Muslim-Majority Status of the Murshidabad is the Root Cause of the Deliberate Neglect

Mohammad Shafi

National Vice President

SDPI National Vice President Mohammad Shafi highlighted the deteriorating condition of Murshidabad district and attributed the plight of over 500,000 displaced families to the negligence of successive governments. He alleged that the Muslim-majority status of the district is the root cause of this deliberate neglect. Shafi further stated that this district has been strategically excluded from the streams of progress in education, healthcare, and other developmental sectors. He was delivering the keynote address at the massive public meeting that marked the conclusion of the 100-kilometre march from Farakka to Lalgola from December 7 to December 14, termed Roar Rally, organised by the SDPI, West Bengal State Committee demanding a permanent solution to the river bank erosion in the area. The rally was organised demanding a permanent solution to the river erosion problem in nearly six assembly constituencies in Murshidabad, adequate compensation for the victims, and proper rehabilitation.

People in this area have been suffering from severe riverbank erosion for the past 42 years. Millions of people have been affected, with thousands of homes, schools, temples, and mosques submerged into the river. No government has taken any concrete steps to find a permanent solution to this problem.Shafi emphasized that the SDPI’s initiatives would not end with today’s rally but would grow into a larger movement. He called upon the people of Murshidabad and West Bengal to unite in building a corruption-free governance system and to align with the SDPI for the sake of societal progress.State President Tayidul Islam presided over the meeting. National Secretary Runa Laila, State General Secretary Hakikul Islam, Women India Movement National President Yasmin Islam, and other state leaders also participated in the rally and the meeting.