On Sunday, September 10, Indian Express published excerpts from an exclusive interview with the West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose. During the interview, Governor Bose described the post-poll violence in Bengal as “political Holi with human blood”.
Governor Bose was asked about his observations on law and order after he visited different parts of the state following poll-related violence and other deaths. Quoting William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, he said, “Murder most foul” in the field. Citing another play by Shakespeare, Julius Caeser, he added, “Then, reason was ‘fled to brutish beasts and men have lost their reason’. That is what I saw. And when I saw those who justify that, I could only think, ‘they are honourable men, all honourable men’.”
Describing the bloodshed as a “political Holi”, he said he has seen political hypocrisy and a “political Holi with human blood” in the field. He pointed out that there are “goon kings” in West Bengal who would take any kind of job including murder, stabbing, hacking, rape and more. “All are there on the menu. You just pick and choose. That is the type of situation that I saw in places where I went,” he added.
Urging people to come together against the atrocities faced during post-poll violence, he said, “There is violence, there is crime, there is intimidation, and there is corruption. People should come together, and civil society and new generations should come together. The silent majority should break their silence.”
As a civil servant, Governor Bose said that he felt shocked to see the soft state against those who indulged in violence. He said, “Law is there, rule is there, machinery is there, but we are tardy in implementation.”
Governor said that he saw IAS and IPS officers defying the tenets of bureaucracy. “Some of the IPS and IAS, not all of them, have failed in their duties. He added that they are partisan and cannot instil confidence in the common man,” he added.
Governor Ananda’s visit to post-poll violence-hit areas after Panchayat polls
In July 2023, Governor Ananda assured strict action against the lawbreakers after the Panchayat polls in the state. He said, “There will be a relentless fight against growing violence in Bengal. Those who commit violence in the field will be made to curse the day they are born. All authorities will come down with a heavy hand on the goons and lawbreakers.”
“We will certainly take stern action against the control room lords who sit in political control rooms and guide or remote control the goons on the field. It will be an all-out action. There will certainly be very stern action because this violence is affecting the future of the new generation…we will make Bengal a safer place for the new generation to live in,” he added.
Bengal has a long history of political violence during elections. In 2021, the state saw the same against the BJP workers and leaders after the assembly elections.