Fear looms large in Murshidabad’s violence-hit areas

Suti (Murshidabad): Fear was the only constant on Monday, both in the homes of the victims and of the alleged perpetrators in the strife-hit areas of Suti and Samsherganj.
Ansar Sk, a daily wage earner in his 50s, sat outside his home at Gazipur village in Suti with a worried look. His son, Sultan, has been arrested following violence during waqf protests. He said, "There is fear, and everyone is tense. My son works in Bengaluru as a migrant labourer. He just came home during Eid. Last Friday, he went out and never returned home. We learnt he was arrested by the police, and we are trying to understand how to get him released. I too oppose the Waqf Act. I will also protest against it, but this is not the way (resorting to violence)."
Aminul Islam, also in his 50s, stays in Mohadipur in Suti. He too is in fear after his son, Toufik, 25, was arrested. "He got married barely a year ago. He used to work outside Bengal, but since his marriage, he has been at home doing odd jobs. He went out with a group on Friday. We have been in constant fear since his arrest. We have been trying to get more information," he said.
The Bengal police said around 200 people have been arrested. Fear is also evident in the voice of Hyder Ali, whose nephew Izaz Ahmed, 26, was killed during Friday's violence. "There is a group which is inciting youths here. This is a reason for fear. They will try to do it again. For them, it's political gains, but we will have to pay with the blood of our kin. Today it was Izaz; I do not know whom death will claim next," he said.
Jangipur resident Suman Das, who was briefly questioned by the police on Friday evening for moving around on his bike, said, "There is panic all around. Police are making public announcements for people to resume work, but with the prohibitory orders and internet shutdown still in place, the fear and tension are evident."
In Dhulian's Kanchantala, locals have made bamboo barricades along their village periphery. Kamal Das, a local, said, "We have heard that the attackers are coming in groups. This barricade is our first line of defence. This will give us time. We just cannot live in fear; we wanted to do something about it."