Located in North 24 Parganas district, Sandeshkhali, an island in Sunbderbans, was at the centre of a political storm after angry local residents hit the streets in February and accused local Trinamool Congress (TMC) strongman Shahjahan Sheikh and his aides of land grab and sexual harassment of women. While Hazra and Sardar were arrested in the following weeks, Sheikh was nabbed on February 29.
The ‘fact-finding’ team visited Sandeshkhali Block 1 and Block 2 between February 24 and March 8 and interacted with residents of several villages including Sandeshkhali, Jeliakhali, Bermojur, and Hatgachi. The team comprised four non-profit organisations Gannontantrik Odhikar Raksha Samiti, Shamranjeevi Mahila Samiti, Amra Ek Sachetan Prayas, and Paschim Banga Khet Majoor Samity. The team aimed to gauge the alleged “oppression, torture, and human rights violations inflicted by police authorities and land grabbers’ associated with political parties”. At a press conference on Friday in Kolkata, the activists who were a part of the ‘fact-finding’ team expressed concerns about land encroachment, particularly for the establishment of poultry farms and fisheries. They claimed there was a “significant increase” in such activities over the past three years.
Anuradha Talwar, a veteran trade union activist, said, “Back in 2018-19, when we used to work at Minakhan block, land issues were prevalent, aggravated by political pressures. Saline water intrusion has harmed agricultural land, leading to significant environmental damage and desertification. Destruction of mangrove forests has eliminated a crucial wind buffer during cyclones, transforming the area into a saline water desert.”
Debashish Bhattacharya from Gannontantrik Odhikar Raksha Samiti said, “In many places ripe rice fields were damaged by introducing salt water.”
As per a statement issued by the team, the survey found that the process of land grabbing and the transformation of fields into fisheries has led to “significant disruptions in economic and ecological balance”.
“This has resulted in various challenges for the community, such as the excessive presence of saline water, causing a shortage of water. Many residents have been compelled to migrate, seeking alternative livelihoods. Those who remain face meagre wages in the fisheries, exacerbating the village’s poverty,” it added.
(Taniya Acherjee is an intern at the Kolkata office of The Indian Express)