Ex-minister Susanta charged with murder

23 September 2011

Charge-sheet filed in Benachapra skeleton recovery case

biswabrata goswami 

MIDNAPORE, 23 SEPT: For the first time in West Bengal, a minister, though a former one, has been charged with murder.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) filed a charge-sheet against the former CPI-M minister for Paschimanchal Unnayan affairs, Mr Susanta Ghosh and 57 other CPI-M leaders and workers in connection with Benachapra skeleton recovery case before the chief judicial magistrate (CJM) of Midnapore Judges’ court today.
“Many among the 58 CPI-M activists including Mr Ghosh accused in the Benachapra skeleton recovery case, in which at least seven Trinamul Congress workers were killed and then buried in a graveyard on 22 September in 2002, were directly involved in the murder, conspiracy and disappearance of evidences,” the charge-sheet reads.
Among the accused, 16 CPI-M men are in judicial custody, while the remaining 42 CPI-M men are absconding, the CID stated in the charge-sheet.
Mr Purna Sekhar Mukherjee, a CID officer, said: “We have filed the charge-sheet within 88 days of the first arrest, of a CPI-M worker on 28 June, but the investigation into the case will continue for a few more months. Following receipt of the forensic report of two of the seven skeletons (which is yet to come) a supplementary Arms Act charge-sheet could be submitted later.”
Besides filing the charge-sheet, which runs to 22 pages, the CID also submitted about 3,000 pages of documents and annexures before Mr Manoj Kumar Rai, CJM, Midnapore. The documents were brought packed in a trunk and submitted before the magistrate.
Mr Mukherjee told journalists: “Seven skeletons were dug up from a pit near Ghosh’s ancestral house in Benachapra village in West Midnapore district on 22 June. The ex-minister was arrested on 11 August based on the FIR lodged with the Anandapur police by one Shymal Acharya who had claimed one of the skeletons was that of his father Ajay Acharya. He had lodged a complaint against 40 men while the CID has tagged another 18 CPI-M men based on the information collected from the arrested men during the probe”.
Trinamul Congress had alleged that the bodies of its supporters, who died in a firing incident on 22 September, 2002 at Piyasala village, were carted away by CPI-M cadres and buried at the spot.
But, the CID officers have not confirmed about the firing yet and because of this reason, it has not tagged any of the accused with provisions of the Arms Act. The CID officials, however, have gathered enough evidence about the killing and so, they have filed charges of murder, conspiracy and disappearance of evidence against the accused, a CID lawyer said.
Sixteen of the 58 persons named in the charge-sheet are already behind bars, while the remaining including CPI-M’s Paschimbanga Krishak Sabha general secretary Mr Tarun Roy, Keshpur zonal secretary Mr Imtiaz Ali and the former minister’s brother Mr Prasanta Ghosh have not been arrested so far, a CID officer said.
The CJM court on 19 September had extended Ghosh’s judicial custody for 43 more days in connection with the case and ordered authorities to produce him before the court on 31 October. Bail pleas of six others accused in the case were rejected and the court also extended their custody.
On the same day, Mr Ghosh had moved the Calcutta High Court seeking bail in the case, which adjourned hearing the prayer till Monday.
Mr Mukul Roy, Trinamul leader and Union minister of state for shipping, said: “At last justice is being done. When the police submit a charge-sheet, it's done on the basis of prima facie evidence. We have long been saying Mr Susanta Ghosh took an active part in suppressing democracy. Whoever protested against the CPI-M's atrocities and misrule his place was either the burning ghat or the grave.”

