NCW chief visits refugee camp in Malda, slams Bengal govt over condition of riot-affected women

Kolkata/Malda: A delegation of the National Commission for Women (NCW), led by its chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar, visited a relief camp in West Bengal's Malda district and met those displaced by the Murshidabad riots.

The NCW team assessed the condition of women affected by the recent communal violence in parts of the state.

Speaking to reporters after visiting the camp at Para Lalpur High School in the Baishnabnagar area of Malda, Rahatkar said she was shocked by the condition of women who had fled their homes, amid the violence that erupted during protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act earlier this month.

“I have met and interacted with women and children here at the camp. They have shared the situations they had faced. These women and children faced a lot of problems and they were forcibly evicted. What they had gone through is beyond imagination,” the NCW chief said.

Accompanying her was NCW member Archana Majumdar, who alleged that the women were molested and forcibly driven out of their homes.

“It is the duty of the state government to protect them. What are they doing? Is the TMC government planning to turn West Bengal into a second Bangladesh?” Majumdar asked, strongly criticising the handling of the situation by the administration.

According to sources, the NCW team began its three-day visit from Malda, where they would inspect relief camps and interact with violence-affected women.

The team is scheduled to travel to Murshidabad on Saturday and meet senior officials, including the district magistrate and superintendent of police.

On Sunday, the commission will call on the West Bengal governor, the chief secretary, and the director general of police in Kolkata.

The NCW had earlier taken suo motu cognisance of the violence that broke out in Shamsherganj, Suti, Dhulian, and Jangipur areas of Murshidabad on April 11 and 12.

Three people were killed during the clashes, which occurred in Muslim-majority areas, amid protests against amendments to the central Waqf Act.

“Considering the situation, the National Commission for Women has decided to form an inquiry committee. We have received reports that women (in the areas concerned) are not being treated properly. We will look into those concerns as well. After taking stock of the situation, we will submit a detailed report,” Rahatkar said while leaving for Malda this morning.

Fresh allegations surfaced from the Para Lalpur camp, where several women informed the NCW that they were being harassed and threatened by the police.

Victims claimed that police personnel came at night and asked them not to communicate with outsiders.

They also complained about the quality of food being served, stating they had been given only dry rotis, bananas, and stale rice since morning.

“It is difficult to differentiate whether this is a refugee camp or a detention camp,” a woman was quoted as saying.

Many of the women said they were scared to return home and demanded the establishment of a permanent BSF camp in the area as a precondition for their return.

Majumdar, the NCW member, echoed these concerns and alleged that women were being coerced to return home.

“Women have told us that police even took away cooks from the camps so they couldn’t eat. How can people return if they have no homes left? First, ensure safety,” she said.

Majumdar said the NCW had documented all allegations and would include them in its final report.

She reiterated that the women were targeted only because they were Hindus and asserted the commission’s commitment to ensuring their dignity and safety.

Earlier in the day, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) had also visited the camps. West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose also reached the camps to interact with the affected people.