- 18 hours ago
In this edition of Election Despatch, India Today's Preeti Chaudhry brings this ground report from West Bengal's Sundarbans as the state votes in the first of assembly elections.
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00:03it's a five-year cycle then for just a short while now the rules of engagement
00:11have changed it's like a ground here where the politician is left at the
00:17mercy of the people and the people's supreme but it's only for that short period of time
00:34Murshidabad
01:02The narrative which is being spun by the BJP,
01:05this is just another excuse that the TMC is looking to pin the blame on what is deep-rooted and
01:10seated anti-incumbency.
01:11An exercise which should take a year, they did in exactly 40 days.
01:15So we didn't ask them to do that. If they thought there was such huge anti-incumbency,
01:20they should have just sat back and they should have just played us on the anti-incumbency.
01:38What is the new word today? New Bengali word today?
01:42No.
01:43What's your name?
01:44Yes?
01:46Yes.
01:48Yes.
01:49Yes.
01:50I've got this.
01:52No.
01:54No.
01:57No.
01:59No.
02:00No.
02:00Asana's old.
02:12The government has no courage, so they give them a new mind and they say that you make a whole
02:17structure.
02:18You make a house, you make a house, you make a house, you make a house, you make a house,
02:22you make a house, and then show the house.
02:25You make a house, you make a house, you make a house, you make a house, you make a house.
02:31We have so many, we have to go from generation to generation, like my third generation.
02:37In fact, it is also a generation. That is also in the mines. I mean, fourth generation.
02:42I have to wait for you.
02:45I have to wait for you.
02:48Bangkura.
02:49Come on, come on, come on.
02:58Now they have no one.
03:01One means to add.
03:02One is not to add?
03:04If you add one, you have to call it for Ram Lala Ji.
03:07I think it's 100 persons.
03:10They have no one in that pocket.
03:11It's empty.
03:12It's empty.
03:12It's empty.
03:13It's empty.
03:14It's empty.
03:15It's empty.
03:16I have a bin.
03:29It's empty.
03:33It's empty.
03:35It's empty.
03:38It's empty.
03:41Put yourself around, you can't help but become
03:45If you have anything to measure, you can조 my
03:45So, if you put marks on the dunks, this is the same thing.
04:01Nandigram.
05:10Do you want to change the world or do you want to change the world?
05:13Do you want to change the world?
05:13Do you want to change the world in Bengal?
05:28Do you want to change the world?
05:29Do you want to change the world?
05:29Yes.
05:38We were in Suvindu Adhikari Ji.
06:08Do you want to change the world?
06:09Do you want to change the world?
06:09Do you want to change the world?
06:28Do you want to change the world?
06:31Do you want to change the world?
06:33Do you want to change the world?
06:33Do you want to change the world?
06:34Sultan.
06:35Sultan, my name is Priti Dada.
06:37Every region, every district.
06:42Their hopes, aspirations.
06:45Importantly, their preference.
06:50West Bengal divides into five administrative regions.
06:54Presidency, Burdhwan, Medhnipur, Malda and Jalpaiguri.
07:00Presidency is where Bengal's demographic heft, economic sinew and political nerves converge.
07:07With the highest number of seeds stitching together.
07:11Kolkata, Haura, Nadia, North 24 Paragnas and South 24 Paragnas.
07:36The stunning Sundarbans.
07:52The highest number of seeds, we need to change in the world.
08:01The Houston Army is a four-year-old side.
08:09How many years have you lived in Sundarbans?
08:1325 years ago.
08:1425 years?
08:16Yeah, it's good.
08:18What is the most important thing here?
08:21The most important thing is that the work is not much here.
08:24No work?
08:25The person has to go outside for the work.
08:30The most important thing is that the person has to go outside.
08:32It's the most important thing.
08:33When the sun is the sun is the sun.
08:35More and more?
08:36The people in the city.
08:40No way.
08:46What about this?
08:47How many times do you work here?
08:49I don't know.
08:54Hardly, you don't really know.
08:56There have been a good job here.
08:57There wasn't a road here.
08:59We made a road here, for sure.
09:01We gave everyone a home.
09:05Yes, in which case?
09:09Is it the Pradhal Mantri or the dad?
09:11The dad's dad.
09:13It's the home.
09:17What is the most important thing here?
09:20No, we don't need to be good in the house.
09:24We should be able to get here.
09:27We should be able to get here.
09:28.
09:28.
09:28.
09:28.
09:29.
09:29Is there a name on the water list?
09:30Is it cut here?
09:31No, no, no.
09:32Is it cut here?
09:33There is a little cut here.
09:35But there is no more.
09:36There is no more.
09:45In 2021, everyone was with the dad?
09:48Yes, I was with the clip.
09:49In 2021?
09:50Yes.
09:51What are you thinking about this time?
09:53What are you talking about?
09:55Oh...
09:55We are going to go and we will go in the middle of the day.
