Violence erupts as parties struggle to retain strongholds

On the same day in a clash in Garbeta in West Midnapore,six Congress workers were injured and one was kidnapped when CPM cadres attacked local Congress unit. Following a night-long clash between Trinamool Congress and CPM cadres last week in Barrackpore in North 24 Parganas,four policemen were injured. Manas Bhuinya,the president of West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC),said that as the CPM has been rejected by people,it is back to its old strategy of “terrorise and dominate”. But people of the state will not allow it to happen for ever,he said.

On the other hand,Benoy Konar,the CPM central committee member,said,“About 250 of our party workers have died in the violence unleashed by the TMC and the Congress.” He and many other leaders in the CPM believe that if the cadres are not allowed to strike back at the opponents,the results in 2011 Assembly polls will be more pathetic than the Lok Sabha elections of 2009.

Although the recent clashes in Murshidabad were apparently fallout of elections in school managing committee and students unions,it is evident both the ruling party and the opposition are determined to do anything to retain their strongholds. “We are the worst victims of CPM terror in the past three decades. At least 10,000 Congress workers have been killed by CPM goons. Common man in rural Bengal is resisting the CPM hooliganism,” said Bhuinya.

The unabated violence in Sasan,in North 24 Parganas,is an example of the parties’ struggle to maintain their lead in the area. CPM cadres had fled the area,known to be party stronghold,after the reverses in the Lok Sabha elections. But they are back now and allegedly have unleashed terror on TMC supporters. Over a dozen killings have been reported from the area in the violence in the past three months.

CPM sources said,the party does not have great hope in six South Bengal districts,where it was routed by the TMC in the last Lok Sabha election. However,it is focusing on four districts — North 24 Parganas,Nadia and Birbhum,and Murshidabad. Incidentally,several incidents of violence are reported from this region.

In the past two months,Nanoor,a remote area in Birbhum district,has become a political hot spot with the killing of former CPM MLA Ananda Das. Following the killing,police raided several houses of activists from both TMC and CPM and recovered huge quantity of arms and ammunition. Concerned about stockpiling of arms and ammunition in rural Bengal,Governor M K Narayanan has reportedly sent a report to the central government.

With an eye on the next Assembly elections,the CPM does not want to distinguish between the two opposition parties. “We have no choice now; we are cornered,” said a senior CPM leader. “In Murshidabad,Congress leader Adhir Choudhuri is acting against us as Mamata Banerjee is doing at other places. So party workers are clashing against the Congress workers in Murshidabad,”said Konar.

Adhir Choudhuri,Congress MP from Baharampore,Murshidabad district said the police should be more vigilant about these clashes. “What will they do in next Assembly elections if they cannot maintain law and order in a school committee election?” asked Choudhuri.