RECURRING clashes, murders and kangaroo courts have promoted Parui in Birbhum district to the headlines for a number of times in the last few years. On October 27, a clash in Makhra village in Parui has claimed three lives. The clash came as continuation of events starting from the recovery of 800 bombs from a Government Health Centre and attack on police personnel. The clash occurred as Trinamool Congress miscreants were mobilised to establish their domination in the village after erosion in their rank and file. The incident exposed the ‘peace’ settled in Bengal villages. According to villagers in Makhra, police terror preceded the TMC gang attack on October 27. Police descended from jeeps in the village and began to chase men folk. They entered into selected houses and destroyed household things. Women were ill treated. Villagers ran away in fear and escaped to paddy fields. Just after that, a huge gang of TMC men entered the village with arms, cordoned the village and began to fire indiscriminately. They threw bombs at different areas of the village. TMC hoodlums were mobilised from other areas of the district, mostly from Dubrajpur and Ilambazar. Sheikh Toufik, a 19 year old agricultural labourer was fatally injured in the firing. He was killed in front of his house. Some other people, mostly peasants were also grievously injured in the attack. Many houses were burnt and many more were destroyed. Some of the girls were also attacked and molested. All the while, police forces, stationed barely 200 meters away remained mere spectators. This clearly suggested a pre-planned attack with protection from the police. However, the retaliation came soon. This time, it was led by those who have recently shifted allegiance from the TMC to the BJP. Sections of irate villagers joined them. In the ensuing exchange of fire and bombs, two persons were killed. Sk Mojammel, a TMC strongman was a resident of the village. The other one, Sk Soleman was a hired goon from Dubrajpur who participated in the TMC attack. The attack created a sense of insecurity and many families have left the villages. There were very few men left in the village fearing another reprisal from the TMC. In large parts of Birbhum, including villages under Parui police station, the TMC unleashed severe terror after the 2011 assembly elections. CPI(M) activists and supporters were hounded away from many places. In 2013 panchayat elections, no opposition candidate was allowed to contest against the TMC in the entire area. Notorious district president of TMC, Anubrata Mondal infamously threatened even rebel candidates of his own party publicly of dire consequences and even instructed party men to ‘hurl bombs at police’ if they come to protect them. This instruction has, in fact, led to attacks and the father of one rebel leader was killed in Parui. The inaction of the police, continuous delay by state police to properly investigate the case finally led Calcutta High court to order a CBI enquiry. While this has also been challenged by the state government in Supreme Court, things began to change in concerned areas. A section of TMC hoodlums, patronised by Mondal and used by the TMC to terrorise people shifted their allegiance to the BJP. New polarisation has finally culminated into conflicts over controlling villages. The same criminals who attacked the CPI(M) activists and led looting of votes have now taken shelter of the BJP. A day before Makhra clash, police recovered nearly 800 bombs from a Government Health Centre in Sattor, adjacent to Parui. This health centre has become a den of criminals, abetted by the TMC. Police raided Chowmandal village, reportedly to search for arms when they faced a serious attack. Officer-in-charge of Parui police station was seriously injured in the attack. It was alleged that neo-convert BJP goons organised the attack. However, it was also alleged that police raided the village under instruction from the TMC leaders, as a prelude to further attack. The incident in Makhra has just proved that. On October 29, a delegation of Left Front MLAs and MP visited the affected area. MLAs included Anisur Rehman, Gouranga Chatterjee, Bishwanath Karak, Dhiren Bagdi, Ashok Roy, Dipak Chatterjee, Bijoy Bagdi, Anandamoy Mondal, Id Mohammed, Kanai Mondal. Former MP Ramchandra Dom and Rajya Sabha member Ritabrata Banerjee aaccompanied the delegation. Police obstructed them from visiting the areas under the pretext of 144 IPC. Left leaders broke through barriers and advanced. When they were cordoned by the police, hundreds of villagers came out onto the road and protected them. The villagers, including women, narrated their sufferings and invited the Left delegation to enter their village. In fact, it was they who organised an impromptu procession there. Many were heard telling that they want Left leaders to come there and stand by them. After three years, ‘Inquilab Zindabad’ slogans were raised in the villages. When the police ordered arrest of the Left representatives, the tension ran high. Finally Left leaders were arrested and later released without condition from the Parui police station. Immediate protests were organised throughout the state condemning the killings in Makra and the arrest of Left leaders. On October 30, the Left Front had organised rallies in districts against brutalities in Makhra.