has campaigned for Mausam yet. Malda South candidate Daluda does not even hide his unhappiness over Mausam’s candidature. “She should have served her Sujapur Assembly constituency well before entering the Lok Sabha fray. She is very young,” he paused, quickly rectifying himself: “She is my niece. How can I oppose her?” A section of the Congress is sceptical of Lebuda as well. “Congress supporters cannot forget that he stood against Barkatda as an Independent candidate at the behest of Sailen Sarkar,” said a party worker. “If Daluda thinks that Malda South will be a cakewalk, he is wrong. He hasn’t done anything for Malda since Barkatda’s death,” said CPM district secretary Jiban Maitra.
Krishnendu Bandyopadhyay & Subhro Maitra TNN
Malda: Malda patriarch Abu Barkat Ataul Ghani Khan Chowdhury — Barkatda to supporters — is no more. Yet, his shadow looms large, at least over Malda South and Malda North, from where his brother Abu Hasem Khan Chowdhury (Daluda) and his niece Mausam Benazir Noor are contesting the parliamentary election. In Malda, 330 km north of Kolkata, the Left still finds it awkward to deal with Ghani Khan’s spectre, even three years after his death. The people of Malda fondly remember how Ghani Khan, as railway minister, became an agent of change for Malda. He became Pradesh Congress chief and an invincible MP from Malda. “If the Gandhis are the first family of Indian politics, the Ghani Khan clan is indisputably the first family of Malda,” says Soumitra Roy, a spirited youth Congress leader from Ratua, an arid zone of north Malda. So, 80-90% of the speeches of both Daluda and Mausam revolve round ‘Barkatda’ or ‘Barkatmama’ (Barkat-uncle). “Barkatda never asked for votes. People used to sway to his waving hand. Mausam is hard-working and intelligent. She going everywhere, meeting people and asking for votes in the name of her late uncle. It is creating magic,” says Ratan Dasgupta, a keen observer of Malda’s politics for decades. The dusty village path of Salatpur, a remote area in north Malda, resembles Amethi as Mausam enters the arena, virtually raising a dust-storm. She stands seemingly unperturbed on a jeep as swirls of dust choke the lungs. Women jostle just to touch her. Youngsters click her pictures on mobile phones. Draped in a light salwar, dupatta and tricolour uttariyo, Mausam said: “I am overwhelmed by the people’s response. I am not even one full-term (five year) old in my Sujapur Assembly constituency. So, here I am known by my late uncle. I am only humbly reminding the electorate of Barkatmama and Priyamama (Priya Ranjan Das Munshi) about this.” After delimitation, some parts of Priya Ranjan’s Raiganj parliamentary constituency have become a part of newly created Malda North seat. For the first time, the Left is nurturing a craving for this seat. A seasoned Sailen Sarkar, the state’s environment and parliamentary affairs minister, has been pitted against the young Mausam. Sarkar, who was defeated thrice by Ghani and once by his brother Dalu in the undivided Malda parliamentary seat, feels his chances of winning Malda North are “very high”. Mausam retorts: “I have a family tradition of defeating him.” Mausam’s supporters say Sarkar’s own slogan may boomerang. In 2004, Sarkar coined the slogan: “Tarunyer jhare, jhore pore shukno pata (Dry leaves drop in the storm of the youth).” Young Pranab Das was fielded against Barkatda in his last election. Not many people liked Barkatda being compared to a dry leaf. “But now, Mausam is surely a storm and Sarkar a dry leaf,” they say. However, Mausam’s candidature has created a sharp rift in the Kotwali family (Ghani’s family house is in the Kotwali area, on the outskirts of Malda town). Malda district Congress president Daluda wanted his brother Abu Naser Khan Chowdhury (Lebu) to be the candidate for the newly formed North seat. But, much to the surprise of the family, AICC gave the ticket to Mausam. PCC chief Pranab Mukherjee had to intervene and Daluda, Lebuda and Mausam jointly came before the media. But it seems to be a fragile peace. Neither Daluda nor Lebuda has campaigned for Mausam yet. Malda South candidate Daluda does not even hide his unhappiness over Mausam’s candidature. “She should have served her Sujapur Assembly constituency well before entering the Lok Sabha fray. She is very young,” he paused, quickly rectifying himself: “She is my niece. How can I oppose her?” A section of the Congress is sceptical of Lebuda as well. “Congress supporters cannot forget that he stood against Barkatda as an Independent candidate at the behest of Sailen Sarkar,” said a party worker. “If Daluda thinks that Malda South will be a cakewalk, he is wrong. He hasn’t done anything for Malda since Barkatda’s death,” said CPM district secretary Jiban Maitra.