Fear of fresh floods grips East Midnapore

23 September 2011

biswabrata goswami
TAMLUK, 23 SEPT: When the scars of previous two floods are still alive, residents of East Midnapore are now fearing another devastating flood just ahead of Durga Puja as Chandil and DVC dams have announced they would release about two lakh cusecs of water due to heavy downpour in the upper catchment areas of the rivers since yesterday.
The district administration has already sounded an alert. People have been asked to move in higher places in view of massive discharge from the dams. People living in low-lying areas of Pataspur-I and Egra-I blocks have already shifted to safe places, but more blocks are likely to be affected if there is more discharge.
The chief minister, Miss Mamata Banerjee, has already urged local agencies and clubs to assist district officials in shifting people to safe areas. “We will take measures to tackle any adversity, but we would like everyone to pitch in so that people living in low-lying areas don’t get into trouble,” said Mamud Hossain, saha-sabhadhipati of zilla-parishad. 
He said: “All government departments like irrigation, civil defence, disaster management have been asked to be in touch and review the situation continuously. All panchayats and panchayat samiti sabhapatis have already been cautioned about the situation.”
According to irrigation department officials, most of the rivers like Rupnarayan, Kanshabati, Keleghai, Subarnarekha, Chandia and Tapsi are flowing above the danger level at many places and if these rivers start overflowing, vast areas of Pataspur-I and II, Bhagwanpur-I and II, Chandipur, Moyna, Panskura, Kolaghat, Egra-I and Ramnagar-I blocks will be inundated.
Mr Hossain said: “To combat the situation, our chief minister Miss Banerjee has already held a meeting with the Jharkhand chief secretary today. The state chief secretary, Mr Samar Ghosh, also held a meeting with home secretary Mr GD Gautama to discuss the matter before taking it up with the Jharkhand chief secretary.”
In the past floods, major sections of embankments of the Rupnarayan, Haldi, Kansabati, Silai, Chandia, Keleghai and Bagui rivers were badly damaged and these still continue to haunt local residents.
“As these river banks were not repaired before the monsoon, vast swathes of the district were inundated this year also and people residing in these areas are worried over the matter,” Mr Narayan Chandra Nayek, convener of the Bonya Bhangan Committee, said.
Floods have become an annual feature in both East and West Midnapore districts over decades now. The Keleghai, Kapaleswari, Bagui and Kangsabati rivers overflow every year. Vast stretches of about 200 moujas of Kolaghat, Panskura, Tamluk and Sahid Matangini blocks often remain submerged for over three months once the region gets flooded during late monsoon because the two water outlets in the area ~ the Soadighi canal and the Gangakhali canal ~ remain choked throughout the year owing to heavy silt on the canal beds which are never cleaned.

Undue benefit for minister’s relative

20 September 2011

biswabrata goswami
MIDNAPORE, 20 SEPT: At a time when chief minister Miss Mamata Banerjee has warned her party workers not to involve themselves in corrupt practices, the chairman of the Trinamul Congress-led West Midnapore Primary School Council, has been accused of transferring a recently-appointed teacher from a school in Junglemahal to a school in the district headquarters.
Ms Pamela Bose, a primary schoolteacher of Parasia in Maoist-hit Salboni, who is also a relative of Trinamul Congress minister of housing Mr Shyamapada Mukherjee, has been transferred (memo no. 1619/7/ES dated 12 September, 2011) within months of her appointment at Parasia school. Hundreds of primary schoolteachers in Junglemahal have been seeking transfer from the area in the face of Maoist threats since long. “Following the minister's intervention, Mr Murmu transferred her to a school in the district headquarters while our applications are gathering dust in his table,” said a schoolteacher who didn’t wish to be named.
In the past two months, at least 75 teachers from different schools of the Salboni, Goaltore, Lalgarh, Jhargram, Jamboni, Binpur, Silda and Nayagram areas have applied to the chairman with similar requests. Mr Murmu recently issued a circular (memo no. 1350/69/ES dated 16 August, 2011) mentioning that all requests with regards to transfer to non-Maoist areas would be looked into after 15 September, but Miss Bose’s transfer was done on 13 September, ignoring the letter and spirit of his own circular, another schoolteacher said.
Mr Murmu could not be contacted for comment. “In the past two years, Maoists have extorted money from me thrice. Recently, activists of the People’s Committee against Police Atrocities (PCPA), a frontal outfit of the ultras, have again demanded Rs 50,000 from me,” Mr Abhirup Basak (name changed on request), a headmaster of a primary school, barely three km from Salboni, said.
“It has now become unbearable for me. So, I have applied to the council chairman urging him to transfer me to some other school,” Mr Basak said.
Mr Rathin Pandey (named changed), a primary schoolteacher in Binpur, said: “I am compelled to stay away from my school for the past two months fearing attacks by Maoists. Two months ago, a group of rebels came to me and threatened to kill me if I failed to pay money to them.”
A police report suggests that the Maoists had murdered 22 primary schoolteachers in the past two years either for having links with the CPI-M or for refusing to pay money. Mr Biswanath Mandal, secretary of the All Bengal Primary Teachers’ Association, said the schools in Junglemahal already suffer from staff crunch.
In Junglemahal, there are about 1,200 schools where 2,500 posts are still vacant, he said. Hundreds of teachers had applied for transfers, but no one had been transferred, he added.

