With a few days left to go for the three-tier polls, News18 went to Bhangar to meet the families who have suffered a loss and to know the pulse of the area. But the question that everyone is asking: Will the voting be peaceful? The families of both the TMC and ISF worker killed in the violence want justice and peace in Bhangar.
For TMC worker Raju Naskar’s wife, Ruma Ghosh Naskar, there is not much left. Her husband was killed on June 15 and she was left to fend for herself as well as her four daughters and one son. Sitting inside their small hut, she told News18 that on the day he died, her husband did not even inform her that he was going out for party work.
When he did not return till late in the evening, she inquired about him and found out that he was no more. She said she still does not believe that Raju is not around but Ruma will cast her vote and hers will be for peace.
She said she will never allow her son to join politics as it meant violence. “I will go and vote but peace should prevail. We don’t want violence. We want peace after voting too,” she added.
Raju’s brother Bappa Naskar was in tears while speaking to News18. “Why should three people die for a simple process of filing nominations? What is happening? I am requesting everyone to have peaceful elections in Bhangar,” he said.
From Raju’s house, News18 went to Moinuddin’s residence. He was an active worker of the ISF and was killed in front of the block development office on the last day of the filing of nominations. Raju, who was a proposer for a candidate, was killed the same day.
Moinuddin’s mother Fathema Biwi has become completely silent since the day her son was killed. His wife, Nurbanu, has a two-year-old son. She said, “The doctor has said my mother-in-law is unable to speak due to shock.”
Breaking down, she said: “I have lost everything; I want justice. Fifteen days have passed and not a single person has been arrested. I am living in fear and I don’t know if I should go and cast my vote or not.”
Moinuddin’s uncle, who is a local ISF leader, said, “Our son is gone but the administration is not doing anything. They brought people from outside, but nobody got arrested. How will we have peaceful elections? Now, central forces are here. What will happen when they go?”
A local TMC leader, Hakimul, said, “The ISF brought people from outside. Whether voting day will be peaceful or not, depends on the ISF.”
Even in Bhangar’s chai shops, the discussion is not about which party will win but whether the place will have a peaceful election. An old man named Mijanur Raheman said, “We don’t know but if people come from outside, how will we vote? If they terrorise us like they did on nomination day, what will happen then?”
“Whatever happened was bad but now that central forces are here, we hope elections will be peaceful. Bhangar was not like this before,” he said.
Comments
0 comment