THE insecticide was there in the house to prevent infection of aphids on mustard seeds. But Gudu Murmu had no intention whatever of spraying it on the mustard seeds. The marginal farmer from Bhatar poured it into his own throat.The cost of the insecticide bought from a local fertiliser shop is still due to be paid. The onus is now on Ram Murmu to repay his father’s debt.100 grams of the pesticide costs Rs 180. Mustard aphids, a type of little bug, infest the mustard seeds.

WEST Bengal witnessed waves of protest condemning the brutal incident of rape of a 71-year-old nun in a Convent school in Ranaghat, Nadia. The chief minister herself faced the wrath of local people, including school students in Ranaghat when she visited the spot. Thousands of people blocked her car for more than an hour demanding immediate arrest of the culprits. Protestors raised slogans, “Chief Minister Go Back” and “We Want Justice”. An enraged chief minister, instead of pacifying the hurt people, threatened them and blamed the CPI(M) and the BJP for organising such protests.

VENDETTA as politics in West Bengal has used fear through violence manifested in verbal and physical intimidation, threats, trashing and wrecking offices, homes, villages, streets, burning and looting, attacks and assaults on individuals and groups, even groups of protesters, police and institutions to uproot dissent and demolish the opposition.

IN another sign of Left’s resurgence, tens of thousands of people marched into the heart of Kolkata on December 16, at the call of CPI(M) North 24 Parganas district committee. They came from faraway forest areas of Sundarbans, from working class habitats of Barracpore industrial area, from middle class suburbs like DumDum. With red flags held high, stream of humanity overflowed Sahid Minar Maidan.

A VILLAGE in Nadia district witnessed barefaced brutality of the TMC regime when an armed gang of the ruling party attacked the peasants to capture a tract of land and shot dead a woman. Many others, including two women and a student suffered serious bullet injuries in the attack.