A group of 20 youths, including bidi factory workers and students from Betbona village in Samserganj, contributed ₹5,000 each and began crowdfunding in their locality and beyond to help the victims of recent communal violence.
They formed four small teams, each consisting of five members, and began a survey to understand the additional needs of the victims, as the government support was found to be inadequate for many of the affected people.
“We have realised that those who fled our village and took refuge in Malda’s Parlalpur High School are not getting enough from the government for their survival, as most of their belongings, including furniture, were set on fire. So we, with our limited capacity, are raising funds to support them,” said Krishanjit Mondal, a local youth who manufactures bidi packets.
After a remote area of Samserganj witnessed fierce violence stemming from a massive protest against the Waqf (Amendment) Act, around 100 families fled their homes in Betbona — one of the worst-affected places. Most of the houses were looted and many were set on fire by armed goons on April 11 and 12.
Those families took refuge at Parlalpur High School in Malda’s Kaliachak 3 block for nine days before being brought back to their homes by the local administration and lawmakers on Sunday.
Although the administration has been providing relief materials to the victims, villagers said the aid was insufficient, as they had lost everything in the arson.
Mondal has said most families have no beds to sleep on, no fans to get relief from the scorching April heat, and no storage to protect clothes or food grains from pests
and rats.
“It’s not easy to resume their lives in homes where nothing is left but ashes. We plan to provide them with essential electronic items like fans and bulbs, or furniture like taktoposh (wooden beds),” he added.
Most of the 20 youths are not direct victims of the violence, nor were their houses looted or burnt, but they all come from humble backgrounds and survive by working at local bidi factories.
“During a meeting on Sunday evening, one of our seniors asked us to deposit ₹5,000 each before seeking donations from others. So we all contributed from our small savings. However, one or two of us couldn’t contribute as the amount was too large for them,” said a youth and member of the crowdfunding team.
They said they had ordered 30 ceiling and table fans but had yet to distribute them, as the survey was still going on.
“We can’t help every family with our effort. That’s why we’re conducting the survey — to prioritise those in greatest need,” he added.
Tararni Mondal and Madhabi Mondal fled Betbona on April 12, along with 300 other villagers, and took refuge in Malda. They returned home on Sunday.
“Everything we had was burnt, and there’s nothing left to live on in our home. The government provided some relief materials, including a tarpaulin, a few utensils and food grains. Are those enough to survive on ashes? The house is no longer habitable,”
said Madhabi.
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee announced that the government would rebuild the homes of those whose dwellings had been burned or fully damaged in the violence.
“We don’t know when we’ll get a new house, as no one has given me a timeline,”
she added.
A senior official claimed that a survey had already begun to identify beneficiaries under the Banglar Bari scheme, through which the victims would receive
new homes.
Murshidabad district magistrate Rajarshi Mitra said the administration had already started providing electric bulbs and fans to the victims and that beds and furniture would be distributed soon.
“We have already started distributing fans, bulbs, and electric wires. We will also provide furniture like beds soon,” said Mitra.
Mourani Ghosh, another victim from Betbona, said whatever she had received as relief wasn’t enough to run her family.
“The amount of relief is nothing in respect of damage to our properties,” she said.
Six held
Six persons, who were allegedly involved in the arson and rioting at Jafrabad and Betbona villages in Samserganj, have been detained from their hideout in Jharsuguda, Odisha. Bengal police said the possible involvement of the six in the murder of the father-son duo was also being looked into. They are being brought to Jangipur.
Sukanta’s visit
BJP state president and Union minister of state Sukanta Majumdar visited violence-hit Samserganj on Monday. He met the family members of the father-son duo, who had been killed, at Jafrabad and visited Betbona village. Majumdar said chief minister Mamata Banerjee should visit the area to rebuild the confidence of Hindu victims, as she is the chief minister of all communities.