West Bengal: The Cycle Of Violence Must End
By A Special Correspondent
First publised on 2022-03-22 13:50:30
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The discovery of 8 charred bodies, including women and children, in more than 10 houses that were set ablaze in Rampurhat in Birbhum district in West Bengal points to revenge political killings. Just a few days ago, a deputy gram pradhan affiliated to Trinamool Congress was killed in a bomb attack. It is alleged that these houses were burned to 'teach a lesson' to those suspected of being involved in the killing. The police have already arrested 11 persons from the area for their hand in the arson.
The political temperature in the state has risen once more with the state governor Jagdeep Dhankar once again tweeting about the alleged lawlessness in the state. The state government has formed a special investigation team (SIT) under Additional DGP (CID) Gyanwant Singh to probe the incident. The area was tense for the last couple of days and sporadic violence was reported. The SIT will now probe whether the burning of the houses was related to the killing of the deputy gram pradhan and who were involved in it.
This incident is the latest in a series of incidents of political violence in the state. Both TMC and BJP are guilty of using muscle power to get at each other. But political violence is not new to the state. It started during the early Left Front rule when goons roamed openly with guns on polling days, preventing those expected to vote against the Left Front from reaching the booths. Booth capturing, false voting and booth jamming were converted into a fine art. Swift retaliation followed once it was known that the voters of a particular booth had voted against the Left Front.
But has not the time come to end this cycle of violence in the state? The BJP was beaten fair and square in the polls and the TMC received a huge mandate. The BJP should lie low and wait for its chance and the TMC must be magnanimous in victory. But such is the desire of the winner to take all in the state that the ruling party does not give even an inch to the leading opposition party. The Left did not and the TMC has kept up the tradition. The BJP has also been quick to adapt and retaliate. This is not good for the state.
