The Trinamool Congress on Tuesday held a peace march at Bhangar, even as CPI(ML)-Red Star leadership protested the “disappearance” of party general secretary K N Ramachandran in Kolkata. The peace march, TMC admitted, was the first time the party was able to overtly enter Bhangar, which has been blockaded since agitations rocked the area, leaving two dead on January 17. The rally led by party MLA Sabyasachi Dutta — who is also Mayor of Bidhannagar Corporation — started at Machibanga and ended at Bakdoba village. Watch what else is making news: “Local people are apprehending further trouble in case police enter these disturbed pockets. But the chief minister is very keen to solve the Bhangar problem through involvement of locals. We don’t want to take any measures that attack the poor people in these areas,” said Dutta. Since the violence, government action has been staggered. A total of 11 people were arrested, butt party sources maintained Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s prime concern wasn’t necessarily the immediate arrest of those she believes instigated the agitation, but to “regain the trust of those who formerly constituted her core votebank”. “To have a land agitation so close to Kolkata, led by Muslim farmers, is disastrous for Mamata Banerjee politically. That too, at a time when she is attacking the Centre, the state BJP and other opposition parties,” said a senior Trinamool Congress leader. That the peace rally was held a week after the violence is a sign of the erosion of trust that Mamata seeks to counter, a party leader admitted. “Dutta had come with Mukul Roy, a day after the violence. But neither of them could enter the village. In fact, some of the blockades were removed only today, making this the first time the party has overtly entered the affected area since the violence,” said Abu Sheikh, a villager.
