STATEWIDE Jathas of BPMO (Bengal Platform of Mass Organisations) created huge impact among people in West Bengal. Jathas braved ferocious attacks from the ruling party, direct threats from senior ministers of the state and marched through thousands of villages and towns. The massive campaign brought forth sharply the burning issues of the people and mobilised tens of thousands in the streets. Jathas formally started on November 14 and continued till the last week of the month. It was initially decided that jathas would travel in all 77 thousand booths of the state. Then it was rescheduled to touch at least 64 thousand booths, the severely terrorised would be reached later. Till the filing of this report, the exact figure has not been counted. However, the courage and determination of the volunteers has already inspired many such rallies to enter into ‘forbidden’ areas. That the jathas have elicited huge response has come to be known with the attack on a procession led by CPI(M) state secretary and opposition leader of the state Suryakanta Misra. The rally was attacked in Narayangarh, the assembly constituency of Misra. TMC miscreants tried to block the rally with their party flags in hand and then thrashed volunteers. They also heckled Misra, physically resisted him from moving ahead. But Misra and other participants forced their way ahead and villagers gathered in support of them. A public meeting was also held at the scheduled spot. The attack on opposition leader drew severe condemnation from many quarters. The attack was aimed to instill fear among others. But it was in vain. Another brutal attack came next day in Mayureswar in Birbhum district. TMC activists attacked a jatha with iron rods, sticks and other weapons, injuring at least 20 participants. CPI(M) Central Committee member and former MP Ramchandra Dom was beaten up, along with MLA Ashok Roy, CPI(M) district leader Gokul Ghosh, Arup Bag and others. In a barbarous incident, former MLA of the area and veteran leader of the Party, Dhiren Let was mercilessly beaten and after injury was gheraoed by miscreants and was forced to hold his ears. He was ordered to pronounce that he ‘will leave CPI(M)’. This incident was photographed by electronic media too, creating a shiver throughout the state. In Pingla in West Medinipore, another jatha was brutally attacked by the TMC gang on the same day. Several participants suffered serious injuries, one of them suffered fracture in leg. Many had to be admitted in hospital. In Toofanganj in Coochbehar, TMC miscreants attacked a jatha and created terror in the entire area. The attack in Mayureswar ignited the state and protest rallies were held throughout the state. Suryakanta Misra announced that he would go the very place to address a public meeting. Within 48 hours, huge mobilisation took place there. The roads to Mayureswar were coloured with Red flags, defying terror. Warning the TMC goons that their violence and intimidating threats will be thwarted and rebuffed and will not be taken lying down, Misra addressing the huge mass gathering said, “We will definitely ensure return of each paise of Saradha money, TET money and of many other scams. We are giving you one month period to establish the rule of law in the state otherwise Left workers will responsibly establish the rule of law'. He further said that the people of Mayureswar had shown how the Trinamool hoodlums and their leaders are to be resisted. Misra sternly warned the state administration that either they should take measures to maintain rule of law within a month or else the Left parties would take this responsibility in their own hand. TMC attacks continued, so too the resistance of the people. In Tarakeswar, Hooghly the jatha led by former Arambagh MP Shaktimohan Malik was attacked by Trinamool Congress goons. He along with many Party workers was locked up in a Party office. A Party office in Hooghly was set on fire by the TMC goons. In Jamuria, Burdwan the jatha rally led by local MLA Jahanara Khan faced Trinamool attack where the rally was bombed by TMC hooligans. MLA Jahanara Khan and many other women workers were assaulted by Trinamool workers. In Baraboni, Asansol, the jatha rally faced Trinamool attack. Party leader Shridhar Rout had said that Trinamool goons unleashed a pre-planned attack on the peaceful jatha rally. On the other hand, the jatha rally led by Ganatantrik Mahila Samiti state president Anju Kar, Mukul Sikdar, Karuna Bhattacharya, Sanatan Tudu etc had reopened the Party Office in Sultanpur Bazar, Burdwan which was closed down by Trinamool Congress back in 2011. After Trinamool attack on the previous day, Pingla witnessed another jatha rally which covered an area of 10 kms. The Garbeta jatha covered 13 booth areas. Jatha rallies were organised in Jhargram, Sabang, Belpahari, Shalboni, Koshiery, Kharagpur, Debra, Jamboni, Chandrakona Road etc. The distressed tea workers in northern districts participated in huge numbers in the local level jathas. The industrial workers in Durgapur-Asansol belt took part in colourful rallies. Jathas marched through terror-stricken areas like Bhangar in South 24 Parganas where Suryakanta Misra himself led the rally. In Taldangra in Bankura, people defied ban and attack to gather in a mass meeting after the jatha. In East Medinipore district, almost all corners were touched by jathas.