Drought threat ignored in frenzy for votes
Subhro Maitra TNN
Malda: The early April sun has already made the ground crack, and three more months of merciless summer still lie ahead. At borind (high-lying) land in Malda North constituency, which includes Habibpur, Bamangola, Gajole and Old Malda, survival has become an everyday struggle. Thanks to years of neglect, the threat of drought looms large, with the groundwater falling way below the danger level. Villagers must walk miles in search of water, which seems to recede further every year. And when they do find water, they must pay — water comes at a steep price here. Even the canals from the river have dried up. Officials say the possibility of drought is high, but the warnings seem to have drowned in a flurry of shrill election campaigns. Leaders have come, seeking votes and selling dreams. But no one has spoken of water. Local residents are a disillusioned lot. “What will a dying man do with a basket of cookies?” a villager asks, his gaze shifting skyward, perhaps in the hope of rain. Ironically, borind land (a part of Barendra bhumi, extending to Bagura and Dinajpur in Bangladesh) has been a traditional CPM stronghold. History shows that it has been at the centre of defining people’s movements — the tribal uprising in the ’30s, the Tebhaga movement for rights over crops in the ’40s and land reforms led by communist parties in the ’60s. The battles were won, but the war, it seems, has been lost. “We got the land, but could not learn how to retain it,” said Jugal Soren, who had to sell off his land. He now tills it for a living. Soren’s story is typical of almost every household here. Poverty, lack of water and political neglect have formed a vicious circle that’s hard to get out of. The paddy fields, too, are drying up. Tube wells, thousands in number, have a symbolic existence only. Whatever little paddy is left is used by farmers to buy water from owners of submersible pumps. The charge is steep — 120 kg of paddy for every bigha. Complaints to the panchayat, says Mangal Murmu of Uttar Khurkadanga, have fallen on deaf ears. Others, like Nirmala Tudu of Raghabpur, are forced to drink pond water and fall victim to diarrhoea. Things aren’t much different in neighbouring Dhumpur, Aktail, Mangalpura and Srirampore, either. “If we cannot recharge groundwater, drought is inevitable,” said BDO Rajesh Kerketta, blaming the indiscriminate setting up of submersible pumps for the crisis. “They are illegal but some influential people manage to get permission. In Srirampore, for instance. there are 10 pumps in a 1.5-km stretch.” Prabal Lala of Bulbulchandi and Barind Development Society feels it’s high time the administration cracked the whip, but the people who are expected to bring about change are nonchalant. “People here are with us traditionally,” said CPM candidate Sailen Sarkar. Congress’ Mausam Noor is convinced that industrialization and jobs are the only answers to the problems. BJP’s Amlan Bhaduri doesn’t offer a solution. “Don’t you know the CPM panchayat samiti chief owns three submersible pumps?” was all that he would say.
