NEW DELHI: West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose and a delegation from the National Commission for Women (NCW), led by chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar, visited violence-affected areas of Murshidabad on Saturday, following communal clashes linked to protests over the Waqf (Amendment) Act.
The NCW team interacted with victims and assured them of Centre’s support and safety in the aftermath of the April 11 violence, which left three people dead, several injured and hundreds displaced.
Many affected families have either taken shelter in camps in Malda or moved to Jharkhand’s Pakur district.
Speaking at Betbona town in Murshidabad, Rahatkar told the victims, “We have come here to see your plight. Please don’t worry. The country and the commission are beside you all. Don’t feel that you are alone.” She said that the NCW would submit a detailed report to the Centre.
Several women narrated the horror they faced during the riots and demanded permanent BSF camps in sensitive areas, along with a probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
NCW member Archana Majumdar, who accompanied Rahatkar, said, “Some woman lost their husband, some lost their son. People were dragged out of their homes and butchered. This is horrific. I don’t know if such incidents have ever happened in West Bengal before. We have seen all of this for the first time. This is unacceptable. The government must take responsibility for this.”
After meeting the family of a father-son duo killed in the clashes, Rahatkar said, “These people are in so much pain that I am speechless right now. I don’t have the words to describe their pain.”
On Friday, Rahatkar visited a shelter home in Malda and met displaced families. “Everyone should be sensitive towards women, and this sensitivity can only ensure justice for women. This kind of situation occurs when there is a lack of sensitivity,” she said.
The NCW, which had earlier taken suo motu cognisance of the violence in Shamsherganj, Suti, Dhulian, and Jangipur areas, is on a three-day visit to assess the condition of affected women.
Meanwhile, Governor Bose, who visited a relief camp in Par Lalpur in Malda on Friday, said he had detailed discussions with camp inmates. “I met the family members who are in this camp. I had a detailed discussion with them. I listened to their grievances and understood their feelings. They also informed me of their requirements. Certainly, proactive action will be taken,” he told ANI.
He confirmed that he would continue visiting more affected areas on Saturday.
