கம்யூனிஸ்ட் மேற்கு வங்காளத்தில் ரேஷன் கலவரங்கள் பரவுகின்றன

கம்யூனிஸ்டுகள் ஆளும் மேற்கு வங்காளத்தில் ஏழ்மை தலைவிரித்தாடுகிறது. ஏழ்மை இருந்தால்தான் நமக்கு ஓட்டுப்போடுவார்கள் என்று கம்யுனிஸ்டுகள் செய்தது இப்போது அவர்களுக்கே வினையாக முடிகிறது.

ரேஷன் கடைகளை பார்த்துக்கொள்ளும் கம்யூனிஸ்டு தலைவர்கள் அரிசி ஆகிய பொருட்களை பதுக்கி பிறகு அதிக விலைக்கு விற்பதால், ஏழைகளுக்கு ஒன்றும் கிடைக்காமல் கலவரத்தில் இறங்கியிருக்கிறார்கள். ஏராளமான ரேஷன் அதிகாரிகளின் வீடுகள் கொளுத்தப்பட்டுள்ளன. பயந்து போய் சிலர் தற்கொலை செய்துகொண்டுள்ளார்கள்.

ஏழைப்பங்காளன் வேஷம் ஏழைகள் இருக்கும்வரைதானே என்று ஏழைகளை உற்பத்தி செய்த கம்யூனிஸ்டு கட்சி இன்று முழிக்கிறது.

Ration riots have dealers running for cover
10 Oct 2007, 0001 hrs IST,TNN
SURI/BEHRAMPORE: A ration dealer's son committed suicide in Birbhum, the third such incident in West Bengal in the wake of the ration riots that began last month, while incidents of attacks on ration dealers continued unabated in Birbhum and Murshidabad districts on Tuesday.

Earlier, two ration dealers had committed suicide in Bankura district. Tuesday's suicide was a sequel to one such attack.

Ration dealer Chandrasekhar Narasundar and his son Utpal had been assaulted by villagers on Sunday and their shops looted.

When a mob gheraoed their house again on Tuesday, demanding a compensation of Rs 2,000 to each card holder - amounting to a total figure of Rs 27 lakh - Utpal could bear no more.

As Chandrasekhar tried to negotiate with the mob, Utpal went into a room and hanged himself. He is survived by his wife and a three-year-old son.

Chandrasekhar claimed he had called the cops when villagers gathered outside his house but the police did not
respond. Utpal's mother said: "In the morning we sensed that the mob could attack. We repeatedly called the police but nobody came to save us."

Rampurhat SDPO Mrinal Mazumdar said: "Utpal ran a grocery-cum-stationary shop adjacent to his father's ration shop. He had taken a loan of Rs 5 lakh for the shop, which was looted on Sunday. Utpal was depressed." Another ration dealer was attacked at Paikpara village in Nalhati on Tuesday. A mob ransacked the house of Sandip Dey, looted food grains and other supplies and set it on fire.

Murshidabad continued to burn as two more ration dealers were attacked on Tuesday and goods looted from godowns in Goperam and Nabagram. Altogether 1,365 dealers in the district submitting their resignations to the district magistrate on Monday, demanding security. "We've submitted resignations and declared that we would not distribute goods if police and administration fail to provide security. DM SK Bhadra has assured us of security," said Sheikh Samsuddin, district secretary, ration dealers' association.

The mass resignation by dealers followed Monday's incidents when villagers set six ration shops ablaze in Nabagram and attacked distributor godowns in Khargram, Burwan and Bharatpur. Four police jeeps were also set on fire. The situation was tense on Tuesday as villagers, wielding sticks and swords, sought accounts of BPL and APL lists and demanded Rs 500 per ration card from Amit Pal and Biplab Saha, two ration dealers of Singer village in Nabagram.

The mob then looted their houses and set it on fire.