Ration riots hit six Bengal districts

Kolkata : In the recent past, the countryside in West Bengal has not witnessed such large-scale violence spread over six districts against corruption in the public distribution system (PDS).

While many observers feel that what began as a food riot by the poor belonging to APL (above poverty line) category a few weeks back, claiming five lives, including two in police firing, is turning into a rage against the cadres of CPI(M) and other Left Front constituents, fear has gripped the majority of the 20,000 ration dealers who have enjoyed CPI(M) patronage for 30 years.

The allegation is that the dealers and distributors, with support from CPI(M) cadres and food inspectors, siphon-off foodgrains and kerosene from the PDS and sell them in the open market. For a long time, people have been alleging that when they go to ration shops, they don’t get their weekly allotment or when they do get, the quality of foodgrains is not fit for human consumption.

No wonder the agitation took a violent turn leading to the thrashing of ration dealers and distributors, looting foodgrain and kerosene from PDS shops, burning down houses and destroying property to force dealers to sign court papers saying that they would pay an amount to each ration card holder in the locality. The money promised is a compensation package against not providing the allotted foodgrains.

What is worrying the Left parties is that the discontent has started affecting their cadres, too.

It not difficult to understand why there is anger against party cadres. For, some of the CPI(M) cadres are hand-in-glove with corrupt ration dealers and distributors, a fact admitted by some district party leaders.

In Barjora in Bankura district, the first spell of discontent led to rioting against ration dealer Narayan Dutta, a CPI(M) member, who owns a two-storeyed pucca building.

Party district secretary in Bankura, Amiya Patra, admitted a nexus between some party members and PDS dealers. “So far, we have been able to indentify seven party cardholders who own PDS dealerships,” Patra told reporters.

No surprises then that at Sian in Birbhum, a district leader of CPI(M) was beaten up by an angry mob when he tried to defend a ration dealer. In Burdwan district, Pradip Ta, an MLA, was assaulted for trying to come to the aid of a ration dealer accused of siphoning off the foodgrain.

While the CPI(M) and other Left parties are trying to confront the situation by putting the blame of ‘vandalism’ on the Opposition parties and miscreants, in a recent public appeal, the state government promised to take action against dealers who are not clean.