No takers for dhakis of Junglemahal

15 September 2011

biswabrata goswami
JHARGRAM, 15 SEPT: Thirty-five-odd tribal families who live in the remotest fringe of Maoist-hit Junglemahal in West Midnapore are having a tough time now: not because of the rebels; but because Puja organisers haven't called them yet for their traditional drum-beating performance at Puja pandals.
For these part-time farmers, landless labourers and dhakis (drum-beaters) in  their native village at Tinga in Jhargram, Durga Puja is the time when they make most money at one go: about Rs 1,000-2,000 per dhaki and another Rs 500 each for accompanists; the bakshish can go up to Rs 100 per day.
“This year is particularly bad,” says Subhash Midda, a famous drum-beater in the locality. “For us, beating dhak is still a part-time profession. Till last year, we were in demand due to High Court direction on restricting the sound limit. We were getting hardly five to six orders for performance. This year, I have received a single order from a Puja organiser,” he said.
“Each dhak (drum) costs about Rs 2,000. There is a yearly maintenance for it. But without it (dhak), nobody will teach you; so each one of us has his own instrument,” says Raju Ghorai, a part-time farmer. The learning process starts early on ~ at about 10 years of age ~ from a guru. The skill is, more often than not, handed down from father to son. Sporting stork feathers and other colourful knick-knacks, the men are obviously in love with their instruments. Subhash refuses to pose for a picture unless his hair is done and his dhak has a colourful “dress” on.
Dhak, mridangam and madal are the traditional forms of drums. Their beats generate a soothing rhythmic resonance. Dhakis are dexterous in their own inimitable way while dancing to the beats of the drums.  “It’s heartening to note that the art is now beginning to get noticed. It is a melodious fusion of music and dance. This form of art needs to be patronised more,” said a Puja organiser in Jhargram.
These tribal families earn some extra money during the festive season only. During the rest of the year they work as either farmers or labourers. This year many Puja organisers in Jhargram and bordering Chakulia in Jharkhand have reduced their Puja budgets for various reasons and they are planning to use pre-recorded drum beats, reproduced through electronic instruments instead of calling the traditional dhakis.

Tuberculosis hits Jhargram Deer Park

14 September 2011

biswabrata goswami
JHARGRAM, 14 SEPT: Two spotted deer, one monkey and a camel died of infectious tuberculosis at Jhargram Deer Park in West Midnapore in the past two days.
A culture of the lung tissue of the dead animals revealed tuberculosis bacilli,  typed as M. Tuberculosis on the basis of standard bio-chemical tests, a forest officer said. Though the source of infection was not yet established, deer park employees suspect migratory birds which can spread the disease among the animals. And so the forest officials are worried about the spread of the disease among other animals.
Mr Partha Pratim Tripathi, a forest ranger in Jhargram said, “We have sent a detailed report to the state forest department and urged the officials to send a proper guideline to save other animals which are in captive in the park”.
Mr Tripathi also said the post-mortem reports of the two dead deer and a monkey revealed the Tuberculosis infection while the post-mortem report of the dead camel has not reached till today. According to the park employees, when they went into the monkey’s cage to clean it at 10.30 am on Monday, they found it unconscious and reported the matter to the forest ranger. They took the monkey in the treatment cage and administered some emergency drugs but it did not respond to the treatment and died in an hour at around 11.45 am.
Two deer were similarly found dead at two different places inside the park premises on Monday. Yesterday, the only camel which was kept in the park was found unconscious when they went to feed her. Later, the camel died.
“The apparent clinical signs were emaciation, sunken eyes and a prominent spinal cord. Medical treatment was given to the monkey which fell ill about a month ago. But the two deer which found dead could not be detected ill”, said a deer-park employee.
Alleging negligence, the wildlife activists have demanded a probe into the deaths of the animals. They blamed the deer-park officers for the deaths, saying that the park authorities have no knowledge of treating wild animals. Mr Subrata Purohit, a wildlife activist, said the animals died due lack of treatment. “We will take up the matter with the chief wildlife warden,” he said.
A section of conservationists feel that with lack of proper treatment facilities and space, the fate of other animal in this deer park hangs in balance. At present, the deer park has over 100 spotted deer and three monkeys in captivity, a forest officer said.

