The Indian Express (Delhi Edition)
SYNDICATE VS LAW
Uttar Dinajpur incident stems from culture of impunity. CM Mamata Banerjee must ensure law takes its course
AVIDEO OF a Trinamool Congress functionary, Tajimul Islam, assaulting a couple for their alleged extramarital affair at a salishi sabha —asortofa kangaroo court — in West Bengal's Uttar Dinajpur has rightly evoked widespread outrage and condemnation. The incident in the Chopra block of the Lakhipur gram panchayat on June 28, that made a morbid public spectacle of what was a personal matter, speaks of an impunity that comes from the creation of a parallel syndicate of strongarm justice. In West Bengal, such a syndicate apparently overrides constitutional mechanisms without fear of repercussion or reprisal. At its core, it is no different from the persecution of young people in inter-religious relationships on the grounds of “love jihad”, or the use of bulldozers to selectively punish for crimes that extend beyond illegal construction. All of these amount to violations of due process. All point to state abdication and failure to protect and uphold the fundamental rights of citizens. Given the BJP'S reliance on it in states in which it is in power, its accusations of “JCB justice” (Islam is known as JCB) against Banerjee in Bengal may reek of double standards. But CM Banerjee and her colleagues can take recourse to the dead-ends of whataboutery only at their own peril. Mired in accusations of becoming an arrogant party-state, the TMC government must take note of the warning bells and course-correct.
After the video surfaced, Islam was apprehended and taken into police custody. But the incident, so soon after Sandeshkhali — where another party functionary Shahjahan Sheikh was accused of sexual exploitation and intimidation, leading to a protracted tussle between the Centre and the state before his arrest — points to a festering crisis. Women form the core of the political support for Banerjee in the state. From Rupashree, which provides assistance for wedding expenses, to Lakshmir Bhandar, her flagship financial-assistance scheme for female household heads from economically weaker sections of society, to Kanyashree, that offers assistance for education, the range of cash-transfer schemes that Banerjee's government offers are both a response to the support and a reason for it. With outreach programmes such as “Duare Sarkar” (government at the doorstep), “Didike Bolo” (Tell Didi), Swasthya Sathi (healthcare scheme) and by visibly increasing women's representation across the party's ranks, Banerjee has sought to project her party's commitment to women's welfare. While party leaders such as Santanu Sen have come out in condemnation of the incident in Uttar Dinajpur, it is not enough. The Chief Minister, too, must hold out the assurance that the law will take its rightful course, regardless of the alleged involvement of members of her own party.
The Uttar Dinajpur incident is also an indication of the structural issues that have continued to plague the state through successive regimes: The formation of a government-political party-business nexus that all-too-often rides roughshod over the law of the land. This system now appears to be undermining the most fundamental role of the state — what Max Weber called its “monopoly over violence”. The ballooning party-state did not end well for TMC'S predecessor, the CPM. It is a warning that Banerjee cannot fail to read. She must uphold the rule of law and act against those within the TMC who seek to flout it.