The Crossbill News Desk
The CPI(M) West Bengal unit on Thursday (November 6) has announced a statewide campaign titled ‘Bangla Bachao Yatra’ (Save Bengal Yatra) aimed at mobilising people against the prevailing political, social, and economic conditions in the state.
Announcing the programme at a press conference in Kolkata, CPI(M) State Secretary Mohammad Salim said that multiple regional yatras will merge with the main one as it moves across the state, accompanied by rallies in various districts.
“The journey will go through all the districts of the state for 17 days. Bengal has to be saved, the country has to be saved,” Salim declared.
He emphasised that the ‘Bangla Bachao Yatra’ is not just a political campaign but an effort to revive the Left in Bengal.
The 17-day yatra will commence from Tufanganj in Cooch Behar on November 29 and traverse all districts — including Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling, North and South Dinajpur, Malda, Murshidabad, Nadia, East and West Burdwan, North 24 Parganas, Hooghly, and Howrah — before culminating in a rally at Kamarhati on December 17.
“To save Bengal, the revival of the Left is necessary. The revival of the Left is happening. The Bangla Bachao Yatra will prove that again,” he said, adding that this initiative is intended to “bring about the revival of the Left.”
Raising concerns over the safety and dignity of women in Bengal, Salim said, “If the women of Bengal do not survive, the state will not survive. Such incidents are happening every day across the state. Earlier, such incidents did not occur among tribal women. Now tribal women are also becoming victims of this.”
During the press conference, Salim presented a slide show outlining the challenges in sectors such as education, health, law and order, women’s safety, and agriculture.
“This journey is aimed at highlighting the main issues of the state. Regional demands and district demands will be highlighted on this journey,” he said.
Responding to questions from journalists, he remarked, “If the right to vote is saved first, then there will be voting. The big question in this state now is on which issue the vote will be held — to build the state or to destroy the state? Because now fear is being created here to take away people's rights.”
Criticising the ruling dispensation, Salim alleged that corruption and nepotism have become rampant in the state.
“No lottery ticket, no sealed liquor bottle or pouch can be sold in the state without getting a nephew to lift it. This is breaking up countless families. It is destroying the way to earn a living,” he said.
He further alleged that “right-wingers always want to curtail people's rights. Across the country and in our state, people's rights are being curtailed under the rule of the right-wingers. Sometimes these rights are being taken away by intimidation, sometimes by seduction. We have to fight against this.”
Salim also played an audio clip purportedly containing threats issued to Booth Level Officers (BLOs) during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process.
“Listen to how the ruling party is threatening the BLOs,” he told journalists.
In the clip, a leader of the ruling party can allegedly be heard questioning why the SIR process was started without informing him. Commenting on this, Salim asked, “So is the Election Commission playing a 'sham'? Hundreds of complaints have already been received from different districts. Will the ECI not take responsibility for these? There has been panic among many people that they are not getting the forms.”
He accused the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and BJP of manipulating the voter list in West Bengal.
“There is rigging in the voter list in West Bengal. Otherwise, what was Trinamool's fear? Where the form is supposed to be given directly to the BLO voters, why are brokers entering? There is a setting here too. TMC-BJP has decided where and how it will be done. Everyone is involved in the corruption that happens in the elections. This is why we are saying to save Bengal. Trinamool, BJP are playing a drama about the entire SIR,” Salim stated.
Concluding his remarks, Salim said, “Our goal is to unite all forces, excluding the TMC-BJP, to prevent division, protect people's livelihoods, and save Bengal. Everyone is welcome there. A new Bengal will be born in 2026 with everyone involved.”
Announcing the programme at a press conference in Kolkata, CPI(M) State Secretary Mohammad Salim said that multiple regional yatras will merge with the main one as it moves across the state, accompanied by rallies in various districts.
“The journey will go through all the districts of the state for 17 days. Bengal has to be saved, the country has to be saved,” Salim declared.
He emphasised that the ‘Bangla Bachao Yatra’ is not just a political campaign but an effort to revive the Left in Bengal.
The 17-day yatra will commence from Tufanganj in Cooch Behar on November 29 and traverse all districts — including Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling, North and South Dinajpur, Malda, Murshidabad, Nadia, East and West Burdwan, North 24 Parganas, Hooghly, and Howrah — before culminating in a rally at Kamarhati on December 17.
“To save Bengal, the revival of the Left is necessary. The revival of the Left is happening. The Bangla Bachao Yatra will prove that again,” he said, adding that this initiative is intended to “bring about the revival of the Left.”
Raising concerns over the safety and dignity of women in Bengal, Salim said, “If the women of Bengal do not survive, the state will not survive. Such incidents are happening every day across the state. Earlier, such incidents did not occur among tribal women. Now tribal women are also becoming victims of this.”
During the press conference, Salim presented a slide show outlining the challenges in sectors such as education, health, law and order, women’s safety, and agriculture.
“This journey is aimed at highlighting the main issues of the state. Regional demands and district demands will be highlighted on this journey,” he said.
Responding to questions from journalists, he remarked, “If the right to vote is saved first, then there will be voting. The big question in this state now is on which issue the vote will be held — to build the state or to destroy the state? Because now fear is being created here to take away people's rights.”
Criticising the ruling dispensation, Salim alleged that corruption and nepotism have become rampant in the state.
“No lottery ticket, no sealed liquor bottle or pouch can be sold in the state without getting a nephew to lift it. This is breaking up countless families. It is destroying the way to earn a living,” he said.
He further alleged that “right-wingers always want to curtail people's rights. Across the country and in our state, people's rights are being curtailed under the rule of the right-wingers. Sometimes these rights are being taken away by intimidation, sometimes by seduction. We have to fight against this.”
Salim also played an audio clip purportedly containing threats issued to Booth Level Officers (BLOs) during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process.
“Listen to how the ruling party is threatening the BLOs,” he told journalists.
In the clip, a leader of the ruling party can allegedly be heard questioning why the SIR process was started without informing him. Commenting on this, Salim asked, “So is the Election Commission playing a 'sham'? Hundreds of complaints have already been received from different districts. Will the ECI not take responsibility for these? There has been panic among many people that they are not getting the forms.”
He accused the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and BJP of manipulating the voter list in West Bengal.
“There is rigging in the voter list in West Bengal. Otherwise, what was Trinamool's fear? Where the form is supposed to be given directly to the BLO voters, why are brokers entering? There is a setting here too. TMC-BJP has decided where and how it will be done. Everyone is involved in the corruption that happens in the elections. This is why we are saying to save Bengal. Trinamool, BJP are playing a drama about the entire SIR,” Salim stated.
Concluding his remarks, Salim said, “Our goal is to unite all forces, excluding the TMC-BJP, to prevent division, protect people's livelihoods, and save Bengal. Everyone is welcome there. A new Bengal will be born in 2026 with everyone involved.”
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