For a month and a half, a small island in the Sundarban delta in West Bengal's North 24-Parganas district has been at the centre of BJP-TMC politics in the state. Here's what has been happening in Sandeshkhali village, and the larger Sandeshkhali-I block of the district. An ED raid, an absconding TMC strongman On January 5, a team of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) went to Sandeshkhali-I to raid the home of Sheikh Shahjahan, a local strongman and Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader, in connection with the ongoing investigation into alleged irregularities in the state's public distribution system. Shahjahan’s supporters attacked the ED team and injured three officials. They also helped Shahjahan escape — he remains on the run. Allegations of sexual abuse and land-grabbing On February 8, some local women carrying brooms and sticks blocked the main road in Sandeshkhali and demanded the immediate arrest of Shahjahan and his two aides, Shiba Prasad Hazra and Uttam Sardar, whom they accused of sexual abuse and harrassment. “They would pull my sari and touch me inappropriately. I kept quiet because I knew what would happen if I protested,” one of these women told The Indian Express. The next day, women protesters attacked Hazra’s properties and set fire to his poultry farm which they said had been set up on illegally grabbed land. Political economy of a Sundarban delta island How did Shahjahan and his men come to run their alleged “reign of terror” in Sandeshkhali? Sandeshkhali is one among the hundreds of islands in the Sundarban delta, where the Ganga-Meghna-Brahmaputra system falls into the Bay of Bengal. It is surrounded by a web of tidal waterways, rivers, canals, and creeks lined with mangrove patches. The island’s water ecosystem is rich in nutrients, and ideal for farming fish. The 2011 Census recorded about 49% Hindus, 30% Muslims, and 15% Christians in Sandeshkhali-I block. Around 30% of the non-Muslim population were Scheduled Castes (SC) and 26% Scheduled Tribes (ST). Sandeshkhali island itself is mostly inhabited by SC and ST farmers and fisherfolk. Once the heartland of the Tebhaga movement (1946-47) that saw peasants agitate for a bigger share of the agricultural output, Sandeshkhali was a CPI(M) stronghold till about the 2010s. The CPI(M)-led Left Front government gave land pattas (titles) to its inhabitants, many of whom had migrated from East Bengal following Partition, and enjoyed their unwavering support in return. Things changed after the Left's defeat in 2011. By 2016, the TMC was the dominant force in the area. The significant Muslim population in Sandeshkhali was a major TMC vote bank. Sheikh Shahjahan joined the party in 2013. As the district’s Matsya Karmadhakshya (in charge of fisheries development), Shahjahan, along with his henchmen, all of whom were patronised by the ruling party, allegedly began to grab the lands of farmers to convert them into lucrative fish farms. Those who resisted were allegedly targeted, while those who gave in did not receive fair compensation. As things come to a head, politicians move in The long simmering anger against Shahjahan and his goons was fanned by the failure of the police in apprehending him. After Hazra’s farm was set ablaze, police imposed prohibitory orders, and several women allegedly received threats from TMC goons. The police, who have arrested Sardar and Hazra but not Shahjahan, initially denied allegations that the women were raped, but later filed cases against local TMC leaders. The opposition BJP, smelling a strong political opportunity ahead of elections, moved in aggressively. State Governor C V Ananda Bose visited Sandeshkhali on February 12, described the situation as “ghastly, shocking, and shattering”, and announced that the “doors of Raj Bhavan are open for victimised women who can come and stay here”. He submitted a report to the Union Home Ministry and called for a judicial inquiry. Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Suvendu Adhikari visited the island on Tuesday and said there was “no democracy” there. CPI(M) veteran Brinda Karat visited too, and said local TMC leaders were running a “reign of terror” in Sandeshkhali. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, however, told the state Assembly on February 15 that the BJP had “brought in” people to “instigate” violence in Sandeshkhali, and had “fabricated an adivasi (ST) versus minorities (Muslim) fight”. “It is not new. The RSS has a base there. There were communal riots there seven-eight years ago. We handled the situation firmly during Saraswati Puja, because they had other plans. A sinister design is at play,” she said. Meanwhile, the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday expressed surprise that “the person who is said to be the core of the problem (Shahjahan) could not be apprehended till date”. ‘Khalistani’ controversy in Sandeshkhali: a new escalation On Monday, a Sikh IPS officer was allegedly called “Khalistani” by protesting BJP workers and leaders. The officer, SSP (IB) Jaspreet Singh, was part of a police contingent that had stopped the BJP workers and leaders from entering Sandeshkhali. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee “vehemently condemned” the BJP’s “divisive politics” and “attempt to undermine the reputation of our Sikh brothers & sisters”, and vowed to protect “Bengal's social harmony”. The West Bengal Police issued a statement expressing outrage against the alleged slur used by Adhikari, and said Singh was “both a proud Sikh and a capable police officer who was trying to enforce the law”. Adhikari has denied using the slur.
