NCW condemns deplorable condition of women who accused TMC of atrocities in Sandeshkhali, slams police
NEW DELHI: The National Commission for Women (NCW) on Thursday condemned the deplorable condition of women in Sandeshkhali, West Bengal, which is in the eye of a political storm.
NCW Chief Rekha Sharma also announced that she would soon visit the area and meet police officials and the victims.
A fact-finding NCW team, which reached the region on February 12, had visited Sandeshkhali to assess the actions taken by local authorities in response to reports of violence and intimidation against women in the region by local Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders.
The team's findings revealed a distressing pattern of negligence and complicity on the part of the Bengal government and law enforcement officials, NCW officials said.
Delina Khongdup, a member of the NCW, expressed dismay at the attitude of the local police during their visit to Sandeshkhali, which is a village in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district that has been witnessing protests for over a week by women residents who are alleging atrocities committed by local TMC leaders.
The NCW said that the Director-General of Police (DGP) refused to cooperate with the team, and the Superintendent of Police (SP) failed to provide any form of escort or assistance to them.
The NCW team said they received disturbing testimonies from women in the village, who they said, painted a harrowing picture of widespread fear and systematic abuse.
“Victims recounted instances of physical and sexual violence perpetrated by both police officers and members of the Trinamool Congress (TMC),” the NCW said in a statement.
“Women who dared to speak out against such atrocities faced immediate retaliation, including property confiscation, arbitrary arrests of male family members, and further acts of brutality,” it added.
In a collective statement signed as "Sandeshkhali Gramvasi," the women of the village detailed a litany of horrors they have endured, including harassment, torture, and flagrant violations of their dignity and rights, it added. The gravity of the situation was underscored by an alarming incident wherein an NCW committee member recorded a woman's testimony, only to have the recording deleted as the victim begged for her safety, it added.
Noting that the situation is “alarming” in West Bengal because of these “brazen acts of intimidation and censorship,” NCW demanded urgent intervention.
“It is evident that the West Bengal Police has failed in its duty to protect the most vulnerable members of society, necessitating immediate and concerted action at the highest levels of government,” the NCW said.
“The NCW stands in solidarity with the women of Sandeshkhali and pledges to pursue every available avenue to ensure justice and accountability for the atrocities they have endured,” the statement said.