Maoists caution youths not to apply for government jobs

13 September 2011

biswabrata goswami
MIDNAPORE, 13 SEPT: The state government may have initiated the recruitment process of “national volunteer force” for around 10,000 posts from youths living in three districts of Junglemahal, but Maoists have started threatening the youths asking them not to apply for the jobs.
Several Maoist posters have been found at different places in Salboni, Lalgarh, Belpahari, Nayagram and Gopiballavpur in West Midnapore in which the rebels have threatened the youths, asking them not to join the police recruitment process.
“Je Ba Jara Police-e Jog Debe, Tader Mrityu Danda Deoa Habe (Those who will join the police force will be given death punishment)”, a Maoist poster written in red ink found at various places in Junglemahal read.  Apart from putting up posters, Maoists have also threatened many youths and asked them not to join the police. “I am eligible to be recruited as a national volunteer force or junior constable, but some leaders (Maoists) have asked me not to file an application,” said Manoj Mandi (name changed on request) in Salboni.
A senior police officer, who often conducts raids in Junglemahal, said, “We have seized such posters from Salboni and Lalgarh. But we are trying to instill confidence among the youth so that they feel free to file applications for recruitment”. Since these are regular posts there will be no lowering of standards, unlike the recruitment of junior police constables. As chief minister Miss Mamata Banerjee has already promised several employment opportunities for the backward regions in Junglemahal and Darjeeling, the huge backlog of ST reservation has come in handy to the state government. But several organisations and Maoist sympathisers have already criticised Miss Banerjee’s initiative and said the state government is following the same model of Salwa Judum that existed in Chhattisgarh.
Dr Binayak Sen, a human rights activist, also criticised the move recently and said, “We feel the problem of Red insurgency in West Bengal cannot be solved by the law and order approach. It can only be addressed through sustained socio-economic reform. And for that the government has to follow an approach based on equity, justice and peace.”
To protest against the government’s policies with regard to the development issues in Junglemahal, the Democratic Forum against Terror, Corruption and Imperialistic Aggression had recently organised a rally at the venue where Miss Banerjee had addressed a gathering last year. Chhatradhar Mahato, the jailed PCPA leader, had contested the Assembly poll under its banner.
While criticising Miss Banerjee for skipping “major issues” and talked of their “apprehension” about her decision to recruit 10,000 special police constables, Mr Nabarun Bhattacherjee, secretary of the Association for Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR), said: “She is failing to keep her promises made before the Assembly poll. The Central forces have not been withdrawn till today while she had promised the withdrawal of security forces from Junglemahal. No political prisoner has also been released as yet.”

Flood-hit farmers threaten agitation for compensation

9 September 2011

biswabrata goswami
TAMLUK, 9 SEPT: Thousands of villagers of at least 25 villages in East Midnapore are living in terrible condition as these villages have been lying inundated since June.
The farmers are now facing severe difficulties as paddy seedlings were damaged in recent floods. Left with no other options, they have now turned to the government for financial assistance. The farmers have threatened to launch massive agitation if the state government denies compensation.
Villagers living in the Brindaban Chawk, Siddha-I, Pulsita and Sagar Bandh gram panchayat areas gheraoed the block administrative and irrigation department officials demanding immediate compensation and proper drainage of the stagnant water. “If the water is not drained out immediately, the entire area will be polluted and infectious diseases will spread,” said a villager. Mr Sudipta Chakraborty, Block Development Officer, said: “I have visited the area today and spoke to the villagers. I will send a report to the district magistrate regarding the present condition of the areas.”
During the second phase of floods in August, 9.070 hectares of farmland, spanned over 892 villages of 126 gram panchayats, were submerged. The zilla parishad has already appealed to the state government for funds. According to the assessment report prepared by the district agriculture and horticulture departments, the total loss has been estimated at around Rs 36 crore ~ of which major losses have been estimated from the damage to crops, seedlings and flowers. The district agriculture department, however, has not mentioned the losses in terms of money, but officials said the loss would be around Rs 15 crore. Similarly, the district horticulture department has assessed the damage to flowers, betel vines and vegetables. It put the loss at Rs 21 crore.
Tamluk, Panskura, Kolaghat, Moyna, Pataspur and Ramnagar are the most affected areas in the district. However, the devastation would not have been so severe had the river embankment eroded in last year’s floods been repaired on time.
Some cases of diarrhoea and dysentery have already been reported from the flood-ravaged areas which were waterlogged for the past few days and the figure is rising