ROY’S MUSINGS: Its time to see things beyond the veil of political conspiracies

BY BARUN ROY

In the chaos of the world’s largest democracy that we are so proud of,  it seems, now we have the right to bear arms. A group of more than hundred youths, male and female, carrying the colours of Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikash Parishad stood brandishing bows and arrows, khukuris, rods, batons  a mere distance away from a contingent of West Bengal Police. Yet not a single individual was arrested.  More of such armed groups barricaded through out Malbazaar area waiting for the Gorkha Janmukti Nari Morcha procession. The plan was simple. Stop the procession and mount an attack. Stones would be pelted and if both the groups were to be in an arms distance weapons would be used. The bows and arrows would come handy in mounting an agressive aerial attack. The date for the Akhil Bharatiya Adhivasi Vikash Parishad strike and the Gorkha Janmukti Nari Morcha ‘Dooars March’ had been set months earlier. The State Intelligence Bureau knew everything that were to occur and so did the police, the local administration and the Writers Building… But did they do anything? No!

The Police did not disband any of the marauding hordes of ABAVP cadres. IPC Section 144 should have been clamped down before the armed groups of ABAVP started marching around. The IPC Section 144 should have been clamped down before the contingent of Gorkha Janmukti Nari Morcha reached the Dooars. But then again, the West Bengal Police did not react. Instead Police personnels were kept in between the two groups ‘in a bid’ to stop violence! This move by the State Government, the local adminsitration and the West Bengal Police smacks of incompetence. While the Communist Party of India Marxists may have wanted such clashes to occur for political reasons, the State Government and the Police answerable to the people of the state and not a political party must  take necessary steps for such things from happening in the future.

The West Bengal Government must think beyond the lines of the party ideology and the party objectives. It must learn to act and react like a people’s Government. The State Government functionaries like the Local Government, the Police and the Intelligence Bureau are there to protect the interest of the people and not the interest of the political bosses. What occurred at Dooars could have severe, long lasting and unwarranted consequences and the Government must take full responsibility for it. It is sad that the political leaders albeit from all political parties concerned have forgotten that their most important responsibility is towards the people.

The leaders of Akhil Bharatiya Adhivasi Vikash Parishad and Gorkha Janmukti Morcha must immediately take steps to engage each other in talks. The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha must make the leaders of the Akhil Bharatiya Adhivasi Vikash Parishad understand that conflict between the two will only destroy the chances of the betterment of the people each represent. The leaders of Akhil Bharatiya Adhivasi Vikash Parishad must refrain from being directed by the Communist Party of India Marxist functionaries. Instead Akhil Bharatiya Adhivasi Vikash Parishad must become an independent representative of all Adhivasi communities in Dooars Terai. The Adivashi people including the Rajbongshis, Totos, Mechs are ancient inhabitants of the contigious area which completes the Gorkhaland map as demaned by Gorkha Janmukti Morcha and as such, they become an integral part of the movement of Gorkhaland. Gorkhaland being a constitutional demand must now not just involve the Gorkhas. It must now also involve the Adivashis. Perhaps in the recent future efforts will be made by both Gorkha Janmukti Morcha and Akhil Bharatiya Adhivasi Vikash Parishad to come closer to each other and win each other’s confidence and become partners in the struggle in the betterment of the both the Adhivasis and the Gorkhas. Gorkha Janmukti Morcha must immediately withdraw strikes and refrain from retailatory action. Akhil Bharatiya Adhivasi Vikash Parishad leaders must think independently and try to rationalize their activities. They must understand that without their involvement in the Gorkhaland movement, they might not have anything to be involved with creatively and least that the author may be proved wrong, they might become pawns in the hand of the functionaries of Communist Party of India Marxists.

The future for all the marginalised people in Bengal is in partnership agains the Communist forces not in internal strife.