Maoist spectre haunts abandoned village ahead of polls

The abandoned village of Muraboni in Jhargram of West Midnapore district, around 160 km west of Kolkata, is a case study in how the social fabric of the state has undergone a change since the Maoists set up base in the Junglemahal area since 2004.

Although those who had left the area in fear are trickling back, their confidence has suffered a setback with many of the former Maoist associates having joined the ruling Trinamool Congress since the party came to power in 2011.

While most of the 57 families have left their homes fearing the guerrillas, only a couple of them have returned to what looks like a graveyard. The two families leave the village after sundown since there is no power supply and they feel insecure to stay in the dark.
With the district going to polls on May 7, the village’s 250 voters were expected to return home to cast their votes but village elder Nazir Hashibul Hossain (88) points out that with just a few hours left it is not likely. “They still feel insecure and are not sure if their votes are going to make any difference,” said Hossain, whose son-in-law was murdered by the rebels after he refused to pay Rs 5 lakh.

His grand-nephew Abdul Hamid pointed out that those who committed bloodbath in the name of Maoists or helped the ultras are now in Trinamool and have become local leaders. “How can we return home under these circumstances? We’re living in problems but we still can’t come back. Even if Trinamool leaders say they will help us it will be only if we denounce the Left. They tell us to return to the ‘mainstream’ and join Trinamool as if we were with the Maoists,” said the graduate, who is yet to get a job.

In neighbouring Shalpatra village, its 25 families have left for an unknown destination and none have found courage to return after at least four villagers were killed by Maoists on suspicion of being police informers.

Not much unlike Muraboni, here to people could return after Maoist leader Kishenji was killed in an encounter with security forces in November 2012 but they feel living at night is a security hazard. While only four families from the two villages were landed, having around 300 acres between them, the rest were landless workers most of whom are now collecting fruits from trees and selling these at nearby Kharagpur railway station to make ends meet. Alleging that they were police informers, Maoist associates brutally killed Momena Bibi (60) and her sister-in-law Amina Bibi (52) upon their return. While there is no Maoist problem currently, all of them need help from the administration to rebuild houses, which will cost between Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 2 lakh, an unheard of amount for these families.