Bengal’s ruling party Trinamul and challenger BJP, which is at the Centre, seem to be in a race to prove their sincerity towards the bereaved family of Bipul Roy, a havildar of the Indian Army who lost his life during the clash at Galwan Valley earlier on June 15 this year.

On October 9, governor Jagdeep Dhankhar will reach Alipurduar’s Bindipara village to hand over the Centre’s financial aid to Roy’s family, which is likely to be Rs 11 lakh, sources said.
Roy’s wife Rumpa added: “I have been intimated by the Indian Army that on Friday, the governor will be in our village to meet us.”

This comes four months after chief minister and Trinamul supremo Mamata Banerjee had announced in Calcutta on June 19 that the state would hand over Rs 5 lakh to the family as compensation and that Rumpa, Roy’s wife, would get a government job. On June 20, a team comprising the local MLA of Alipurduar and the district magistrate reached Roy’s home with handed over two cheques of Rs 2.5 lakh each to Rumpa and to Niren, Bipul’s father. Also, the district magistrate had handed over an offer letter for a government job to the bereaved wife.

Last week, when Mamata was in north Bengal on a four-day visit, she announced that Rumpa has been given a clerical job at Dooars Kanya, the district magistrate’s office in Alipurduar.

“On Tuesday (October 6), I joined as a clerk in Uttar Kanya. I thank the chief minister and the state government for standing by our family during the hour of crisis,” Rumpa said over the phone.

The initiatives by both parties are being seen as attempts to woo the influential Rajbanshi population of north Bengal before the crucial 2021 Assembly elections. In this region, votes of the Rajbanshi population are the deciding factor in at least 20 Assembly constituencies.

“It is good that such competition is eventually helping the bereaved family of the soldier. But such moves and elaborate announcements also indicate that both these parties are eyeing the Rajbanshi population,” said a political observer.

It has been learnt from sources that governor Dhankhar will reach Alipurduar in the morning and will leave for Bindipara. He will spend an hour there and will then depart for Bagdogra via Alipurduar. For the past couple of days and also on Wednesday, choppers were seen making trial runs.

District BJP leaders who are waiting for the governor’s visit and are not ready to comment now.

“Whatever is happening now is just show-off,” the Trinamul leader pointed out.

On June 19, when Roy’s mortal remains reached his village, Trinamul and BJP leaders, including state ministers, MLAs, MPs and some other elected representatives paid had homage to the body.