Chopra incident is a wakeup call for Mamata before 2026 assembly polls
By Tirthankar Mitra
It is almost a month since June 4 when Trinamool Congress emerged victorious in 29 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal out of the total of 42 trouncing the BJP which was reduced to 12 from the earlier 18. Since then, reports of clashes between TMC and the BJP cadres have been reported, but the most embarrassing moment for the ruling party was when a video surfaced featuring party strongman Tajimul Islam beating a couple for their alleged extramarital affairs at Chopra in Uttar Dinajpur district of the state. The incident took place at a salishi sabha, a mediation meeting and rightly evoked widespread outrage and condemnation in the state.
A morbid public spectacle was made of a private matter. Its provocation can be traced to an impunity that comes from a parallel syndicate of strong arm justice. This instance of turning a mediation meeting into a kangaroo court is no different from the persecution of young people in inter-religious relationship on the grounds of “love jihad”. Comparison can also be drawn with cases in which bull dozers were used in cases that extend beyond illegal construction.
Incidentally, Islam is nicknamed JCB, the short form of the name of construction equipment making multinational company producing earth removers and loaders. Arguably the nick name can be traced to the penchant of this political enforcer who appears to have usurped the authority of the local administration to hold summary trials and administer punishment of assaulting a couple whom the law of the land had nothing to do with their alleged involvement.
Accusing the TMC administration of, “bulldozer justice” read “JCB justice” more prevalent in Uttar Pradesh readily comes to mind. Never mind, if TMC dispensation reeks of double standards not letting go of any opportunity to criticise the BJP-run administration of Uttar Pradesh.
A law unto himself, Islam overrode constitutional mechanisms without fear of reprisals. The incident of state abdication and failure to uphold the constitutional rights of citizens took place at Lakhimpur gram panchayat at Chopra on June 28.
Warning bells have started ringing though they are a bit muffled. It is time for chief minister Mamata Banerjee to course correct. Islam has been arrested and taken into police custody. But the incident points to a festering crisis.. There are other Islams and all incidents are not reported unless some video comes out. Further, there is always the problem of fake videos as the ruling party TMC and the main opposition BJP are engaged in a battle for supremacy.
The incident comes soon after Sandeshkhali where another TMC leader, Shahjahan Sheikh was accused of intimidation, land grabbing and sexual exploitation of some local women. Before his arrest, a war of words had erupted between the Centre and the state…TMC also circulate another video showing that BJP leaders gave money to some local women for making complaints.
The latest incident at Chopra gives CM Banerjee and her party and government a bad name. It retards her effort to project TMC's image as a pioneer of promoting women's welfare in the country. Lakshmir Bhander, Kanyasree, Rupasree women oriented projects all are cases in point. The incident at Chopra unlike Sandeshkhali have been condemned from the very beginning by TMC leadership.
But it is a small compensation to the victims of the outrage. Structural lacuna is plaguing the TMC regime. It cannot be whitewashed by electoral triumph. With its 34year long regime which identified party with the state administration did not end well for the CPI(M)-run Left Front dispensation.
Banerjee's problem is that there are too many instances of wrongdoing. Mamata Banerjee has been working hard to dissociate herself and her party from scams before 2026 Assembly elections. The Trinamool is far less tightly knit outfit than it's predecessor. Chopra is a warning which Mamata Banerjee will fail to read at her peril, two years before the next assembly polls in 2026. (IPA Service)
