Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday made it clear to her party leaders, mainly public representatives, that those involved in depriving the poor would not find a place in her party and reminded Trinamul's rank and file that the people who elected them can oust them from power anytime.
"I want to make it clear that no one can be a part of the Trinamul Congress and deprive people," said Mamata on Tuesday afternoon while addressing around 40,000 people in a government benefit distribution programme in Purulia.
Mamata said that if anyone did not believe in her principle of working for the people, they had the liberty to join any other political party.
"We all are small, but (power of) people are big. People elected you and that is why you are here. There will be no one to take care of you when these people would throw you away. I have believed this for my entire life and I want those working with me to have faith in this, too. If you don't believe this you can go home or join the BJP, the Congress and the CPM. I would have no objection," said the chief minister from Raibandh football ground, barely 2km from Purulia town.
"I urge everyone, those in gram panchayat, panchayat samiti, zilla parishad, municipality or functionaries of those bodies that you all have to work together.... I request you to contact Sarasari Mukhyomantri if you have any complaint," she added.
Although Mamata did not mention Sandeshkhali which has been on the boil since February 7 over charges against local Trinamul leaders of oppressing the poor, her message for the party's rank and file assumes significance in the backdrop of that unrest, an insider said.
Her nephew Abhishek Banerjee, also the party's national general secretary, made it clear on Sunday that the party would not back any leader, irrespective of designations, who is involved in wrongdoing.
"Many of the accused in Sandeskhali, who are charged with depriving people by grabbing their land, are rural body functionaries.... The protests by residents, especially women, against torture have become an embarrassment for the party. I think it was the reason behind Didi's warning from Purulia," said a Trinamul leader in Calcutta.
Sandeshkhali has been witnessing unprecedented protests by local people, especially women, since the start of this month. They have accused multiple Trinamul leaders of grabbing farmland to convert them into bheris or ponds for pisciculture, and sexually assaulting women. Among the prime accused, absconding Sheikh Shahjahan and arrested Uttam Sardar are members of North 24-Parganas zilla parishad. Police arrested Uttam with Trinamul's Sandeshkhali-I block president Shibaprasad Hazra on rape charges.
"Even after the prime accused duo are under arrest, people vandalised the house of a local gram panchayat member in Bermajur of Sandeshkhali-II. Although the party believes there is instigation from political rivals like the BJP and CPM, the outburst also proved that people have lost trust in our rural leaders in the troubled zone," said a Trinamul source.
Trinamul and the state government are putting in every effort to redress the complaints of the aggrieved by returning land parcels that were grabbed by the accused Trinamul leaders and sending its state-level leaders to listen to people's concerns.
Mamata's stern message from Purulia, many in Trinamul felt, would serve as a reminder to party workers across the board to work for people. "The Trinamul chairperson made it clear that the party would not tolerate anti-people work at any level. Circulating such a message was important in the backdrop of Sandeskhali," said a Trinamul leader.
Forest volunteers
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said her government will appoint 1,000 forest volunteers who are the next of kin of those killed in human-animal conflict. She said the government received over 700 such applications from the kin of those who died in elephant or tiger attacks in Jungle Mahal, the Sunderbans and north Bengal.
