Bengal witnessed massive violence after Trinamool Congress romped home again in the Assembly elections. GIA Fact-Finding Team report shows how the State machinery collaborated with perpetrators of violence, making it a State-sponsored pogrom
Group of Intellectuals and Academicians (GIA) sent
a Fact-Finding Team to study post-poll violence in Bengal
a Fact-Finding Team to study post-poll violence in Bengal
A ground report by the Fact-Finding Team of Group of Intellectuals and Academicians (GIA) has exposed the conspiracy behind West Bengal post-poll violence. The GIA report released on May 29, 2021, was submitted to the Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy.
The GIA report based on ground reports, interactions and testimonies from the affected people exposes the conspiracy behind the west Bengal violence and how the TMC planned and executed the post-poll violence.
Founded in 2015, GIA is a group of professional women and entrepreneurs, media persons and academicians committed to social justice and nation-building. The members include Smt Monika Arora, Advocate, Supreme Court of India, Delhi High Court, Prof.Vijita Singh Aggarwal, Professor, GGS IPU, Smt Sonali Chitalkar, Assistant Professor, Delhi University Dr Shruti Mishra, Assistant Professor, Delhi University, Smt Monicca Agarwaal, entrepreneur.
The GIA report titled ‘Khela in Bengal 2021’ – Shocking Ground Stories is a Fact-Finding Report on the violated women of West Bengal, use of ape, gender violence and sexual assault as a tool of political control.
The GIA Report accessed by the Organiser details the persons whom the Fact-Finding Team met, the sites visited, along with tracing the sequence of events. The report provides its detailed findings and recommendations before constructing the sequence of events with dates leading to West Bengal post-poll violence. The report is clear that the violence against Hindus was pre-planned.
Findings of GIA Team
- Victims primarily belong to very marginal sections of Hindu society that are BJP supporters or voters
- The TMC model of violence to win elections and retain power was at play in State Assembly
- Presence of an extortion racket by the TMC
- Violence against men also ultimately affects women
- Identity loot and starvation due to forfeiting ration cards till they are forced into joining TMC
- In many places children have witnessed extreme horrific violence
- State machinery has been used for violence against the political opponent thus this bears the marks of a pogrom
Recommendations of the GIA Team
- It should be ensured that there is proper registration of complaints under relevant sections of law
- Special care should be taken while registration of cases of sexual assault, rape, attempt to rape, offences against modesty of women and also regarding offences against persons belonging to scheduled caste, scheduled tribe, children etc. Women police officer should be present when such cases are dealt with
- The accused persons should be arrested without delay, so that they cannot threaten the witnesses or tamper the evidence or interfere with the investigation
- An SIT under a retired Supreme Court judge may be appointed for a free and fair investigation.
- Fast-track courts should be established for speedy justice in these cases
- NIA investigation is sought in these matters as the gruesome violence may have cross border terror angle
- The victims of this violence should be compensated and rehabilitated
- The damage to public property may be recovered from those who were responsible for the said violence
- Action should be taken against the officers in Police as well as administration who failed to discharge their duty in accordance with the rules/law
- All steps should be ensured to see that government in the state is carried on in accordance with the Constitution of India, and steps should be taken to protect the state against any internal disturbance
- The GIA report also has 20 testimonies, the victims of West Bengal post-poll violence
The report says that the post-poll horror was primarily faced by marginal sections of Hindu society who supported or voted the BJP.While talking to Organiser, Advocate Monika Arora said that the violence was an outcome of the victims’ inter-sectional gender, caste religious and economic identity. This violence was in the nature of a pogrom against political opponents. The State machinery has been used for violence against the political opponents thus, this bears the marks of a pogrom.
“The police and administration remain silent spectators, and victims of West Bengal violence have no place to go to so we are requesting the Home Ministry to kindly intervene,” said Smt Arora.
When asked by the Organiser, was the ‘Bengal violence’ similar to ‘Delhi riots’, was it a planned conspiracy to which Advocate Arora replied that both Bengal violence and Delhi riots are not comparable, but it was definitely a planned conspiracy because everywhere it was ‘Khela Hobe-Khela Hobe’ was chanted and then TMC cadres who are accused attacked the non-TMC supporters who voted for BJP, Bengal Police is listening to the complaints of victims and is informing the TMC leaders who are the perpetrator that a complaint has come against you and do something about it, the state is supported to the TMC cadres.
The GIA report reads that the women have been raped, stripped, beaten and violated in the most horrific ways. Crude bombs have been used, men murdered, shops and ration cards looted.The GIA report reveals that women have been singled out for most horrific terror and intimidation. Many incidents of rape, grievous bodily harm, the threat of rape, stripping and sexual violence occurred. The streets were sites of dehumanisation of women of all ages. While the TMC party high command and leaders belong to privileged backgrounds and did not face the violence overtly and covertly supported by them.
