Malda, April 19, 2025 – National Commission for Women (NCW) Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar met victims of Murshidabad’s Waqf Act protests at a Malda relief camp on Friday, calling their pain “heart-wrenching” and promising a deep probe into reported molestation and displacement. The violence, erupting April 11-12 across Shamsherganj, Suti, and Dhulian, killed three, injured 20, and displaced 500 families, with women bearing the brunt, fleeing to Malda’s Parlalpur High School camp.
Rahatkar’s four-member team, including Dr. Archana Majumdar, heard chilling accounts—women in Dhulian’s Mandirpara alleged assault during mob clashes over the Waqf Amendment Act’s non-Muslim board additions. “No woman should endure this,” she told reporters, vowing to submit findings to the Home Ministry by April 25. The NCW’s suo motu action followed social media outcry, with X posts claiming police ignored pleas (post:2). Governor CV Ananda Bose’s Malda visit Thursday amplified calls for central intervention.
West Bengal Police arrested 274, filing 60 FIRs, but camp residents accused TMC of shielding culprits. “They burned our homes,” a mother told Rahatkar, per Times of India. Murshidabad’s 70% Muslim population—14 lakh—faces tension, with 2026 polls looming for Bengal’s 9 crore voters. BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari demanded an NIA probe, while Mamata Banerjee urged calm, citing 2024’s 42 riot deaths. X splits—“NCW’s serious!” vs. “TMC’s dodging!” (post:1).
Rahatkar plans to meet Murshidabad officials Saturday, eyeing Waqf’s 3.7 lakh acres. For India’s 140 crore, it’s a justice test—will NCW’s probe heal or spark more fire?
