Marichjhanpi ( Chili Shrubs)
By Dr. U.N.Biswas, NCMB Memorial Trust, India, 1 May, 2007.
Synopsis
Marichjhanpi is an island of shrubs in the Bay of Bengal in North 24 Parganas District of the State of West Bengal of India, where the State committed one of the cruelest violations of Human Rights in 1979.
Demanded by the left parties for the rehabilitation of East Pakistan refugees in Sunderbans since 1957 and after, lured by the Government that was formed by the left parties in 1977, asked them to be ready to come to West Bengal in 1978 and settle in Sunderbans to escape the inhuman conditions prevailing in the refugee resettlement colonies and camps in Dankarnya Project, the refugees, more than one hundred thousand five hundred or more deserted Dandakanya and arrived in West Bengal and initially took shelter in Howrah and Sealdah rail stations.

Later, they moved to Hasnabad, a Subdivisional HQ of 24 Parganas District, West Bengal and spent there for more than two months in cruel sun and rains almost without any canopy over their heads. The Government and the leaders who vowed to rehabilitate the refugees with dignity and compassion stood a mute spectator.

The Government did not spend a single farthing to mitigate the untold sufferings of the refugees. Children, women and old persons died of hunger and disease for lack of access to medical facilities. About forty thousand refugees, before reaching Marichanpi Island on 18 April 1978, camped at Kumirmari, a village separated by the confluence of two big rivers from Marichjhanpi for two weeks.
On 24 January 1979, police started surrounding the island and promulgated orders under Section 144 of The Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 to evict the settlers from the island. On 26 January they imposed economic blockade on the islanders. On being moved, The High Court of Calcutta lifted the economic blockade on the settlers. Notwithstanding the orders of the High Court of Calcutta, the State did not allow any entry to the island and had thrown out all voluntary aid and relief organizations from the island.
On 31 January, Police fired upon the islanders and killed 36 persons, including children and women, sank the boats of the settlers which killed 128. Forty three people died of starvation, 29 from disease and many went missing.

Police entered the island again on 5 February and the State issued prohibitory orders under Indian Forest Act, 1928. On 14 May Police, in connivance with party cadres of the ruling Communist Party of India Marxist committed arson on the island and burnt most of the cottages of the settlers in dead of night. The State, forcibly and illegally cleared the settlers from the island by 31 May, a deadline fixed by the State.




The Government justified the State action which led to the use of economic blockade, police firing and killing, deaths due to hunger and embargo on medical assistance from out side, rape and outraging the modesty of women, sinking of the boats of the settlers which caused drowning of a large number of people and commission of various crimes and atrocities, burning and destruction of cottages, schools, dispensaries and other resources on the following allegations:
Destruction of environment, ecology and Tiger Reserve in particular.
Running of parallel Government in the island by the settlers.
Presence of foreign secret agents detrimental to the integrity of the nation.

The truth however lies some where else. Why the host turned hostile? This question has been well researched by independent sources and the results are as follows:
It was a threat to the authority of the Communist Party which dictated every aspect of life in West Bengal from birthday rituals to cremation rites.
What communists could not do, the settlers established a society where socialism prevailed. This was not equality by dictatorship. It was democratic socialism and it was achieved entirely by the collective efforts of the settlers without the support of State or any political parties. Had they raised the flag of the Communist Party, perhaps, the story would have been different.
From 1979 to 2007, the Government wantonly destroyed virgin greens, filled up wetlands to build skyscrapers in tandem with private real estate sharks in utter disregard and violations of environment laws, rules and international conventions and destabilized and displaced indigenous and marginalized peoples
In reply to a question in the Parliament of India on 23 February 1979 by a member whether the replies of the Home Minister to allegations against the settlers are based on the information fed by the Government of West Bengal, the Minister expressed in the affirmative. Regarding the allegation of the intrusion of foreign agents in Marichjhanpi island by CPM member Mr. Jotirmoy Bosu, the Home Minister replied that the Government of India had enquired the allegation of foreign agents operating in the island. He said, “We have no information that there were foreign agents.” Therefore it is apparent that the Government of India did not find the existence of the charges made by the Government of West Bengal.
Marichjhanpi
The name Marichjhanpi itself indicates the nature of the island and what its produce is. In this island no tall trees are grown. Marichjhanpi is predominantly an island of shrubs. Marichjhanpi is not a tiger reserve, reserved forest, wild- life- sanctuary, dense or mixed jungle. It is a buffer area located away from Tiger Reserve. A tiger has to cross at least two turbulent rivers and one small river to reach this island where reportedly neither spotted deer nor wild pigs, principal menu for tigers, inhabit the island nor there is adequate forest cover of tall trees for tigers. State issues permit to people who want to gather honey in the Tiger Reserve. Many such permit-holders, instead of risking their life in the Tiger habitat go to buffer area for fishing. “From 1994, many permitted holders started diverting to tiger-prawn seed collection within the buffer zone of the reserve. This minimized man-animal conflict.” ( Sanyal,1998 : p.22.)