Santipur, July 27: A young poet from Nadia’s Santipur was allegedly manhandled by a group of Trinamul Congress activists on Tuesday night apparently for authoring a poem and for posting it to social media that has politically criticized the Bengal government for “atrocities” and “lawlessness” in the state.
Kallol Sarkar, 32, a resident of Babla-Dakshinpara in Santipur, who shared the poem titled “Bidroho” on May 29, earned the wrath of the ruling party activists as it apparently calls for a revolt against the state of lawlessness.
The incident occurred barely within three months since April 8 this year, when Nirupam Bhattacharjya, 42, a theatre activist in Nadia’s Ranaghat was allegedly beaten up by a group of Trinamul Congress activists for staging a play titled “Koshai” (Butcher) that has politically criticized the Bengal government and the centre at large.
In Santipur, a case has been started by local police on Wednesday night on the basis of a complaint lodged by the assaulted poet. However, till Thursday none of the accused persons who are named in the FIR could be arrested, while the local Trinamul Congress supporters accused Kallol Sarkar of inciting tension and asking people to take up arms.
Trinamul’s Santipur MLA Brajakishore Goswami, however, said that the party believes in “freedom of speech and expression” and does not support any attack against such freedom.
“Bajao Juddher damama
Dhulo Jhar tuley choluk andolon lagatar
Bhiru swattay aaj swash ruddha
Orajak rajye jibon bikkhubdho”, – “Bidroho” By Kallol Sarkar
On July 25, some Trinamul supporters blocked his way near Galaidaritola and sought clarifications for penning ‘Bidroho’ that they claimed influenced voters a lot and made an impact on the result of the rural poll.
“During an altercation, they suddenly began punching and kicking me until some local residents rushed to rescue me…They left the place with a threat of fresh attack if I dare to write anything against the administration and to influence people”, Kallol said.
Local sources said that Kallol, who has no leaning toward any political faith, is a rebel by nature and vents his anger through his pen and social media. On earlier occasions also earned the wrath of the ruling party. But that did not deter him to use a pen against the system.
“The state is going through an unprecedented lawlessness, while common people often being fell victim to atrocities and political violence. Unfortunately a sizeable section of the elite cultural people whose opinion matter in society either remained silent or appeased the administration for their own benefit. It is the rape of people’s faith and love. I feel pained…made me angry…I can’t retaliate but can take a pen and vent my anger, which I did. But it hurt the ruling party people”, Kallol said.
In his poem “Bidroho” Kallol called for a battle against lawlessness. “Bajao Juddher damama/Dhulo Jhar tuley choluk andolon lagatar/Bhiru swattay aaj swash ruddha/Orajak rajye jibon bikkhubdho”, he writes.
Speaking to The NfN, he said that the present government in the state came to power with the expectations of the ‘rule of law’. “But that expectation now lost in despair”, Kallol stated. Expressing his pain, Kallol wrote, “Swapno bhengey geche aaj! /Chakito bannyay abadh annyay bhango/Annyaer damvokey bhango/Suncho Aaj sudhu bidroho”.
Local Trinamul Congress activists, who refused to be identified, claimed that Kallol’s poem is “misleading” and “far from the truth”, which created a wrong impression about the image of the state. “His narrative hurt us as it put a blot on the state’s image and made an impact on a section of people in the area affecting the rural poll result, even though we won here”, a Trinamul activist said.
Trinamul’s Santipur MLA Brajakishore Goswami told The NfN “I personally and my party does not support any attack on the freedom of expression or speech. I don’t know who attacked the poet, but I will make a necessary query. Police should take action as per law. People know well about our state and have faith in chief minister Mamata Banerjee. So any post or poem against the administration makes little difference about the reality”.