Kamduni simmers under TMC men’s watch

Her mother,Malina Kayal,says “it was a mistake” on her daughter part to question the Chief Minister. “She will not do so in future,” adds Malini,who,on prodding,admits to being under “a lot of pressure” after yesterday’s incident. “We are a very poor family. We can’t afford to be in the bad books of top political leaders of the state.”

Even as today’s newspapers splashed Mamata’s photos reaching Kamduni riding pillion on a motorbike,her subsequent rebuke to women protesters — labelling them as “CPM protesters” — has made her brief trip to the village controversial. The visit meant to lend a healing touch to villagers,has ended up angering them instead.

“Before she (the Chief Minister) came here,we were protesting the gangrape of a college girl. We were protesting irrespective of any political affiliation of the rapists. We never took the name of any political party. But Didi immediately blamed the CPM for the incident. Now,we are afraid that if we protest we might attract the ire of the CPM,” says Shampa Ghosh,one of the neighbours of the victim.

Shampa wonders how does it matter if the gruesome act was committed by the CPM or Trinamool Congress supporters. “Are there separate sets of rules for the Trinamool and CPM? All we want is exemplary punishment for the rapists,” adds Shampa,who has stopped sending her five-year-old daughter to school since the gangrape and murder took place.

40-year-old Bula Ghosh,who owns a grocery shop,says Mamata’s visit served no purpose. “She came here 10 days after the incident happened and didn’t even stay long enough to listen to our grievances. We couldn’t tell her that the main accused Ansar Ali had committed such crimes with impunity before. Ali had threatened us with dire consequences while he was being taken away by the police,warning to use his influences to get back at us soon,” she says.

As the villagers express their anguish,they are also worried about the Trinamool cadres keeping a watch on them.

The local Trinamool leaders have apparently been given the responsibility to ensure that the incident doesn’t snowball into a bigger trouble for the government.

A shed of wood and tin roof with Trinamool flags has come up in the village. Around 15 youth workers of the party sit “on guard”. Their job is two-pronged — any agitation should be nipped in the bud,and disallow villagers from making adverse comments to the media.

“What Tumpa said to the Chief Minister was not correct. It is because Didi is so down-to-earth and accessible that people like them can come close to her and talk to her in such a manner,” says Pulin Mondal,one of the “guards” at the shed.