Author: Saugar Sengupta
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: May 15, 2008
At least nine lives were lost in the violence
involving the Marxists and their RSP comrades during the second phase of Bengal's
panchayat elections on Wednesday. Four RSP workers died of bullet injuries
at Basanti. A CPI(M) candidate died after RSP retaliated. News of poll-related
deaths came from other areas like Howrah, Nadia and Birbhum as well during
elections in the five districts.
IGP Headquarters Raj Kanojia told mediapersons
in Kolkata that about 62 people had been arrested from five districts which
collectively recorded 55-60 per cent polling by 5 in the evening. The unprecedented
clashes among the Left Front partners drove State PWD Minister and senior
RSP leader to equate the Marxist big brothers with fascists who were subverting
democracy "because they must retain the panchayat seats."
Interestingly Singur, another hotbed of anti-land
acquisition movement barring Nandigram, remained mysteriously calm with Trinamool-backed
Save Farmland Committee leader Becharam Manna claiming the poll process was
deliberately slowed down by the CPI(M) in order to reduce poll percentage.
For a change, after many years ,no Trinamool
Congress or Congress worker fell to electoral violence even as the CPI(M)
targeted the RSP workers in Sunderbans' Basanti in South 24 Parganas. The
Front partners engaged each other in a dogfight at Amjhara, Charvidya, Atharaobanki
leading to the death of three RSP and one CPI(M) workers.
Reports of violence also came in from Choto
Jagulia, Kachrapara, Basirhaat, Hasnabad in North 24 Parganas and Domjur and
Panchala in Howrah districts. A man was killed while making bombs in Birbhum
district. At Kachrapara, a skeptic CPI(M) made voters to cast votes in public
whereas in Kharimachan, the cadre seized a police rifle.
Unlike other election days, people watched
as senior RSP leaders did the talking and not the Trinamool chairperson Mamata
Banerjee. This, even as the CPI(M) leadership continued to swear by the Left
Front unity somewhat tongue-in-cheek.
"It is a travesty in the name of election.
Some vested interests who are fighting to retain panchayats because that yields
money, killed democracy in Bengal. These fascist forces are like Hitler and
Mussolini who subverted democracy to remain in power. If peace and rule of
law is not restored soon the Front will have to pay a bigger price,"
said Goswami from his Writers' Buildings office, a few metres away from Chief
Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee's.
His party colleague and another Cabinet Minister
Vishwanath Chowdhury said: "There was no poll today," seeking Governor
Gopalkrishna Gandhi's intervention. "Left Front chairman Biman Bose is
not conducting himself like a Front leader. He is acting only in the capacity
of CPI(M) secretary."
In North Bengal, Banerjee said: "There
is no Constitution in Bengal. Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee is utilising the State
machinery to preserve his honour in the panchayat polls. And the Centre is
looking the other way."
This while the Centres representative and
Union Minister PR Dasmunsi who has reportedly been working for a grand alliance
switched on a recorded statement. "If there is one place devoid of democracy
that is Bengal. If this continues we will have to think for something else."
Meanwhile, even as other CPI(M) leaders ran
for cover, Biman Bose said, "stray incidents will not harm Left unity.
Left had always remained united and would continue to do so in future."
