Sandeshkhali, a sleepy hamlet about 75 km from Kolkata and close to the Bangladesh border, has been at the centre of a political storm for nearly a month. It has witnessed unprecedented protests over allegations of sexual abuse by scores of women against a local Trinamool Congress leader and his lieutenants. Visuals of hundreds of women waving wooden staff and boti (a curved blade fitted to a wooden base that is used by women in eastern India to peel, chop, dice and shred vegetables, fish and meat) to protest the exploitations have reached drawing rooms across the country.
The protests of the women forced West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose earlier last week to cut short his Kerala trip to rush to Sandeshkhali. After talking to the women there, Bose said: “What I saw was ghastly, shocking, shattering to my senses. I saw something which I should never have seen; I heard many things which I should never have heard. This is a shame for a civil society.”
Bose has also submitted a report to the Ministry of Home Affairs, accusing the law enforcers of working hand in glove with “rowdy elements” in Sandeshkhali.
While the Trinamool Congress, led by its feisty supremo Mamata Banerjee, is trying to downplay the revolt saying it is an isolated incident and was masterminded by the RSS, BJP and the CPM, her detractors and impartial observers say that Mamata’s rule has spawned many Sandeshkhalis in Bengal.
This story is from the February 18, 2024 edition of The Sunday Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the February 18, 2024 edition of The Sunday Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MG Windsor recorded 15,176 bookings on first day
MG Windsor EV, India's 1st Intelligent CUV, received a significant customer response minutes after the bookings commenced on Thursday, October 3, 2024, at 7:30 am.
HERO MOTOCORP SOLD 5.12 LAKH UNITS OF MOTORCYCLES AND SCOOTERS IN AUGUST
Hero MotoCorp, a manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters, sold 512,360 units of motorcycles and scooters in August 2024, the company informed the exchange in a filing.
Govt subsidies, falling battery prices to make EVs more accessible
Government subsidies and declining battery prices are making electric vehicles (EVs) more accessible even though they still have higher upfront costs than conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, Axis Securities said in an analysis.
eHUB by MG app crosses 15,000 downloads in two months
SW MG Motor India today announced that it has achieved a milestone of 15,000 downloads for the eHUB by MG app since its launch on 6th August this year.
GOVT NOTIFIES PM E-DRIVE SUBSIDY SCHEME WITH RS10,900 CR OUTLAY
The central government notified the PM Electric Drive subsidy scheme with an outlay of Rs10,900 crore, which will be implemented from tomorrow, October 1, 2024, till March 31, 2026.
The all-new BMW M4 CS launched in India
The car will be available in the country as a Completely Built-Up (CBU) model and can be booked at the BMW dealership network.
SC dismisses review petitions on taxation of mines
The Supreme Court has dismissed petitions seeking a review of its landmark 9-judge bench judgment, which affirmed that states possess the authority to levy taxes on mineral-bearing lands and clarified that royalties on extracted minerals do not constitute a tax.
COURT PLACES ASHISH PANDEY IN CBI CUSTODY
A court in Kolkata has recently placed Sandip Ghosh, the former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, and suspended police officer Abhijit Mondal in 14-days of judicial custody.
MP HC dismisses plea of man booked for offensive post
The Madhya Pradesh High Court has dismissed a petition from a man seeking to quash an FIR related to an allegedly offensive post on his Instagram account targeting Lord Ram, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and Hinduism.
CJI reminds lawyer he's 'still in charge'
Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud, who is set to retire in November, reminded a lawyer on Thursday that he is \"still in charge\" despite his short remaining tenure.