Culture of violence the bane of Bengal politics

Turf wars and bloodshed are synonymous with West Bengal politics, particularly during the election season, with successive governments often fanning the flames rather than dousing them. The killing of eight persons, including two children, in Birbhum district —apparently in retaliation for the murder of a Trinamool Congress (TMC) panchayat leader — adds another tragic chapter to this never-ending saga of violence. The Calcutta High Court has ordered a CBI investigation into the gruesome incident, even as Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee — in the damage-control mode — got a TMC block president arrested and pulled up the local police for not acting in time. The Birbhum horror has provided the BJP, the state’s main Opposition party, ample ammunition to target the ruling TMC. Even though the TMC has promised to cooperate with the CBI, the fierce inter-party rivalry and Centre-state tussle seen in recent years do not bode well for a free and fair probe.

The Left, during its decades-long rule in Bengal, banked on violence and coercion to force its rivals into submission. It was Birbhum that had witnessed the lynching of 11 laborers in July 2000 during Jyoti Basu’s tenure, while more than 20 lives were lost in clashes during the 2008 panchayat polls. The Mamata-led TMC has inherited this unenviable legacy of repression. With the BJP gaining ground in Bengal on the back of its strong performance in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the two parties have frequently locked horns, right from the top brass to the grassroots-level workers. Last year’s Assembly elections were also marred by bloodshed, with four voters falling to bullets fired by Central security personnel.

The onus is on all stakeholders to discourage the culture of violence that is not only a blot on Bengal but is also impeding the state’s progress. It needs political will to rein in the cadres and uphold the rule of law. With warring parties relying on muscle power to silence their detractors, it would be a Herculean task to weed out the criminal elements and help Bengal turn over a new leaf.

(Tribune, India)