CONQUEST OF MIND !!!
Breaking News!!! Flashed in on 15th February 2010, Maoists attacked Eastern Frontier Rifles Camp at Silda in Paschim Medinipur killing 24 jawans in the camp including a civilian.This made headlines and all media house carried the story as the biggest ever Maoist attack in Bengal.
The attack in the Silda camp brought fresh memories in my mind,just 2 months before that is on 15th December 2009 I visted Silda.I had the opportunity to visit the Maoist torn areas of West Medinipur in West Bengal.I along with my Cameraperson Felix made our way in the evening from Kolkata for Medinipur…at about 23.00 hrs we reached empty city of Medinipur,district headquarter of Paschim Medinipur district.As the hotel was already booked we had our dinner and slept almost immediately.As suggested by the District Magistrate of West Medinipur district not to travel at night, that’s why we stayed in Medinipur.
In the morning about 8.00am we made our way for Silda under Belpahari block of West Medinipur.It took another 3 hours to reach the place,we touched all the main places always in headlines for Maoist attacks Jhargram, Dahijuri and Belpahari.Though the places were lively with people but most of the way we had to be through jungles which are known as the hideouts for the Maoists.
The sad plight of the people,who lives there are they are both way harassed by the Maoist and at the same time the security forces…For them as they don’t have any way out therefore are staying in terror from both ends.
As we were doing a profile video shoot of a family,whose only son was a victim of a Maoist attack in the Lok Sabha Election 2009.Saugata Karmakar was 28 years old when he was killed he was the only son of a farming parents Pratik Pawan Karmakar and Gayatri Karmakar anyway after completing his matriculation he joined the local Panchayat office as panchayat assistant and soon got married to Madhumita,from nearby district of Bankura.
The life of this simple family was going smoothly,but in the recent past Maoist attacks in the region was creating a atmosphere and ambience of terror in the region and the Karmakar family was no exceptional.After the Maoist attack on 2nd November 2008 on West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya and the then Union Steel Minister Ram Vilas Paswan’s convoy the situation in the area took a violent turn,then Lalgarh in Paschim Medinipur was captured by the Maoists and thereafter rapid development of events.
People Committee Against Police Atrocities PCPA was formed by Chatradhar Mahato…It again became violent with an extremist organ called Gana Militia,In the centrestage politics to was played by Mamata Banerjee, Railway Minister started accusing Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya of sheltering Maoist in the state as both CPI {Marxist} and CPI {Maoist} shares same ideological interest. Politics in the state over the issue of Maoists is in its form and the 15th Loksabha Election was conducted.
The Red letter day of Karmakar family came on 30th April 2009 the day when after completion of Election duty in Dahijuri, Saugoto along with his senior Prasad Banerjee and Driver Sanjay Das was on his way back to his house in Silda under Belpahari Block of Paschim Medinipur as he had promised his beloved wife Madhumita that after reaching home only he’ll have his dinner.
But he never reached his home lively he was killed midway near Binpur…the vehicle was blown by Maoists at 6.30pm,but the news of the blast reached the Karmakar’s family through a private TV News Channel at 10.00pm later it was confirmed that one of the victim is their only son Saugoto,they also became the victim of Maoist mayhem in the area,as for last two years they had been seeing bloodshed around but had never thought of becaming the victim one day…But it finally happened to them.
The incident erased the vermilion from the forehead of young Madhumita,who has seen a long dream of happy life together with Saugoto but a single blast has changed everything the life of Madhumita,their son and Saugoto’s parents.
We reached the house of Saugoto as Naveen Chawla,the then Chief Election Commissioner of India has recommended Saugoto Karmakar for an Award of National repute as he had died in line of duty,and we reached the house to video shoot the family profile and we are being welcomed by the family we took the needed shots and interview of father mother and Madhumita, the widow of Saugoto.
