National Women’s Commission (NCW) President Vijaya Rahatkar on Sunday called for a “immediate action” to resolve the grievances of the riot -affected people, especially women in Murshidabad district, and said that the panel is preparing a report, which will soon be submitted to the center and its copies will be sent to the top officials of the state.
Speaking to reporters at a hotel in Kolkata, Rahatkar said that in the last two days, he and other members of the panel met many women, their families and children and the torture and suffering they faced is “beyond imagination, which has left a deep wound in his mind, which needs to be cured and addressed on an immediate base with a human attitude”.
Advocating the trust-making measures by the state administration, he said that it is the responsibility of the state government to bring peace. The NCW chief said that the Commission is preparing a report involving the views of all women who recited their obeisance and credited forces like BSF to save their lives and respect.
He said that the report would be submitted to the Center and its copies will soon be sent to the DGP and Chief Secretary of West Bengal. When asked about the women seeking the Border Security Force (BSF) camp in the affected area, he said, “Yes, many of them have said. There is an atmosphere of fear and insecurity in the area. We will definitely include their views in our report.”
Calling the state government to “take immediate and immediate action to overcome the suffering of these people,” said, “Give them justice, wipe their tears, their losses (property damage and loot of goods) immediately arrange for compensation.” Demanding to create a sense of proper security and confidence among these people affected by the violence, he said that “doing his work is the moral duty of the state government”.
He said, “They are our own people, they are daughters of this state. Whatever they have endured, they cannot be described in words. They saw the houses built with their hard -earned money breaking and burning; they were attacked, threatened and thrown out, women were tortured and drove away, they were driven away from their homes, they had been living for so many days, where they were living for so many days. Were asking what was his fault. “
He said, “The women who were dragged from their homes, were brutally attacked and threatened in the most inhuman manner, their pain is unimaginable. Some were also asked to send their daughters for rape.” The NCW chief said that he had heard about the incidents of a woman fleeing from home to run away from home to save her life with her four -day -old child during the violence.
Rahatkar said, “As a woman, when we went to relief camps in Murshidabad and Malda for two days, I felt very bad. I tried to console them; we told them that the whole country is with them. His mind is shattered and we told him not to lose his mental strength.”
Regarding the allegations of TMC leaders that the commission is working at the behest of the BJP -led government at the Center and about the question that when such incidents took place in Manipur and other BJP ruled states, why did the panel not visit there, he said, “I would just say that I do not want to join politics. I have come here to take the side of the harassed sisters.”
In order to “distract people from the main issue” from those making such remarks, he said, “Why do not these critics themselves meet those women and do not stand with them and understand their suffering and their feelings. Are they not our own people?” He said, “Why don’t these critics not find an answer to why it (violence) happened? You need to understand their pain.” She wondered why the State Women’s Commission has not yet visited the affected areas.
He said, “Please meet the mother who has lost her husband and son. Express condolences.” Advocating measures for restoration of confidence by the state administration, he said, “It is the responsibility of the state government to bring peace.” Regarding the statement of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee that the BJP and its allies have become aggressive and have started a vicious “false campaign” in the state.
Rahatkar said, “I have neither seen nor read the comments of the CM. I only feel that the state government should solve their problem immediately and create a sense of security.” During a visit to Betbari, Dhulian, Zafarabad and other riot -affected areas of Murshidabad on Saturday, Rahatkar said, “I was shocked by the suffering of these women. Whatever they endured during the violence are beyond imagination.” The villagers were seen holding placards, on which the message was written that ‘We do not want Lakshmi Bhandar, we need BSF camp. We want security.
On Friday, the NCW team visited relief camps in Bishnabnagar, Malda, where the displaced riot affected people of Murshidabad district were sheltered. The NCW had earlier taken suo motu cognizance of the violence in Samserganj, Suti, Dhulian and Jangipur areas of Murshidabad on 11 and 12 April. Three people were killed and hundreds of people were homeless during the clashes during the protest against the Waqf (Amendment) Act in Muslim -majority Murshidabad.
