Sandeshkhali Case: A heartbreaking incident from Sandeshkhali in West Bengal has come to light, where being beautiful and young for any woman is considered a curse.
Yes, this has been happening in Sandeshkhali village for the past 20 years. If a young man is getting married here, his first wedding night will be celebrated with Trinamool Congress (TMC) goons.
On the other hand, if a girl turns 18 and her marriage is fixed, then before the wedding, TMC goons will abduct her. They commit heinous crimes against the victim and then her marriage is arranged.
The women affected in Sandeshkhali village have accused TMC leaders of coming at night and visiting every house in the village to spot the most beautiful and young women.
Once they identified a woman they liked, they would either take her from her home or instruct her to come to the party office.
After taking her to the office, they would commit sexual assault against the victim. They would keep the woman until they were satisfied.
Most of the residents in Sandeshkhali are from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Incidents of rape against women occur here every day, every week, and every month in large numbers.
The upheaval stems from allegations made by several women in the Sandeshkhali area against local leader Shahjahan Sheikh and his supporters from the Trinamool Congress, accusing them of land grabbing and sexual harassment.
Many women have claimed that Shahjahan and his supporters would take their daughters and daughters-in-law from their homes at night. Now, the women are protesting against the TMC leaders and demanding their arrest.
The BJP has also joined the women in their protest. Last month, a team from the Enforcement Directorate raided Shahjahan's residence in connection with an alleged ration scam, which led to an attack by a crowd.
Shahjahan has been on the run since last month. When the ED was in the area, women had levelled serious allegations against Shahjahan Sheikh and his supporters.
Sandeshkhali village in West Bengal has become a political battleground. While the BJP is attacking aggressively regarding the Sandeshkhali case, Mamata Banerjee's TMC appears to be on the defensive.
Political tensions are high with the ongoing protests in Sandeshkhali, now on the eighth consecutive day, where a large number of women are on the streets demanding the arrest of TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan and his alleged 'gang'.
On Thursday, the BJP staged a 'walkout' from the assembly, demanding Mamata's statement on the Sandeshkhali issue.
On February 15, the Governor of West Bengal, C.V. Anand Bose, submitted a report to the Ministry of Home Affairs, alleging collusion of the police with 'disruptive elements' in Sandeshkhali.
According to sources at Raj Bhavan, Bose stated in the report that local people want a special task force or special investigation team to investigate their allegations.
Bose visited the troubled area on Monday and also held discussions with protesters. In his report, Bose stated, "I have spoken to the victims and assessed the situation by visiting Sandeshkhali. In my opinion, the situation there is extremely condemnable."
The Governor also stated in the report that instead of registering complaints against the perpetrators, the police are advising local residents to compromise with them.
