Strategic Retreat

Widespread violence during panchayat elections forces government to arrest Arabul Islam, the Trinamool goon behind the Bhangar crisis

- Rabi Banerjee

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was left with no option, but to order the arrest of Arabul Islam on May 11, after the attempts to retake Bhangar from villagers backed by Maoists resulted in the death of a candidate contesting the panchayat elections. Bhangar, as THE WEEK reported in our last issue, has been a liberated zone since January 2017. The villagers retook the land, which was forcibly acquired by the state government in 2013 for a power project. The acquisition was carried out by a brigade of goons led by Arabul.

Arabul has been the point man for the ruling Trinamool Congress in Bhangar for more than a decade. In the 2006 assembly elections, which the left alliance won in a landslide, Arabul bucked the trend, and was elected from Bhangar as a Trinamool candidate. He rose quickly in the party. But, Arabul lost the elections in 2011, although Mamata won the state, riding the paribartan wave that lashed West Bengal. Arabul, however, did not lose his position in the party as he was close to two of Mamata’s confidants—senior leaders Partha Chatterjee and Sovon Chatterjee.

The controversial power project was designated to be set up in Rajarhat in Kolkata’s New Town area, but Mamata wanted to develop Rajarhat as a high-tech satellite township. And, thanks to the Chatterjee duo’s faith in Arabul, the project was moved to Bhangar.

None of the Trinamool leaders bothered to inform the chief minister that land in Bhangar was much more fertile than in Singur. “It produces high quality rice and the finest vegetables. It also has significant fisheries resources,” said Pradip Singh Thakur, state secretary of the CPI (ML) Red Star. But, the villagers could not resist Arabul’s brute power.