Sandeshkhali. There is a strange silence in Sandeshkhali of Bengal before the voting. People are quiet. No one is talking much to anyone. Everyone is busy with themselves or trying to show that they are. After coming here, it did not seem that this is the same 'vocal' Sandeshkhali, where the voice raised against sexual harassment of women and grabbing people's lands echoed not only in Bengal but in the whole country.

The people of the place where so much is being talked about have become silent before the voting. Moreover, there is not much noise of election campaign here. There are not many hoardings and banners of political parties. If you ask the local people for directions, they will tell you, but they keep quiet when asked about elections, politics or Sandeshkhali.

People silently decided

After asking a lot, they all said, "Bole asubidhe aache (If you say anything, you may get into trouble). Some people somehow agreed to talk, but most of them refused to be photographed. Though there may be silence on their faces, but the atmosphere of Sandeshkhali is giving the impression that the people here have quietly taken their decision, which will be known on June 4.

'Undercurrent' in the rivers of Sandeshkhali

Shubhankar Mandal, who was going to Aamtoli, an island near Sandeshkhali, after crossing the river from mainland Dhamakhali by motor boat (bhutbhuti in local language) said in gestures- I am looking at these rivers. There is an 'undercurrent' running in it. It is known that Sandeshkhali is surrounded by rivers like Kalagachhia, Choto Kalagachhia, Vidyadhari, Raimangal and Choto Tushkali Bari from all sides.

The incident was greatly exaggerated

On the other hand, a fruit seller near Dhamakhali ferry ghat, on the condition of anonymity, quietly said that the Sandeshkhali incident is half true and half false. The incidents did happen, but they have been exaggerated. These include local small timers and not big leaders of Trinamool Congress from Basirhat area.

'The people of Sandeshkhali suffered atrocities'

Jagannath De, who has a shoe shop near the Sandeshkhali ferry ghat, says, 'Only local people like us know what has happened here. What will outsiders tell us? Trinamool is trying to portray the Sandeshkhali incident as a 'fabricated incident' by citing videos released one after the other. By doing this, people from outside can be misled. Not a single person from Sandeshkhali will believe this, because they have suffered atrocities and have seen everything happen in front of their eyes.'

'TMC people took away the land'

Local resident Nirbala Patra says- 'We are with Rekha Patra. She is fighting for us.' An old man named Bahadur Sardar said- 'Trinamool people took away my land. I am living in great pain. I have not been able to vote for many years.' A person selling Sattu at Sandeshkhali Ferry Ghat said- 'This is all a lie. I have been living here for so long. I have never heard of any such incident before.'

message blank will bring change

Pradeep Patra, brother-in-law of Rekha Patra, who lives in Colony Para of Sandeshkhali, said, "The entire Sandeshkhali is with the daughter-in-law of our house in the fight she has started. This time, change will come to Basirhat from Sandeshkhali." Pradeep further said, "We are getting threats every day. Still, we are standing firm. It is not safe for Rekha to live here, so she is currently living in Basirhat with her husband and three children."

Secrets from fish

All around in Sandeshkhali, you can see Bheri (fish farming centres). It seems as if a short path has been made between the water bodies. A local youth Bapon Singh, driving a Toto around Sandeshkhali, said, 'Most of these Bheri are occupied by Trinamool leaders Shahjahan Sheikh, Shibu Hazra and Uttam Sardar.

Earlier, paddy cultivation was rampant in Sandeshkhali. Most of them have been occupied and converted into Bheri because there is more money in it. Here, especially prawns, Bhetki and other fish are bred and exported to various places.

More than 100 complaints come daily

On the orders of the Calcutta High Court, the CBI camp office opened near Dhamakhali Ferry Ghat to register complaints of the people of Sandeshkhali receives 100 to 125 complaints daily. Complaints are being registered from 8.30 am to 8.30 pm. Central force personnel have been deployed outside the camp office. People are reaching there with their land papers.

A look at SandeshKhali

Sandeshkhali is a small island surrounded by water from all sides under Basirhat parliamentary constituency of Bengal, where there are 245757 voters. The number of women voters among them is 119775. Sandeshkhali is also an assembly constituency. It is divided into two blocks Sandeshkhali-1 and 2. There are eight gram panchayats under each block.

Voting will take place in Basirhat in the seventh and final phase on June 1. This time, instead of outgoing MP Nusrat Jahan, Haji Nurul Islam is the Trinamool candidate, while the BJP has fielded Rekha Patra, who has become the face of the Sandeshkhali movement, while former MLA Nirapad Sarkar is in the fray from the CPI(M).