A three-member delegation from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) visited the Parlalpur camp on Friday. The team arrived at Malda town station around 10.30 a.m. by the Vande Bharat Express and headed straight to the camp.
There, they spent time listening to first-hand accounts from the displaced families and documented their grievances, including concerns about violence and the hardships they’ve endured since being uprooted. The team declined to speak to the media, but sources confirmed a report will soon be submitted to Commission authorities in Delhi.
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In the wake of the recent violence in Murshidabad during protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, separate delegations from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the National Commission for Women (NCW) visited Malda on Friday to assess the ground situation and meet victims taking refuge in relief camps.
Around 400 families displaced by the 11 April violence in Suti and Samserganj have taken shelter at the school. While the exact number remains unclear, the NHRC members spent nearly an hour interacting with the affected families, inquiring about the sequence of events, the circumstances that forced them to flee, and their current living conditions. However, the team declined to speak to the media. Tension flared soon after the NHRC team left the premises, with protesters surrounding the police and alleging that they were being prevented from stepping outside the camp and even denied access to visiting relatives. The incident created a brief stir at the school premises.
Meanwhile, a six-member delegation from the NCW led by Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar also visited Malda on Friday, following reports of violence and atrocities against women during the clashes. The team had arrived in Kolkata on Thursday and travelled to Berhampore before heading for Malda. Ahead of their visit to the camps, NCW member Dr Archana Majumdar accused the police of trying to send victims back home prematurely. “We have received information that the police are attempting to disperse the camp even before our visit. Had their intelligence worked effectively, this situation could have been avoided,” she told the press.
According to state police reports, normalcy is gradually returning to the region, with 70 per cent of shops reopening and 85 displaced individuals already returning to their homes. However, many others have either migrated to Jharkhand’s Pakur district or continue to live in temporary relief camps. Both NHRC and NCW are expected to submit detailed reports on their findings to the central government upon returning to Delhi. Earlier on Thursday, the Raj Bhavan would do everything possible in collaboration with the Union and the state governments for the victims affected by the recent violence in the state.
“Raj Bhavan will do everything possible for the victim in collaboration with the state and central government,” Mr Bose said. He also stated that his visit to the violence-affected places was to get an “objective view” of the matter.”I am going to the field to see for myself the realities of the field. I will have an objective view of the matter. The situation has been brought under control. We should take further steps to prevent similar instances in future. I will certainly visit Murshidabad. People from the area have requested to have a BSF camp there,” he added.