The Mobile Raj Bhavan was on a reality check tour to Malda and Murshidabad on 18-19 April, 2025.
On April 18, 2025, upon reaching Malda, HG toured the remote area of Baishnabnagar and visited the Parlalpur High School where several of the riot-affected displaced people from neighbouring Murshidabad are camped.
HG interacted with the displaced people, who narrated their tale of woes. They talked freely with HG and indicated how they were abused and subjected to physical assault. Their home and hearth were destroyed and they had to flee from their villages to survive.
Immediately on being apprised of the alleged inadequacies of the relief measures being provided to the displaced people, HG had instructed the Indian Red Cross, West Bengal, on April 14, 2025, to go to the field and render all help.At the relief camp, HG commended the role of the Indian Red Cross Society, West Bengal, for their ceaseless efforts to extend all material help to the riot-survivors.
Even as HG was interacting with the victims of violence inside the relief camp, people demanded that the Media be allowed inside to cover HG’s interactions with the aggrieved people. Respecting the request of the local people to allow the Media inside the camp, HG intervened and made arrangements that they could come inside.
The riot-affected people appealed to HG for protection so that they can return to their villages, rebuilding of their destroyed houses, ensuring means of livelihood and to reinstate the BSF camp in their village.
People pointed out that during 11-12 April, 2025 when communal disturbances were going on across several pockets of Murshidabad, including Suti, Dhulian, Jangipur, and Shamsherganj, frantic calls to authorities by the people for protection went unheeded. Such a parallel is difficult to find in recent history when a specific group of people were subjected to inhuman atrocities of this magnitude leaving them no option but to take refuge away from their own villages.
A terrible fear psychosis has been generated among the people in several parts of Murshidabad. Memories of the March 2025 Mothabari incident in Malda itself was also recalled. HG had already advised the Government to initiate strong action to curb violence and bring the perpetrators to book. Supremacy of the law of the land has to be ensured.
On April 19, 2025, in the morning, HG interacted with some of the violence-affected families at the Mahananda Guest House at Farakka in Murshidabad. The Mobile Raj Bhavan then went on to the riot-affected regions such as Samsherganj, Jafrabad, Dhulian, Bedbona, and surrounding areas. At these places the convoy stopped and HG interacted with people who gave a spine-chilling account of their experiences.People fervently appealed for permanent BSF camps in the area.
HG took note the atrocious situation that innocent people were subjected to, and the fatalities that has destroyed families; the terrible psychological trauma that people have endured will require intensive confidence-building measures by authorities. People want to be assured by a visible presence of administrative and security mechanism that can come to their aid when needed, and does its job well.
HG once again appealed to all stakeholders including Government, NGOs, opinion makers and political parities to help create an atmosphere of trust and harmony.
Following his tour and extensive interactions with people at the ground level HG has arrived at conclusions which will be carried in a Report for appropriate action.
HG reiterated that this dance of death shall not recur.This spell of appalling infliction of communal violence and its spiralling out of control indeed appeared to be premeditated.Strict vigil on the border, nipping attempts at radicalisation and extremism in the bud and search and contain operations must go on as that was the only way to thwart any recurrence of such premeditated sequence of destruction.
Observers point out that the cult of violence that has inflicted terrible atrocities on innocent people are of the scale akin to that of genocidal proportions and must be put to a stop with an iron hand.The atrocities inflicted is suspected to be systematic and reeks of an intention to destroy the identity of a particular group.The way in which innocent people were forced to be displaced and conditions created for physical destruction of their identities can be termed as attempts at cultural erasure.Such a grave violation of human rights causing immense suffering and loss has very few parallels in recent history.
HG reiterated that no power is greater than the power of the silent majority. No power, howsoever ruthless and cunning, can survive in the face of people’s power against it.Time has come to put to a halt the so-called ‘run’ of nameless, faceless and stateless mercenaries.
The ‘free run’ of nameless, stateless, faceless mercenaries must be arrested and the law of the land must be imposed.
Bengal deserves peace, Bengal wants peace, Bengal shall get peace.
(Inputs from Raj Bhavan media cell)
