Civil rights groups have set up peace centres in two places affected by communal riots in West Bengal on both sides of river Hooghly. The centres have been set up at Bhatpara in North 24 Parganas, where communal and political violence raged from 2018 to 2021, and in Telinipara in Hooghly where riots erupted in May 2020.
“Our aim is not to only talk about peace but to involve people particularly women from both the communities. At Bhatpara, the focus of the initiative is to develop self-help groups with women of both communities. This will not only help in their economic empowerment but also strengthen the bond between the two communities,” said Subhaprotim Roy Chowdhury, from “AAMRA Ek Sachetan Parayas”, a collective of researchers and activists working on conflict and coexistence studies.
At Telinipara on the western banks of Hooghly, where communal riots had erupted at the peak of pandemic during lockdown in May 2020, activists have focused on educating and empowering the women.
Mr. Roychowdhury said both “Telinipara and Bhatpara are inhabited by working class people, mostly working in jute mills largely Hindi and Urdu speaking who have co-existed with each other for generations spanning over 100 years”. These peace initiatives were launched on August 15, on the 75th Independence Day.
Mohit Ranadip, a physchiatric counsellor associated with AAMRA, said the riots might last a few days or months, but the scars and enormous psychological impact may take years to heal, and the peace initiative is a step in this direction.
Mr. Randip said AAMRA had prepared two reports —Telinipara Riot Fact Finding Report, 2020 and Bhatapara Fact Finding Report: 2018 to 2020 — and that the job of the rights group does not end with preparing them.
After the riots while several families have returned to their homes, the mistrust between the communities persists, the representatives of AMRA said.
Complaints over compensation
People affected have also complaints over compensation paid to the riot victims by the State with some of them claiming they have not got compensation.
Mr. Roychowdhury and other members of AAMRA said they have plans of setting up similar peace centres in other areas affected by communal violence in West Bengal.
