People's Democracy

Attacks On CPI(M) Workers Continue In Bengal

B Prasant

POST-Panchayat elections, the thugs and goons enjoying the patronage of the Trinamul Congress, the Pradesh Congress, and the BJP have continued their assaults on CPI(M) workers in various districts of Bengal, especially in Nadia, Howrah, and Maldah. The latest series of assaults left one CPI(M) worker dead and several others injured.

At Durgapur in the industrial belt of western Bengal, Comrade Sailen Giri died following a grievous assault on him by a notorious criminal, Vivek Kabiraj. As Comrade Giri was on his way back to his residence in the evening from the local ESI hospital where he worked, he was attacked by Kabiraj with sharp weapons. Comrade Giri died on the spot. The Police have started a search for the assassin.

In Maldah, Pradesh Congress goons joined hands with their counterparts in the Trinamul Congress and went on a spree of mayhem against CPI(M) workers. Among those attacked and left seriously injured were AIDWA leader, Jaya Das, newly-elected Panchayat Samity member, Noor Hussein, and CPI(M) worker, Hamid-ur Rahman. The goons also broke up at least three police vehicles.

Elsewhere in Maldah, Anjuman Ara Begum, winning CPI (M) candidate in the Zilla Parishad was attacked with bombs and stones while she was leading a victory procession. CPI(M) workers were attacked also at Chanchal, Kumargunj, Bamangola, and at several other places around Ratua.

On the morning of May 17 at the Kotwali area in Nadia, CPI (M) workers, Tarapada Mandal, Ranjit Mandal, and Swapan Mandal were attacked and injured when a gang of BJP-Trinamul Congress-Pradesh Congress miscreants set upon them with sharp weapons. All three had to be removed to hospital.

At Kalia in the Nabagram Panchayat area of Uluberia, Howrah, Trinamul Congress gangsters attacked the residence of the winning CPI(M) Panchayat Samity candidate, Zahir-ul Mollah and severely injured him by beating him up with iron rods. The goons then proceeded to ransack the house, indulging also in loot and arson. Later on, the local people gave chase and caught two of the gang of fifteen-odd men who had participated in the attack.

Elsewhere, at Bagda in north 24 Parganas, a large number of Trinamul Congress activists proceeded to encircle the local police station and demanded that two Trinamul Congress workers who had been taken into custody on the charge of rioting be released. When the police would not comply with this illegal initiative, the Trinamul Congress workers ran amuck and sought to force their way into the police station. In the tussle that developed nearly thirty policemen received injuries. The police were ultimately forced to fire five rounds in the air to disperse the unruly mob.