NHRC flags human rights violations in Bengal's troubled Sandeshkhali

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Saturday said its spot enquiry in West Bengal's Sandeshkhali has revealed "several instances of atrocities inflicted upon the victims", which "clearly demonstrate" that there was a violation of human rights due to negligence of the administration.

It has asked the West Bengal Chief Secretary to submit an Action Taken Report within eight weeks on each of the recommendations made by it, which includes reinstating trust in the rule of law and confidence in authorities, counselling and rehabilitation of victims of sexual offences, return of the land to the legitimate owners and investigation of cases of missing women/girls from Sandeshkhali.

According to the report prepared by NHRC's investigation team, the atmosphere in Sandeshkhali due to the "atrocities by the alleged accused" rendered the victims silent and reluctant to seek justice.

The villagers and victims who faced assault, threat, sexual exploitation, land grabbing, and forced unpaid labour were compelled to seek livelihood outside the Sandeshkhali, it said adding the allegations of denial of benefits of state and union government schemes such as old age pension, MGNREGA and Public Distribution System are of deep concern.

"The pervasive fear of reprisal, coupled with the power dynamics at play, acted as a formidable barrier, preventing these individuals from voicing their grievances. This climate of terror not only perpetuates the cycle of abuse but also underscores the urgent need to create a safe and supportive environment for victims to break free from the shackles of silence," the NHRC said.

It said its investigation team found that there is a "need to uproot the fear of these persons (accused) from the hearts of the victims to enable them to live their normal lives with their families and gain the confidence to live in society with dignity and pride.

"It is the duty of the district authorities being arms of a welfare state to take consistent measures to instil confidence in the residents of the area in general and victims in particular so that others who have been victims of crimes may come forward and file their complaints," it said.