They didn’t wish to present their faces. They wouldn’t reveal their names. Yet the ladies of Sandeshkhali village in West Bengal’s 24 Parganas district stood by the primary street, placards in hand. “We have lost confidence in the local police. Save us. We need CRPF,” a few of them learn.
The girls coated their faces with their sarees, and lots of whereas crying and searching for justice fell on the ft of governor CV Ananda Bose who was visiting the world on Monday.
The girls right here have alleged sexual harassment and torture by “missing” Trinamool Congress chief Shajahan Sheikh and his associates. Sheikh has not been seen in public since a mob assault on Enforcement Directorate (ED) officers after they went to look his premises in Sandeshkhali over an alleged ration distribution rip-off.
One has to cross the Bidyadhari river to achieve Sandeshkhali from the opposite facet. Bose arrived on the ferry ghat immediately from the airport. “I was in Kerala, trying to organise an exhibition for Bengal. I was shocked to hear the news of Sandeshkhali. I cut short my visit and am going to Sandeshkhali to find out what sandesh (message) the people have,” he stated.
News18 adopted the governor on his journey. From close by Minakhan village to Shajahan’s turf, in every single place Bose got here throughout numerous placards. “Give back 100 days’ money,” was written on a few of them by protesters who had gathered round.
The governor was escorted by a police launch as he crossed the river. Reaching Sandeshkhali, he didn’t anticipate a rickshaw or different technique of transportation and began strolling.
As the governor tried to talk to a girl, she fell at his ft, crying. Others adopted.
“Give justice to us. Our men cannot stay at home now. They have fled. We have no confidence in the local police,” stated a lot of them.
West Bengal governor in Sandeshkhali. Pic/News18
One aged girl stated, “Even last night they (the police) came to our house and they were calling us. If we show our faces, they will arrest our men.”
Another girl tied a rakhi on the governor’s hand. “Please remove section 144 (which prohibits the gathering of five or more individuals). Please ask the CRPF to come here. We can’t stay like this anymore,” she pleaded with the governor as tears streamed down her face.
Bose tried to console them and listened to them for over half an hour.
When News18 spoke to those girls, a number of of them stated, “We will not show our faces. We will not give our names. They will then take our men to the thana. They asked us not to meet the governor. The police told us not to come out.”
News18 discovered one other girl standing by a store close to the Sandeshkhali police thana. “We can’t tell you our names. We are standing here with flowers because we know the governor can solve our problems. They used to force us to go to rallies, they used to make us toil without any money. We will not stop till Shajahan and his aide Shibaprasad Hazra get arrested. We want peace in Sandeshkhali,” she stated.
Many of the ladies tied rakhis on the governor’s hand. As he promised them that he was like their brother and would deal with them, the teary-eyed girls clapped with pleasure, they usually adopted Bose to the sting of the village when he left.
Another girl who too refused to reveal her identify instructed News18, “The police will not do anything. They are with Shajahan and his people. We hope the governor will help us. Our men are afraid to come back home because the police will lodge false cases against them.”
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday stated these behind the Sandeshkhali violence had been put behind bars.
“Anyone can go to Sandeshkhali. We have no issues with that. We have already sent the state women’s commission team there. They returned and submitted a report. Those who have instigated violence have been arrested. The situation is being monitored closely and necessary steps are being taken,” she stated whereas talking to reporters at Dumurjala stadium in Howrah district.
The governor stated he was immediately going to Delhi from Sandeshkhali. “It’s shocking what has happened in Sandeshkhali,” he stated. “I am their brother and I will bring back their confidence.”
While the governor was on his go to, a group of BJP MLAs led by chief of opposition within the meeting Suvendu Adhikari was stopped by authorities from going to Sandeshkhali, they stated.
“A woman IPS officer told me before we started that they would not allow us because of some request. I am the leader of the opposition and other MLAs were all sitting in a bus. They are not allowing us. We will be with the people of Sandeshkhali,” Adhikari instructed News18. “The governor visited Sandeshkhali following our request. After he visited these areas, he informed us that whatever we had alleged was all true. He will submit a report to the union home ministry on Tuesday and then we will see. Our mothers and sisters are not safe there, and we will take care of them. We will keep a watch on the TMC team going there. They (the police) will not allow us but they will allow them (the TMC). This will not be tolerated. We will monitor this and then we will take steps.”
Source: www.news18.com
