TMC counters allegations of crimes against women by planning women's protests
Telegraph | 5 March 2024
Trinamul has conceived a counter-narrative against the Opposition's allegations of crimes against women in Sandeshkhali by planning women's protests from the strife-torn Sunderbans island to assert that the "propaganda" has caused their "humiliation".
Bengal's ruling party seemed desperate to mobilise a large number of women for a public meeting at the Rampur school ground at Bermajur in Sandeshkhali on Sunday, which was officially organised as a preparation for the party's March 10 Brigade Parade Ground mega event in Calcutta. In it, however, Trinamul leaders mostly talked about the need for women's protests in Sandeshkhali to negate the Opposition's overdrive of charges of widespread crimes against women perpetrated by local ruling party leaders.
The Trinamul leadership wanted women of the area to come forward and claim they are safe in Sandeshkhali under the protection of chief minister Mamata Banerjee and tell "outsiders" that their allegations are "humiliating" for them, said a Trinamul leader in Sandeshkhali.
Trinamul has begun groundwork to reach out to its women supporters in the troubled area.
Party leader and irrigation minister Partha Bhowmick, at the rally, said: "Some incidents occurred in Sandeshkhali. It is not possible for us to know everything.... We are not gods. Can everyone be held responsible for the wrongdoings of a particular person? Police cases have been registered for those (crimes)."
"But it is unfortunate that for such incidents all women are being made to feel humiliated," he added. "I request you all to raise your voice when any outsider comes to speak about you.... You must tell them to stop."
Party leaders like Narayan Goswami, Nirmal Ghosh, Sujit Bose and local Trinamul MLA Sukumar Mahata virtually echoed Bhowmick.
Bhowmick later said it was bad to create a general impression that all Sandeshkhali women suffered atrocities.
"The women are being questioned by their relatives.... The Opposition has no right to bring shame to all women in Sandeshkhali," he said.
The BJP and the CPM alleged that Trinamul planned to encourage some Sandeshkhali women to rise against women who protested against Trinamul's strongmen.
On Sunday morning, a six-member "independent" fact-finding team, said to be pro-BJP, visited three Sandeshkhali villages with a Calcutta High Court order allowing it to do so.