Malda: The early April sun has already made the ground crack, and three more months of merciless summer still lie ahead. At borind (high-lying) land in Malda North constituency, which includes Habibpur, Bamangola, Gajole and Old Malda, survival has become an everyday struggle. Thanks to years of neglect, the threat of drought looms large, with the groundwater falling way below the danger level. Villagers must walk miles in search of water, which seems to recede further every year. And when they do find water, they must pay — water comes at a steep price here. Even the canals from the river have dried up. Officials say the possibility of drought is high, but the warnings seem to have drowned in a flurry of shrill election campaigns. Leaders have come, seeking votes and selling dreams. But no one has spoken of water. Local residents are a disillusioned lot. “What will a dying man do with a basket of cookies?” a villager asks, his gaze shifting skyward, perhaps in the hope of rain. Ironically, borind land (a part of Barendra bhumi, extending to Bagura and Dinajpur in Bangladesh) has been a traditional CPM stronghold. History shows that it has been at the centre of defining people’s movements — the tribal uprising in the ’30s, the Tebhaga movement for rights over crops in the ’40s and land reforms led by communist parties in the ’60s. The battles were won, but the war, it seems, has been lost. “We got the land, but could not learn how to retain it,” said Jugal Soren, who had to sell off his land. He now tills it for a living. Soren’s story is typical of almost every household here. Poverty, lack of water and political neglect have formed a vicious circle that’s hard to get out of. The paddy fields, too, are drying up. Tube wells, thousands in number, have a symbolic existence only. Whatever little paddy is left is used by farmers to buy water from owners of submersible pumps. The charge is steep — 120 kg of paddy for every bigha. Complaints to the panchayat, says Mangal Murmu of Uttar Khurkadanga, have fallen on deaf ears. Others, like Nirmala Tudu of Raghabpur, are forced to drink pond water and fall victim to diarrhoea. Things aren’t much different in neighbouring Dhumpur, Aktail, Mangalpura and Srirampore, either. “If we cannot recharge groundwater, drought is inevitable,” said BDO Rajesh Kerketta, blaming the indiscriminate setting up of submersible pumps for the crisis. “They are illegal but some influential people manage to get permission. In Srirampore, for instance. there are 10 pumps in a 1.5-km stretch.” Prabal Lala of Bulbulchandi and Barind Development Society feels it’s high time the administration cracked the whip, but the people who are expected to bring about change are nonchalant. “People here are with us traditionally,” said CPM candidate Sailen Sarkar. Congress’ Mausam Noor is convinced that industrialization and jobs are the only answers to the problems. BJP’s Amlan Bhaduri doesn’t offer a solution. “Don’t you know the CPM panchayat samiti chief owns three submersible pumps?” was all that he would say.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
BARRED & SCARRED by border gates
Their lives are governed by the clockwork precision with which the iron gates open and shut. Subhro Niyogi & Subhro Maitra report from the border villages of Malda
Guests at Rakiba Khatoon’s wedding reception had an unusual request. For security reasons, they had to carry not the invitation but the electoral photo identity card (EPIC). Aynul Haque has a small grocery store in the village barely 15 minutes from home. It opens at 8 am and shuts at 8 pm. But he returns home once a week, spending other nights at the store. Class IX student Konika Mandal has several friends at school. Many often invite her to their home. But she cannot ever ask them over . Dui Sata Bigha/Hadinagar/Mohabbatpur (Indo-Bangla border), Malda: Rakiba, Aynul and Konika are ordinary people leading unusual lives. Khatoon’s in-laws aren’t VIPs. Haque is no eccentric who loves business more than family. Mandal’s parents don’t disapprove of friends. But their behaviour and social interaction is governed by a couple of formidable iron gates. These either imprison them in their villages or shut them out of their homes. They can’t enter or exit the gates without producing a pass. The gates open thrice a day with clockwork precision — 6-8 am; 10-11 am; 2.30-5.30 pm. “To return home, I have to shut shop around 5 pm. That is rather difficult. So I stay back at the store, returning home once a week,” explained Haque. Mandal cannot call her classmates as entry and exit through the gate is restricted. And while Khatoon’s in-laws sought special permission for the reception, those who couldn’t show EPICs were turned away by BSF. These three and nearly 4,000 others of Dui Sata Bigha, Hadinagar and Mohabbatpur along the Indo-Bangla border in Malda are Indian citizens living on home soil, yet outside the purview of democracy that the rest of the country enjoys. Sure, they vote. But it’s for a very different reason than why the rest of India does. They vote to stamp their nationality, to demonstrate once more that they are Indians. For, they live a condemned life under the glare of suspicion, constantly providing proof of their identity and yet suspected of being Bangladeshi operatives. Simply because their villages lie in that narrow 150-metre stretch of Indian territory between the fence and the pillars that demarcate the international border with Bangladesh. “It’s a life of zillat (humiliation). People raise fingers and treat us with