THE lamentation of a teenage girl is still haunting the conscience of Bengal where she screamed that she used to sleep beside her father but what will she do in the coming days! The father of the teenager, Tahidul Islam, was brutally murdered by the TMC hoodlums at a polling booth in Domkal, Murshidabad on the day of election, on April 21. 

SK Fazal Haque (45), a polling agent of the CPI(M), and Dookhiram Dal (48), whose son acted as a polling agent of the CPI(M) were beaten to death by armed TMC goons when they were returning home after the poll was over in Khandakosh of Bardhaman district.  Khandakar Ali Hossen, a Congress worker, was also murdered in Bardhaman.

The assembly poll in Bengal is witnessing the resolute fight of the people to restore democracy in the state. People are exercising their franchise in huge numbers. They are doing so by overpowering the terror tactics of the TMC. This failure of their game plan is frustrating the TMC leaders and they are unleashing attacks not only on the soldiers who have been instrumental for saving electoral booths but even on common people who went to the polling booths to cast their own vote despite the threats given by the TMC- backed hooligans. The grim part of the story is that even the innocent children of such families are not being spared by the hoodlums.  

In Bijpur assembly constituency in North 24 Parganas, TMC goons entered the home of a Left supporter and ransacked it on the eve of the fourth phase of the West Bengal assembly election on April 25. While threatening the people they did not even spare their three- and half year-old child. They beat the child; even kicked the little girl. But her mother cast her vote with the child in her lap even after such onslaught. 

A seven-year-old girl Priti Bar also became a victim of such heinous attacks unleashed by TMC goons.  She was injured after being attacked by TMC musclemen in Haridevpur of Behala (East) constituency on April 30 night. Goons attacked the girl failing to find her grandfather who had cast his vote despite being threatened by the TMC goons. The girl had to be admitted to a hospital in an unconscious state with head injuries.

In Satgachia of South 24 Parganas district, a three-year-old girl was injured by the attack of the TMC hooligans. The girl sustained injuries in the ear during the violence.

Ishani patra, a six-year-old girl from Pyarabagan slums in South Kolkata, was also attacked by TMC goons when they entered and ransacked her house because her aunt acted as a polling agent of the Congress candidate. Ishani was snatched from her mother's lap and flung in the air. She is yet to come out of trauma. 

Several other children are facing such heinous attacks in Bengal. As people have been brave to come out in huge numbers to cast their vote themselves, despite the threats given by the goons of the ruling party, their resistance has prevented the TMC’s ploy to loot votes. The goons and their political bosses, who do not have minimum respect for the democratic fabric, became frustrated. They are organising brutal attacks on the people who have cast their own vote and the polling agents who braved the odds and attacks inside the polling booths. The attacks are taking places in a series from one place to other. From Kolkata, the capital of the state, to other districts the anti-socials are rampantly unleashing attacks.

TMC goons attacked houses of the CPI(M) workers and sympathizers in Jadavpur assembly constituency and injured many. They virtually attacked a whole locality after the residents ventured out to vote, overcoming threats. CPI(M) offices in Kasba were ransacked and Party workers were beaten, resulting in collective protests by people in the area.  

The chief minister’s speech has been provoking too. She spit fire in her speech and threatened the opposition that she will settle scores at every inch. She has even threatened the police officials who handled the anti-socials according to the law during election. Her voice also seemed to reflect the frustration of failure in looting votes.

Facing all such heinous attacks, the people are assembling to raise voice against the post poll violence. Bengal under the TMC rule has experienced five black years for democracy. The battle for resurrection of democracy is not over yet; even after exercising franchise people have to be on roads to protest attacks on democratic rights. The battle will not be over before establishment of a new democratic, secular, people’s government.