The National Commission for Protection of Children Rights (NCPCR) on Friday wrote to the District Magistrate of Dhubri and Kakrajhar districts in Assam, over “rehabilitation of displaced children from West Bengal to Dhubri due to alleged post-poll violence & atrocities meted to them by certain persons who are reportedly politically motivated”.
National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) writes to DM of Dhubri, Assam over ‘rehabilitation of displaced children from West Bengal to Dhubri due to alleged post-poll violence & atrocities meted to them by certain persons who are reportedly politically motivated’ pic.twitter.com/b6W1lOLk8p
— ANI (@ANI) May 14, 2021
Taking cognisance of the plight of children who may have sought refuge in the two districts of Assam that borders Bengal, the NCPCR asked the DMs to immediately visit the camps where refugees from WB are staying and any other such place where these children are residing, to find out their exact numbers and other related facts connected to the brutalities endured by these children in West Bengal.
“The Commission is of the view that statements of all these children be recorded by child welfare police officer of the district (CWPO), and the same be submitted to the Commission for perusal and further necessary action,” the letter read.
The Commission also suggested that the police file zero FIRs in all cases where atrocities against these children have been reported. The Commission asked the DMs to complete the investigation within 3 days of receiving the letter and share the action taken report with them accordingly.
Post-poll violence in West Bengal
Post-poll violence had become a recurrent theme of news emerging out of Bengal following the declaration of assembly election results. Umpteen number of violence against political opponents were reported from the state. In an overwhelming number of such incidents, the victims were BJP supporters and workers, while the accused were said to be the supporters of the TMC party. Over a dozen of BJP workers have lost their lives in the post-poll violence that ensued following the victory of the TMC party in the assembly elections.
The violence unleashed against them forced hundreds of BJP party workers and supporters to flee their villages along with their families. They crossed over to neighbouring Assam, where they are provided temporary shelter on the orders of chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. It is not just the BJP but even CPI(M) which has accused the TMC of killing its workers. Reports of attacks on BSF jawans have also emerged in the media.
BJP leader and the now CM of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma took to Twitter on May 5 to share pictures of several people who were forced to leave the state following purported post-poll violence and come to Assam. In a thread of Tweets, Sarma highlighted the plight of the refugees. Himanta Biswa Sarma confirmed that hundreds of people from Bengal, along with their family members have fled and reached Assam where they are being put up in shelters by the state government.
In fact, on the same day, Nandigram MLA and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari had also asserted that over a lakh people have already fled Bengal since the post-poll violence erupted in West Bengal from May 2, 2021.
