The 11-page report states that the villagers were initially “reluctant to share their ordeals” out of fear. “However, after building rapport and gaining their confidence, the team was able to make them comfortable and they narrated about the prevailing situation and atrocities committed by the alleged named persons (sic).”
It adds, “Women of the village were called at the TMC Party office by the named alleged accused persons on the pretext of party meeting and meeting of self-help groups. They used to make the women sit in the office late at night and used abusive and filthy language. The young and good-looking women were specifically targeted. They were taken inside the room at TMC office at Sandeshkhali and were sexually exploited/gang raped. Other women were engaged in work such as making food, cleaning the office, and cleaning of the ponds etc. The women were forced to go to the party office whenever called (sic).”
The NHRC, a central organisation, had taken suo motu cognizance of media reports of human rights violation in West Bengal’s Sandeshkhali, a remote village in the Sundarbans, on 21 February.
“One of the women at Majher para disclosed before the NHRC team that about a year back she was raped two-three times by Shibu Prasad Hazra and Uttam Sardar. Even now, she is not willing to report the rape to the police out of fear of these alleged accused persons and social stigma,” the report says.
Uttam Sardar was arrested on 10 February, hours after being suspended by the TMC for six years. TMC similarly suspended Shibu Hazra and Sheikh Shahjahan following their arrests on 18 and 29 February,respectively. Mediareports claim Amir Ali Ghazi was arrested shortly after Shahjahan.
In another instance recorded by the NHRC team, a woman from Gholapara disclosed to the NHRC team that in the winter of 2022-2023, she had visited the party office looking for her husband who had been “forcefully”picked up by the associates of the accused.
The report says,“…she was touched inappropriately by the alleged accused persons and they tried to pull up her ‘saree’. Anyhow, she could manage to escape. After 3-4 days, she was called in theparty office and gangraped by Shibu Prasad Hazra and Amir Ali Ghazi”. The next day, when she went to Sandeshkhali Police Station to file a complaint, she was advised “to go to the alleged accused persons and compromise”, the report adds.
After a year of the alleged incident, she was able to file a complaint with the police with the help of theNational Commission of Women team that visited the village.
The report also states that several women have sent their minor daughters to live with their relatives away from Sandeshkhali for their safety.
In rather critical observations that raised serious allegations against the West Bengal government, the NHRC team recorded fear of reprisal along with power dynamics at play acting as a deterrent for the alleged victims to speak up. “This climate of terror not only perpetuated the cycle of abuse but also underscores the urgent need to create a safe and supportive environment for victims to break free from the shackles of silence. The atmosphere of fear not only affects the victims but also has a negative impact on the growth and health of the children who constantly witness the ordeals of their parents in the hands of these alleged accused,” says the report.
Data from January 2023 to February 2024 — provided by Sandeshkhali Police Station to the NHRC team — reveals that three minor girls and 37 young-adult women are untraceable as “missing female victims”.
The TMC has, meanwhile, dismissed the findings of the report, claiming the NHRC to be a “BJP” cadre. “A party that has no answers for Unnao, Hathras, Bilkis Bano and Manipur should not preach about the dignity of women. The NHRC is a BJP cadre, the party knows it is organisationally weak in Bengal and that’s why it uses CBI, ED, NHRC and the rest to try and silence us, the people can see through their lies,” said Kunal Ghosh of the TMC to ThePrint.
Apart from sexual harassment, villagers have also made allegationsofland grab, discrimination, and denial of benefits from government schemes if they refuse to “comply with the directives” of the accused.
The NHRC has stated in its report that it will seek leave of the Calcutta High Court to intervene in the matter that is being heard by the Chief Justice bench of the HC. It has also served copies of the report to the chief secretary and director general of police (DGP) and sought an action taken report within eight weeks.
Also Read:
NHRC’s investigation
For its report, a team of the NHRC, led by Vijaya Bharathi Sayani, comprising Vikram Harimohan Meena, Senior Superintendent of Police; Monia Uppal, Deputy Superintendent of Police; and Inspectors Ratan Sarkar and Arun Tyagi, visited Sandeshkhali between 23 and 25 February and interacted with the residents, police officials, BDO and doctor of the area hospital. The team met the villagers of Majher Para/Colony Para, Patra Para, and Gholapara in Sandeshkhali, and Haldar Para in Jheliakhali to conduct their inquiry.
According to a report dated 26 February, 2024, of Sub Divisional Police Officer, Minakhan, details of which are included in the NHRC report, a total of 25 suo motu cases have been registered, of which seven were of alleged sexual offences against women by Sheikh Shahjahan, Shibu Hazra, Uttam Sardar and their associates. Shahjahanis currently inthe custody of the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
NHRC claims in its report that documents and records sought from the officer in-charge (OC) and block development officer (BDO) of Sandeshkhali are still awaited.
NHRC’s past reports on West Bengal
This is not the first time that the NHRC has presented a grim report about the state of affairs in West Bengal, bringing discomfort for the ruling TMC government.
After the 2021 Vidhan Sabha elections, the NHRC said West Bengal has “law of ruler” rather than “rule of law”, while naming TMC leaders in its final report on alleged post-poll violence submitted to the Calcutta HC on July 13, 2021. The HC ordered a court-monitored CBI probe into the cases that are still being investigated.
Last July, during the Panchayat poll nomination filing period, the NHRC took suo motu cognizance of reports of violence and appointed its director general of investigation as a special human rights observer to conduct an on-site survey of West Bengal in consultation with the State Election Commission to identify sensitive constituencies at risk of violence in the run up to polls.
NHRC deputes its DG (Investigation) as a Special Human Rights Observer to conduct an on the spot survey of West Bengal, in consultation with the State Election Commission, to identify sensitive constituencies prone to violence in the upcoming panchayat polls;
— NHRC India (@India_NHRC) June 11, 2023
This latest report is likely to trigger a fresh political fight between the ruling TMC and the Opposition BJP.
Women, show reports, make up 49 percent of West Bengal’s voters. In the 2021, Vidhan Sabha elections, the women primarily supported “didi” (Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee) and cast their ballot for TMC.
In the 2019Lok Sabha elections, 17 of the state’s 42 seats recorded a higher turnout of women than men — of these, TMC won eight, BJP won seven and the Congress two.
With a 9.8 percent increase in fresh women voters between 2021-2024 in West Bengal, as per ECI data, women’s issues are likely to dominate the campaigns of political parties this election season.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has mentioned Sandeshkhali in his public rallies in West Bengal to highlight “atrocities against women” in West Bengal, admonishing the opposition for staying silent over Sandeshkhali reports.
The BJP has nominated Sandeshkhali complainant Rekha Patra as their Lok Sabha candidate in Basirhat constituency. The party faces a stiff challenge from Mamata in West Bengal, where it has set a target of 30 seats.
Speaking to ThePrint, BJP leader and advocate Priyanka Tebriwal said that the party doesn’t politicise atrocities against women but said that the Sandeshkhali violence will cost the TMC their women votebank. “The women of West Bengal have understood that there is no point in raising Lakshmir Bhandar (WB govt women welfare scheme) funds when their safety is not guaranteed. The women will vote against Mamata Banerjee and that will be clear in the results,” she said.
(Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri)
Also Read: Shahjahan arrest only a ‘small victory’ for Sandeshkhali — ‘want land back, fear cops will let him go’
