Amid the ongoing unrest in Sandeshkhali village in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, it has come to light that poor tribal families were being denied MNREGA wages for voting against the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) dispensation.
The development was confirmed by a three-member team of the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST).
Led by Vice-Chairperson Ananta Nayak, NCST also learnt from the locals that the police ‘protected’ TMC goon Sheikh Shahjahan and his accomplices in exploiting the tribal community in Sandeshkhali.
Adivasi women were allegedly sexually exploited in #Sandeshkhali by Sheikh Shahjahan, families ravaged.
— Abhijit Majumder (@abhijitmajumder) February 21, 2024
National Comission for Schedule Tribes issues notice on #SandeshkhaliHorror to Bengal chief secretary and DGP. NCST vice chairperson and a team will visit spot on February 22. pic.twitter.com/LQkErDw7mg
“The NCST team learned that Shahjahan would instruct poor tribal people to give him their MNREGA earnings. And in case they had already exhausted it, he would ask them to borrow money from lenders and give it to him,” Nayak informed.
“If the victim approached the police, they would not file an FIR or a complaint and instead ask the complainants to ‘negotiate’ with Shahjahan. The police backed the accused in this case,” the NCST vice-chairperson further emphasised.
Earlier on 20th February this year, the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes issued a notice to the West Bengal police Head and the Chief Secretary of the State. It has sought factual reports within a span of 3 days.
Women expose rampant vote rigging by TMC in Sandeshkhali
Earlier, several women narrated the large-scale vote rigging orchestrated by Trinamool Congress (TMC) goons in the Sandeshkhali village.
During an interview with TV9 Bangla, at least 7 women spoke on camera against the election fraud carried out by TMC workers in cahoots with polling officers and the police.
“Before I go to the polling station, they tell me that my vote has been cast,” a woman recounted. “If we go to the polling station, the polling officers put ink on our fingers and say that our vote has already been cast…”, another woman informed.
She added, “Men in the village cannot stay here at least 6 months (during to intimidation) before elections…Men dressed in police uniform have even threatened to destroy our homes if we cast votes.”
“They do not allow us to cast our votes,” one victim lamented. Another woman narrated, “Casting votes here is same as not casting your votes.”
Aarati Patra, who had filed nomination papers from the BJP, informed TV9 Bangla, “They warned me that if I contest elections, then, they will beat me with sticks and spades. There are 3 primary goons (Sheikh Shahjahan, Uttam Sardar, Shibu Hazra) but they have a lot of followers.”
“There is no voting here. They would threaten people and forcibly take them to the polling station and put ink on their fingers,” she added.
One woman informed, “Even if police are present at the polling station, they do not tell them (TMC goons) anything. They instead work as cadres of the party,”
Another woman said that her family members were sent ‘funeral essentials’ after deciding to contest the Panchayat elections. “One of my uncles contested in the election. On the same evening, they (TMC goons) sent us flower beads, a white saree, and sweets,” she narrated her ordeal.
