AIDWA ON GANG-RAPE OF ADIVASI GIRL IN BIRBHUM, WEST BENGAL

It is shocking that not a day passes in West Bengal without one or the other incident of violence against women. The latest incident has taken place in Labhpur, Birbhum on 21st January , when a 20 year-old adivasi girl from the village of Rajrampur was abducted and gang-raped by 12 persons from the same village as she had dared to have a relationship with a non-tribal boy. This was done after a kangaroo-court called apparently by some village elders sought to extract a fine of Rs.50,000 from the girl’s family for this supposed offence, and the family pleaded their inability to pay the same. The couple were reportedly brought before the kangaroo-court bound hand and foot and even after the boy pleaded that he wanted to marry the girl, the perpetrators ignored him and gave the verdict for the girl to be raped as a punishment by those present. She was dragged to an adjoining room and attacked by a number of persons from her own village, and left severely injured in front of her house. The next day she went with her mother and lodged an FIR at Labhpur Thana, after which she was admitted to the PHC and then shifted to Siuri District Hospital. The police have so far arrested 11 persons on the basis of the FIR. An AIDWA led a deputation to the SP and several protest rallies have been conducted against the growing atmosphere of insecurity, especially for women in West Bengal.
Athough some arrests have been made in this particular case, it is necessary that the administration makes immediate arrangements for the full security of the survivor and her family. All the perpetrators and instigators must be arrested and a proper investigation conducted. It is increasingly the case in several districts of West Bengal including Birbhum that there is a growing atmosphere of violence has been increasing, with gangs of armed anti-socials taking the law in their own hands. This is because many of them enjoy the political patronage of the ruling party, as a result of which the police and the administration turn a blind eye to them. Consequently, lawlessness has been increasing at all levels, since there is now a feeling that such crimes can go unpunished. AIDWA expresses its grave concern about the situation, and stands by all those who are victims of the growing crimes against women in the state.

CPIM P.B. Communiqué

he Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) met in New Delhi on January 21 and 22, 2014. It has issued the following statement:

 

Curb Price Rise:

LPG Cylinders

 

The CPI(M) and the Left parties have been protesting against the exorbitant rise in the price of unsubsidized gas cylinders and the ceiling on subsidized gas cylinders of nine per year. Protests against this price rise were held in various parts of the country. In Kerala alone in 1400 places CPI(M) leaders began indefinite hunger strike from January 15.

 

As a result, the UPA government has now increased the number of subsidized cylinders per household to twelve per year.

 

However, the oil companies continue to insist on Aadhar linkage for the supply of subsidized gas cylinders and payment of the full market price for the cylinder on delivery and reimbursement later.

 

The Polit Bureau demands the scrapping of the Aadhar linkage and the delivery of the twelve cylinders at subsidized rates, as earlier. Aadhar linkage is also illegal in the light of the fact that there is no legal basis for Aadhar identification.

 

West Bengal

 

The Polit Bureau expresses serious concern at the number of gang-rapes and crimes against women in West Bengal. This has been exemplified by the horrific double gang rape of a sixteen year old girl at Madhyagram and her subsequent murder. West Bengal has registered the highest number of crimes against women in the country in the years 2011-12.

 

The Polit Bureau condemned the callous attitude and the failure of the Trinamul Congress government to take swift action against the culprits and effective steps to curb such crimes against women.

 

The ruling TMC continues with its rampage against democratic rights. All elected bodies and institutions are being subverted. Currently elections are being held to the college unions. Out of the 222 college union elections held so far, in most of them students of organisations opposed to the ruling party’s student organisation were not allowed to file nominations. Only in 36 colleges were they able to do so partially.

 

The Polit Bureau strongly condemned the murder of Saifuddin Mollah, a 25 year old SFI leader who was brutally beaten to death by TMC goons in Baruipur in South 24 Parganas.

 

Given the notorious record of the ruling party in rigging elections and preventing voters from casting their votes, the Election Commission should take special measures to ensure a fair and peaceful election.

 

Kerala

 

The Special Additional Sessions Court has given its verdict in the T.P. Chandrasekharan murder case. Originally 76 persons were accused in the case. Of these many were discharged in the course of the trial.

 

Now in the verdict announced, out of the 36 accused, 24 have been acquitted and 12 have been found guilty. Among those acquitted are Party leaders like P. Mohanan, a district Secretariat member of Kozhikode and another area committee secretary. This shows that the charge leveled of conspiracy by Party leaders has been proven to be false.

 

The Kerala State Committee will take appropriate decision after going through the judgment.

 

Lok Sabha Election

 

The Polit Bureau discussed the preparations for the Lok Sabha election. It approved the seats to be contested in a number of states. The PB also heard the report about the talks for electoral understanding with the non-Congress secular parties in certain states.

 

Central Committee Meeting

 

The Polit Bureau decided to hold the next meeting of the Central Committee on March 1 & 2, 2014. The election manifesto of the Party will also be finalized in this meeting.