Daijiworld Media Network - Malda

Malda, Apr 18: Displaced individuals seeking refuge in a temporary relief camp at a school in Malda, following the recent communal unrest in neighboring Murshidabad, have leveled serious accusations against the district police. On Friday, they alleged that the police enforced a strict veil of secrecy during their interactions with visiting representatives from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

Frustration boiled over after the NHRC officials departed late Friday afternoon, as the displaced victims initiated protests. They accused the police of transforming the shelter into a virtual fortress, purportedly to obstruct the flow of information regarding their discussions with the NHRC to the outside world.

The residents of the relief camp claimed that the stringent police measures, aimed at maintaining secrecy, caused significant hardship. They alleged that authorities not only barred entry to outsiders but also prevented camp residents from leaving the premises since Friday morning. Adding to their distress, they stated that even relatives traveling from Murshidabad to offer support were denied access to the camp.

Furthermore, the displaced individuals alleged that the entire relief camp area within the school grounds was deliberately shrouded in tarpaulin. They believe this was a calculated attempt to prevent them from engaging with media personnel and recounting the events they endured in Murshidabad when the violence erupted last week.

Beyond the alleged information blockade, the relief camp residents voiced concerns about the quality of food being provided. "Mostly, we are served with stale food," lamented a woman residing at the Malda shelter. "Even those local people who are willing to help us are being prevented by the police from interacting with us. Our relatives are not being allowed to meet us. We have been kept incommunicado from the outer world.”

However, the police have refuted these allegations of deliberately imposing absolute secrecy under the guise of security arrangements at the shelter home. According to police personnel, the security measures implemented were necessary due to the presence of VVIP movements throughout the day at the relief camp.