contempt. We have to suffer it all without a whimper. With no rights that other Indian citizens enjoy, polls are meaningless to us. Which party comes to power doesn’t make any difference. They will all ignore our plight. Yet, every eligible voter from the village will cast his ballot. It is one right that we can still exercise and don’t want to lose. For, if we don’t, it will be viewed as lack of Indianness. We vote to prove our patriotism,” said Manjur Sheikh of Mohabbatpur. Their lack of faith in politicians stems from years of hollow promises. During poll campaigns, leaders from Malda cross the fence and campaign for candidates in the restricted villages, promising rehabilitation and freedom. “Barkatda (late MP Ghani Khan Choudhury) made such promises for years. Now, his brother (present MP Hasem Khan Choudhury) tries to woo us with the same promise. Even CPM MLA Biswanath Ghosh has the same goodie to offer,” recalled Krishno Mandal. Needless to say, the promises echoed during campaigns promptly evaporate later. These men, women and children of a lesser nation continue to face the daily ordeal of scrutiny and search by gun-toting BSF jawans. “Be it going to school or work, a visit to a relative’s place or simply to shop for daily provisions, one has to seek BSF’s permission. Aren’t we Indian citizens? Don’t we live in Indian territory?” asked an anguished Monoj Mandal, a 36-year-old from Hadinagar. This vulnerable lot is easy prey to the rotten few in the BSF ranks. Girls have to take their teasing in the stride. “Some jawans have their eyes beyond the border. We have to tackle them,” said 15-year-old Seema Mandal. Others have to adroitly sidestep demands for ‘favours’ and be deaf to expletives. But what’s worse is the lack of compassion among a section of the paramilitary force. Cradling her two-year-old baby in her lap, Sakotara Biwi recalled the horror of spending a hapless night with the ailing baby, unable to do anything till the gate opened next morning. “My boy was writhing in pain and ran high temperature. I knew a doctor needed to see him and pleaded with the jawans to open the gate. But they just looked the other way. It is God’s grace that he survived.” These ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ that haunt mothers, don’t bother border patrols. They have a bigger task at hand: to protect the motherland. “We cannot afford to slacken the vigil. There are constant infiltration attempts by jihadis. There is the fake currency racket where girls and women are used as couriers. Recently, we have confiscated fake currency worth Rs 50 lakh,” said a BSF officer of battalion no. 108. Acknowledging the villagers’ problems, the officer said it would be to everyone’s interest if they were rehabilitated. “True, there is lack of political will to find a solution to the problem. But there is also reluctance among some villagers who hobnob with Bangladeshis,” he added. But for most, it’s neither love for one country, nor hatred for the other that have them rooted to the spot. Living below poverty line, they just manage to survive with the little homestead and farmland they have at the border. To let go of the livelihood is to commit suicide. “Most of the people living inside the fence barely manage to eek out a living. What will they live on once they are shifted out?” said Kasimuddin Mia, former member of the local panchayat.
Guests at Rakiba Khatoon’s wedding reception had an unusual request. For security reasons, they had to carry not the invitation but the electoral photo identity card (EPIC). Aynul Haque has a small grocery store in the village barely 15 minutes from home. It opens at 8 am and shuts at 8 pm. But he returns home once a week, spending other nights at the store. Class IX student Konika Mandal has several friends at school. Many often invite her to their home. But she cannot ever ask them over . Dui Sata Bigha/Hadinagar/Mohabbatpur (Indo-Bangla border), Malda: Rakiba, Aynul and Konika are ordinary people leading unusual lives. Khatoon’s in-laws aren’t VIPs. Haque is no eccentric who loves business more than family. Mandal’s parents don’t disapprove of friends. But their behaviour and social interaction is governed by a couple of formidable iron gates. These either imprison them in their villages or shut them out of their homes. They can’t enter or exit the gates without producing a pass. The gates open thrice a day with clockwork precision — 6-8 am; 10-11 am; 2.30-5.30 pm. “To return home, I have to shut shop around 5 pm. That is rather difficult. So I stay back at the store, returning home once a week,” explained Haque. Mandal cannot call her classmates as entry and exit through the gate is restricted. And while Khatoon’s in-laws sought special permission for the reception, those who couldn’t show EPICs were turned away by BSF. These three and nearly 4,000 others of Dui Sata Bigha, Hadinagar and Mohabbatpur along the Indo-Bangla border in Malda are Indian citizens living on home soil, yet outside the purview of democracy that the rest of the country enjoys. Sure, they vote. But it’s for a very different reason than why the rest of India does. They vote to stamp their nationality, to demonstrate once more that they are Indians. For, they live a condemned life under the glare of suspicion, constantly providing proof of their identity and yet suspected of being Bangladeshi operatives. Simply because their villages lie in that narrow 150-metre stretch of Indian territory between the fence and the pillars that demarcate the international border with