Only Mamata can give justice, says Sitalkuchi victims’ kin

Chief minister to meet relatives of deceased today

Mamata Banerjee: File picture

Main Uddin Chisti   |  TT  | Cooch Behar   | 14.04.21:  The bereaved families of four CISF firing victims at Jorpatki village in Cooch Behar district have said only the chief minister could give them justice as they are eagerly waiting to meet Mamata Banerjee at Mathabhanga on Wednesday.

Mamata will reach Mathabhanga on Wednesday morning and meet the families at a ground next to the subdivisional hospital at the town, 20km from the village.

“It seems the Election Commission has forgotten us.... Only Didi can give us justice,” Jobed Ali, the father of Nur Alam Mian — one of the four deceased youths — said on Tuesday evening as local Trinamul Congress leaders were busy making arrangements so that representatives of the deceased families could reach Mathabhanga.

“We have collected five names from each families and submitted the same to police and other agencies concerned. Tomorrow, all arrangements would be made for them so that they do not face any inconvenience,” said Alizar Rehman, a Trinamul leader in Mathabhanga.

After the firing outside a polling booth at Jorpatki in the Sitalkuchi Assembly segment on Saturday, Mamata had announced that she would reach the village the very following day. However, the Election Commission issued a 72-hour ban on the entry of political leaders in Cooch Behar. The ban ended on Tuesday.

Jobed Ali said Mamata was their only hope.

“She reacted immediately after our sons were gunned down by the central forces and vowed to stand by us. She has also promised to a CID investigation and we believe it is only Mamata Banerjee who can help us get justice. We will meet and urge her to see that justice is delivered to us,” said Ali, who is yet to recover from the shock.

The aggrieved residents also pointed out that none from the BJP had spent a word for them so far.

“Instead, some BJP leaders came up with intemperate remarks which have only hurt us. Aren’t we residents of this state and country? Considering the present situation, we can only depend on Mamata who had risen on such occasions earlier,” said Sahidul Haque, the brother of Samiul who lost his life in the firing.

Family members of Ananda Burman, a youth from Pathakuli, another village in Sitalkuchi, who died after suffering bullet injuries, were brought to the district BJP office in Cooch Behar on Tuesday.

Burman had suffered the gunshots during a clash between Trinamul and BJP supporters near his booth on Saturday.

Jagadish Burman, Ananda’s father, trained guns at Trinamul and said his son had been killed purposefully.

“He did not die by accident. Ahead of the elections, we were threatened time and again by a section of Trinamul supporters. As my son went out to vote, they killed him,” said Jagadish.

He said in the past couple of days, some Trinamul leaders had contacted them and wanted to take them to Mathabhanga so that they could meet Mamata.

“We will not meet her…. we will not take any assistance from the state either,” the father added.

Malati Rava, the district BJP president, said the party was with the family. “We have provided them with some assistance. Our party will extend all possible help to them so that they can fight the legal battle to get justice for their son’s death,” she said.

Such moves by Trinamul and the BJP hint that both sides are trying to drum up support by highlighting the incidents which claimed five lives, opined observers.

“It is evident that both the parties want to galvanize support as elections would be held in four more phases by referring to the incidents. Also, they are desperate to prove that they are with the affected families by playing cards in their own way,” said an observer.