Lalgarh and the Legend of Kishanji by Snigdhendu Bhattacharya

Author:Snigdhendu Bhattacharya
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: null
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers India
Published: 2016-04-07T04:00:00+00:00

The Reverse Tide

16 June 2010.

Like primitive hunters, the jawans carried the slain guerrillas, tied to bamboo poles. One by one, eight pairs of jawans emerged from the jungles carrying the bodies of five young men and women, all probably in their twenties.

Midnapore police lines and the Salboni police station broke out in celebrations. This was by far their biggest success. Between January 2008 and June 2010, fifty-five security personnel were killed in and around Lalgarh. Though the forces and the CPM’s armed teams had killed a number of PCAPA leaders, supporters and militia members, the PLGA hadn’t received a fitting response. Now that eight members of a PLGA platoon had been wiped out in a single ambush in Salboni, the guerrillas would think twice before facing the security forces. Of the eight members killed, seven had joined the PLGA barely half a year ago from the Salboni area. Some managed to flee, while one was caught alive.

The ambush took place near Rameshwarpur and Kalsibhanga. Places where we had stayed. The people of the area were depending on the young squad to prevent the CPM from entering the village and setting up camp. The failed encounter alarmed young guerrillas in West Midnapore.

But this was only the beginning of the terror that would soon stalk the area.

Security forces were reportedly on their way to Ghritakham village at the crack of dawn on 30 June in search of Maoists, when they decided to raid neighbouring Sonamukhi. As the news spread, all the menfolk fled to the adjoining jungle – a common practice in Jangalmahal. The forces, generally, searched every home, vandalized homes belonging to suspects and vented their anger by beating up some of the women. But this time, they did not stop there. They dragged the women out of their homes and cowsheds, stripped them naked and allegedly raped six of them.

On 1 July, the Maoists and the PCAPA issued statements decrying the ‘mass rape’ but got little response from the media. Allegations of rape were nothing new in areas of armed conflict. But in most cases, journalists had little or no chance to report them. No one would lodge an official complaint (fearing further harassment) or speak to the media (out of shame). On many occasions, there was also the likelihood of falling prey to exaggerated allegations. This time, a quiet rebellion shook the village. The men, especially the youth, took the women to the hospital. The hospital superintendent, Hiralal Bisui, reportedly advised the women to report the rape to the police and get medical tests done. Some villagers went to the sub-divisional officer (SDO) to lodge a complaint seeking an investigation. The complaint was not noted. The women came back home. Dr Bisui was transferred within a few hours.

By 2 July, national attention swiftly moved to the southern state of Andhra Pradesh.

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