After completing we hurriedly made our way for Kolkata as it was suggested that before the sun sets we should reach the national highway-6, as after Sunset the road connecting the National Highway is surrounded both the side with thick jungles,making the transit and training ground for the Maoist during night and as their son was chosen for Ananya Samman I was told to convince the family to take them to Delhi,wherein the Home Minister P.Chidambaram, was to award the family with the Ananya Samman. I convinced them and they were anyway reluctantly ready to go to Delhi for the prize and accordingly we reached Kolkata late at night.Next morning again at 8am in the morning I started my journey for Silda,I reached at about 12 noon and immediately I went to Karmakar family’s house,I was stunned to see the family almost immediately changed,theyare not ready to come with me as again fear of becoming the target of Maoists are taking over the positive and optimistic part of their life,when I asked young widow of Saugoto,Madhumita,She replied I am glad to receive the award in Delhi, but am I safe to return to this place, will my in-laws will be able to survive. We had seen so much bloodshed around us in past two years, do you think Maoists will forbid us.
No we will not go, we don’t want any award or reward. Once our life is lost we are anyway not going to regain it.Will you be able to return the life of my husband?
I was really very much stunned to see the changes in them, just in 24 hours they had changed like anything, I was stranger to them and they seem to be stranger to me,as they had turned hostile to award or outsider. They now cannot believe in others, they only understand now Maoists and the terror of pro poor Maoists are taking over their minds.I just said them, your late son would have been very proud if his widow
had received the glory of him, when the whole nation will celebrate his martyrdom.
By then sun was setting, something clicked their mind and Madhumita came and said to me she is ready to come with me but as her father in law is away she cannot go without his permission, we tried to contact her father in law which finally proved futile.
I bid adieu to the land of poor, which is already taken over by the Maoists.They had conquered their lands and also their minds. The sun was setting,birds returning to their nests and my self in the vehicle towards Kolkata both side thick forests, but during the whole journey, tones of questions were captured my mind.
We as a nation had failed to reach the people and because of which their mind in enslaved by terror. They love their life but cannot be able to come out of their boundaries and each day they experience terror in the form of Maoists on the other hand the Maoists speak of their representation exploits them in all possible way, physically mentally and emotionally.
The common people of the Maoist torn area are becoming the victim of oppression both from Maoists and Forces. The system is still unable to solve the problem and thevested interest are taking advantage of the situation.
I was engrossed in all this thoughts and my failure to convince the family was pinching me like anything. I was sorry for the family and the people there, for the condition.
I reached home late at night two days after the Award was announced in Delhi and later it reached Medinipur and was given to the family by the DM Narayan Swarup to the family, but unfortunately their mind was already conquered not by the courage and bravery of their son but by the fear of death in the hands of Maoists.
The attack in the Silda camp brought fresh memories in my mind,just 2 months before that is on 15th December 2009 I visted Silda.I had the opportunity to visit the Maoist torn areas of West Medinipur in West Bengal.I along with my Cameraperson Felix made our way in the evening from Kolkata for Medinipur…at about 23.00 hrs we reached empty city of Medinipur,district headquarter of Paschim Medinipur district.As the hotel was already booked we had our dinner and slept almost immediately.As suggested by the District Magistrate of West Medinipur district not to travel at night, that’s why we stayed in Medinipur.
In the morning about 8.00am we made our way for Silda under Belpahari block of West Medinipur.It took another 3 hours to reach the place,we touched all the main places always in headlines for Maoist attacks Jhargram, Dahijuri and Belpahari.Though the places were lively with people but most of the way we had to be through jungles which are known as the hideouts for the Maoists.
The sad plight of the people,who lives there are they are both way harassed by the Maoist and at the same time the security forces…For them as they don’t have any way out therefore are staying in terror from both ends.
As we were doing a profile video shoot of a family,whose only son was a victim of a Maoist attack in the Lok Sabha Election 2009.Saugata Karmakar was 28 years old when he was killed he was the only son of a farming parents Pratik Pawan Karmakar and Gayatri Karmakar anyway after completing his matriculation he joined the local Panchayat office as panchayat assistant and soon got married to Madhumita,from nearby district of Bankura.
The life of this simple family was going smoothly,but in the recent past Maoist attacks in the region was creating a atmosphere and ambience of terror in the region and the Karmakar family was no exceptional.After the Maoist attack on 2nd November 2008 on West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya and the then Union Steel Minister Ram Vilas Paswan’s convoy the situation in the area took a violent turn,then Lalgarh in Paschim Medinipur was captured by the Maoists and thereafter rapid development of events.
