Bengal: Post-Poll Violence, Fear Grip State, Left Parties Lead Mass Protests

Kolkata: West Bengal’s capital city Kolkata witnessed massive protest on Friday (May 8) as thousands of people took to the streets raising the slogan, “Stop the brutal attacks on the livelihood of working-class people in the name of victory celebrations”

Responding to the call given by the Left parties, protest rallies and public meetings were organised across different parts of West Bengal against alleged attacks carried out by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) activists following the party’s victory in the recent Assembly elections.

Carrying red flags and marching fearlessly, thousands of protesters joined the rally that began from Lenin’s statue at Dharmatala. The procession turned central Kolkata into a sea of red, with demonstrators condemning violence and demanding protection of the livelihood and democratic rights of common people.

On the same day, in North Bengal’s Siliguri, too, a large number of people responded to the call by the Left parties to raise voices against post-election violence. From Kolkata to Siliguri and several other places, people came together in one voice, asserting that “Bengal’s rich culture and age-old tradition of communal harmony must be protected at all costs.”

Citizens strongly articulated that the people of Bengal would never tolerate any attack on communal unity and social harmony. They reaffirmed a collective resolve to safeguard the spirit of brotherhood and secularism in the state under all circumstances.

The Backdrop

The backdrop to the recent unrest in West Bengal lies in the intensely polarised atmosphere surrounding the Assembly elections. During the campaign, both the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and BJP repeatedly traded threats and political warnings, with leaders from both sides openly speaking of “teaching lessons” to opponents after the elections.

However, despite widespread concerns over nearly 27 lakh names allegedly removed from the voters’ list through the Special intensive Revision or SIR process, neither TMC nor BJP forcefully addressed the issue during their election campaigns, as per Left party sources.

They said it was the Left parties alone that consistently protested against the matter and carried forward movements demanding accountability. Throughout the campaign, Left leaders repeatedly alleged that, in the name of the SIR process, the democratic rights of large sections of people of the state had been taken away.

According to Left leaders, the “aggressive exchange of threats” between TMC and BJP before the elections created an atmosphere of fear and tension, diverting public attention from the voter-list controversy. As a result, the political climate across the state remained extremely volatile.

The election results brought a dramatic political shift, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, along with several of her ministers and candidates, suffering a rout. The BJP secured a landslide victory. Soon after the results were declared, there were allegations of widespread violence by BJP activists in different parts of the state. Several panchayat offices were reportedly searched, while offices of TMC were vandalised and in some areas, and allegedly taken over by BJP activists.

The violence by alleged BJP workers, however, was not confined only to attacks on the then ruling party, TMC. On the vote counting day, a statue of Vladimir Lenin at Jadavpur in Kolkata was smeared with saffron paint. On May 5, another statue of Lenin was destroyed at Jiaganj of Murshidabad. There were reports of attacks on Communist Party of India (Marxist) workers from several districts, including Karandighi of Uttar Dinajpur district and Khanakul of Hooghly district. TMC workers, too, faced attacks in multiple areas of the state.

Following the announcement of the election results, nine people have reportedly lost their lives across the state amid incidents of political violence. Among them was Chandranath Rath, personal assistant to BJP leader and new Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. Rath was allegedly shot dead by assailants three days ago. Several TMC workers have also reportedly been killed.

Fear & Tension

An atmosphere of fear and tension continues to prevail across the state. On the day following the declaration of results, bulldozers were allegedly used in several areas, including Chandi Chowk in Kolkata, to demolish shops belonging to poor hawkers in some places. Left activists staged resistance against the action.

Following the BJP’s victory, allegations have emerged of continued hate campaigns targeting minority Muslims across different parts of the state. In Kolkata, Hooghly and North 24 Parganas, poor Muslim hawkers were reportedly threatened with eviction after being asked to disclose their identities.

Amid growing concerns over the deteriorating situation, the state police administration has reportedly issued instructions prohibiting rallies involving bulldozers. Despite this, allegations of intimidation continue to surface. In several colleges, alleged BJP workers threatened students that they would not be allowed to attend classes with their faces covered with scarves or veils.

As the first BJP government in the state was sworn in on Saturday, incidents of violence reportedly continue to escalate across the state. TMC leaders have largely remained absent from street protests against the attacks. Several party workers alleged that many of their leaders had “gone into hiding” claiming that their phones were switched off, while grassroots workers continued to face assaults.

Meanwhile, in Jiaganj (where a statue of Lenin was allegedly vandalised by BJP activists), the CPI(M) organised a protest rally May 7, and announced that a new Lenin statue would be reinstalled at the same site.

The Left parties held a massive protest rally in Kolkata on May 8, at the call of the Left Front. Addressing the gathering, Left Front leaders said: “With the change of power in the state, an atmosphere of triumphalism has emerged. Under the slogan of “Jai Shri Ram” attacks are being carried out on poor and working-class people”.  They claimed that several former TMC activists, who had allegedly switched allegiance to BJP overnight, were also involved in carrying out some attacks.

Speaking at the rally, Left Front chairman Biman Basu urged people to remain vigilant. “We must stay alert. Injustice and oppression against people cannot be allowed. Bengal’s long- standing tradition of communal harmony must be protected” he added.

The writer covers the Jangalmahal region for ‘Ganashakti’ newspaper in West Bengal.