Bangladesh. “It’s a life of zillat (humiliation). People raise fingers and treat us with contempt. We have to suffer it all without a whimper. With no rights that other Indian citizens enjoy, polls are meaningless to us. Which party comes to power doesn’t make any difference. They will all ignore our plight. Yet, every eligible voter from the village will cast his ballot. It is one right that we can still exercise and don’t want to lose. For, if we don’t, it will be viewed as lack of Indianness. We vote to prove our patriotism,” said Manjur Sheikh of Mohabbatpur. Their lack of faith in politicians stems from years of hollow promises. During poll campaigns, leaders from Malda cross the fence and campaign for candidates in the restricted villages, promising rehabilitation and freedom. “Barkatda (late MP Ghani Khan Choudhury) made such promises for years. Now, his brother (present MP Hasem Khan Choudhury) tries to woo us with the same promise. Even CPM MLA Biswanath Ghosh has the same goodie to offer,” recalled Krishno Mandal. Needless to say, the promises echoed during campaigns promptly evaporate later. These men, women and children of a lesser nation continue to face the daily ordeal of scrutiny and search by gun-toting BSF jawans. “Be it going to school or work, a visit to a relative’s place or simply to shop for daily provisions, one has to seek BSF’s permission. Aren’t we Indian citizens? Don’t we live in Indian territory?” asked an anguished Monoj Mandal, a 36-year-old from Hadinagar. This vulnerable lot is easy prey to the rotten few in the BSF ranks. Girls have to take their teasing in the stride. “Some jawans have their eyes beyond the border. We have to tackle them,” said 15-year-old Seema Mandal. Others have to adroitly sidestep demands for ‘favours’ and be deaf to expletives. But what’s worse is the lack of compassion among a section of the paramilitary force. Cradling her two-year-old baby in her lap, Sakotara Biwi recalled the horror of spending a hapless night with the ailing baby, unable to do anything till the gate opened next morning. “My boy was writhing in pain and ran high temperature. I knew a doctor needed to see him and pleaded with the jawans to open the gate. But they just looked the other way. It is God’s grace that he survived.” These ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ that haunt mothers, don’t bother border patrols. They have a bigger task at hand: to protect the motherland. “We cannot afford to slacken the vigil. There are constant infiltration attempts by jihadis. There is the fake currency racket where girls and women are used as couriers. Recently, we have confiscated fake currency worth Rs 50 lakh,” said a BSF officer of battalion no. 108. Acknowledging the villagers’ problems, the officer said it would be to everyone’s interest if they were rehabilitated. “True, there is lack of political will to find a solution to the problem. But there is also reluctance among some villagers who hobnob with Bangladeshis,” he added. But for most, it’s neither love for one country, nor hatred for the other that have them rooted to the spot. Living below poverty line, they just manage to survive with the little homestead and farmland they have at the border. To let go of the livelihood is to commit suicide. “Most of the people living inside the fence barely manage to eek out a living. What will they live on once they are shifted out?” said Kasimuddin Mia, former member of the local panchayat.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Parents ‘betray’ rape victim
Subhro Maitra TNN Malda: Raped for years, nearly killed in a suicide bid, and betrayed by her parents, a higher secondary examinee in Malda is fighting back to get her tormentor — a next-door neighbour — behind bars. And in spite of the trauma, she is determined to complete her HS exams as well. On Wednesday, the 18-year-old ran to the police station from the exam hall to file a complaint against Narayan Mandal, a businessman. The accused was arrested within hours but the girl refuses to go back home, saying she doesn’t trust her parents. “Mandal used to give money to my parents. I repeatedly pleaded with them to stop him but they did not pay any heed,” she said. The girl has been at English Bazaar police station for two days and nights now. Her parents visited the police station on Thursday — but not to see their daughter. Instead, they reportedly showed sympathy to Mandal and spent a long time with him. It was this desperation — after “years of torture” — that drove her to attempt suicide on March 30. She took a handful of sleeping pills, and barely survived after being taken to hospital. But her parents hardly visited her there. On April 1, she went from hospital directly to the exam hall to write her HS paper, and from there to the police station. The officers, horrified by her story, nabbed Mandal and took the girl for medical tests. The lab report has confirmed sexual assault, say sources. With her parents virtually abandoning her, she is seeking refuge with the administration. “Where shall I go? I’ve no place at my home. How can I complete my exams?” she wondered. The traumatized girl is pleading for any government welfare home to take her in till her examinations are over. But that won’t be easy. “Unfortunately, we cannot arrange to put her in a home because she isn’t a minor,” said subdivisional officer Prakash Pal. Additional SP Kalyan Mukherjee was also helpless. “Only the court can arrange for her rehabilitation now,” he said.
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