People Committee Against Police Atrocities PCPA was formed by Chatradhar Mahato…It again became violent with an extremist organ called Gana Militia,In the centrestage politics to was played by Mamata Banerjee, Railway Minister started accusing Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya of sheltering Maoist in the state as both CPI {Marxist} and CPI {Maoist} shares same ideological interest. Politics in the state over the issue of Maoists is in its form and the 15th Loksabha Election was conducted.
The Red letter day of Karmakar family came on 30th April 2009 the day when after completion of Election duty in Dahijuri, Saugoto along with his senior Prasad Banerjee and Driver Sanjay Das was on his way back to his house in Silda under Belpahari Block of Paschim Medinipur as he had promised his beloved wife Madhumita that after reaching home only he’ll have his dinner.
But he never reached his home lively he was killed midway near Binpur…the vehicle was blown by Maoists at 6.30pm,but the news of the blast reached the Karmakar’s family through a private TV News Channel at 10.00pm later it was confirmed that one of the victim is their only son Saugoto,they also became the victim of Maoist mayhem in the area,as for last two years they had been seeing bloodshed around but had never thought of becaming the victim one day…But it finally happened to them.
The incident erased the vermilion from the forehead of young Madhumita,who has seen a long dream of happy life together with Saugoto but a single blast has changed everything the life of Madhumita,their son and Saugoto’s parents.
We reached the house of Saugoto as Naveen Chawla,the then Chief Election Commissioner of India has recommended Saugoto Karmakar for an Award of National repute as he had died in line of duty,and we reached the house to video shoot the family profile and we are being welcomed by the family we took the needed shots and interview of father mother and Madhumita, the widow of Saugoto.
After completing we hurriedly made our way for Kolkata as it was suggested that before the sun sets we should reach the national highway-6, as after Sunset the road connecting the National Highway is surrounded both the side with thick jungles,making the transit and training ground for the Maoist during night and as their son was chosen for Ananya Samman I was told to convince the family to take them to Delhi,wherein the Home Minister P.Chidambaram, was to award the family with the Ananya Samman. I convinced them and they were anyway reluctantly ready to go to Delhi for the prize and accordingly we reached Kolkata late at night.Next morning again at 8am in the morning I started my journey for Silda,I reached at about 12 noon and immediately I went to Karmakar family’s house,I was stunned to see the family almost immediately changed,theyare not ready to come with me as again fear of becoming the target of Maoists are taking over the positive and optimistic part of their life,when I asked young widow of Saugoto,Madhumita,She replied I am glad to receive the award in Delhi, but am I safe to return to this place, will my in-laws will be able to survive. We had seen so much bloodshed around us in past two years, do you think Maoists will forbid us.
No we will not go, we don’t want any award or reward. Once our life is lost we are anyway not going to regain it.Will you be able to return the life of my husband?
I was really very much stunned to see the changes in them, just in 24 hours they had changed like anything, I was stranger to them and they seem to be stranger to me,as they had turned hostile to award or outsider. They now cannot believe in others, they only understand now Maoists and the terror of pro poor Maoists are taking over their minds.I just said them, your late son would have been very proud if his widow
had received the glory of him, when the whole nation will celebrate his martyrdom.
By then sun was setting, something clicked their mind and Madhumita came and said to me she is ready to come with me but as her father in law is away she cannot go without his permission, we tried to contact her father in law which finally proved futile.
I bid adieu to the land of poor, which is already taken over by the Maoists.They had conquered their lands and also their minds. The sun was setting,birds returning to their nests and my self in the vehicle towards Kolkata both side thick forests, but during the whole journey, tones of questions were captured my mind.
We as a nation had failed to reach the people and because of which their mind in enslaved by terror. They love their life but cannot be able to come out of their boundaries and each day they experience terror in the form of Maoists on the other hand the Maoists speak of their representation exploits them in all possible way, physically mentally and emotionally.
The common people of the Maoist torn area are becoming the victim of oppression both from Maoists and Forces. The system is still unable to solve the problem and thevested interest are taking advantage of the situation.
I was engrossed in all this thoughts and my failure to convince the family was pinching me like anything. I was sorry for the family and the people there, for the condition.
I reached home late at night two days after the Award was announced in Delhi and later it reached Medinipur and was given to the family by the DM Narayan Swarup to the family, but unfortunately their mind was already conquered not by the courage and bravery of their son but by the fear of death in the hands of Maoists.
posted by Joydeep at
11:46 AM
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