10:01What are you saying?
10:01Tell us.
10:02We are going to go and we will go in the middle of the day.
10:03Why will it go in the middle of the day?
10:05Yes, we are going to go outside.
10:08We are not able to speak out of the day.
10:09That's why.
10:10But the person who goes to the day,
10:12he knows who goes to the day.
10:13Who goes to the day?
10:15He can speak directly.
10:18What is the thing that you say?
10:20No, you are not saying directly.
10:22Okay.
10:24But what do you think, dad?
10:27Yes...
10:27He is going to go outside.
10:28From the center, you are going to go outside.
10:36What did the government have done here?
10:40Yes, what did you do?
10:42First, we had a roof.
10:44Now, concrete has been done.
10:48It has been done, but it has not been done.
10:52It has been done.
10:53What did you do now?
10:55What did you do now?
10:56I said, but when I was a kid, I was a kid of Mamita Dedi.
11:06I don't know.
11:09What did you say, Mamita Dedi?
11:10I have no age.
11:11What did you say now?
11:14I am a kid of Mamita Dedi.
11:17You're right?
11:18You don't want to go with him.
11:20I want to go with him.
11:21I'm a kid for 30 years.
11:23If the other person comes, we will have to go to the other side.
11:27We will have to do this.
11:42Tossing a coin.
11:48BJP!
11:55What is your name?
11:58Bapi.
12:01Who is living here?
12:03How many years have you lived here?
12:04How many years have you lived here?
12:06How many years have you lived here in Sundarban?
12:07Sundarban was born.
12:09Did you live here now or outside?
12:12No, no, no.
12:14You live here?
12:15No.
12:18Janmistan is here.
12:20Your name is Abu Kalam.
12:21You live here.
12:24What do you need to be in Sundarban?
12:26Is there any work done?
12:28No.
12:30It's all.
12:31It's okay.
12:33We'll be there.
12:36Okay.
12:48We're here.
12:50We're here.
12:51We're here.
12:51No.
12:52We're here.
12:55No, we're here for this day.
12:58No, no, no, no.
12:58No, no, no.
12:59No, no, no, no.
13:02I'm sorry.
13:08What is your name?
13:11Raju Mistri
13:12Raju Mistri
13:13When did you name it?
13:169 years
13:179 years
13:189 years
13:19You live in Sundarban
13:21Yes, in Sundarban there is a slippery boat
13:23Where is it? Tiger Wiser
13:25Tiger Wiser
13:26Tiger Wiser
13:26Tiger Wiser
13:27Here is a permit
13:29Permission
13:29With Jokhar
13:32And Jokhar
13:34Yes, everyone is in the same house
13:36How far is Jokhar?
13:37The second time
13:40It will take 2 miles
13:41Srujjan Kali
13:42And second from Jokhar
13:45Jokhar
13:46Jokhar
13:46Jokhar
13:47Jokhar is a 4 miles
13:48There has been work here
13:50Yes, work
13:50Yes
13:51Have you done this
13:52What is your work?
13:55Yes
13:55Food
13:56This lack of tourist boats
13:57Is each other
13:58All the people who are in the city are in the city.
14:02Yes.
14:02Are you happy with the government?
14:03Yes, I am happy.
14:04Whatever was good, the government was good.
14:07When the BGP government came from here, he was in the city.
14:10He was in the city of Ghosaba.
14:13Let's see if everyone was in the city.
14:15What was the suit out?
14:16He was in the city of BGP and TMC.
14:20He was in the city of BGP.
14:21He was in the city of BGP.
14:21He was in the city of BGP.
14:22He was in the city of BGP.
14:26He was doing the BGP.
14:27He was in the city of BGP?
14:28Right.
14:29He was competant?
14:30Yeah.
14:30He was employed by H diti.
14:32Yeah, he was working on it.
14:34Did youân haste ghar difficult?
14:37No, but I don't want to work.
14:45The world's largest mangrove forest has weathered many cyclones and many storms.
14:50The Sundarban in elections 2026 is in the eye of an intense political storm.
14:56The state and the centre at loggerheads on ecology of this area,
15:02on development of the lack of it in this area.
15:05Caught as collateral, the people, acute lack of employment,
15:09most of them migrating outside.
15:11The rains come, their houses washed away,
15:14and then also caught in the middle of a man-animal conflict.
15:37One of the most famous farmers to increase the importance in the public.
15:40One of the most famous farmers have been cranberryots,
15:40so the farmers are husband of the one who has all been doing overseas.
15:40And then he is, but he is a very nice man.
15:41The orphan is not a simple, but he is a very smart man.
15:42The orphan is not a major man than the orphan is exemplo,
15:46and he is a young man.
15:46He is not a male in the country.
15:47The orphan is a young man,
15:49but there is an anti-racism because the orphan was a young man.
15:55Chorkhali Sundarbans lives in the shadow of fear, fear of an attack of the Royal Bengal
16:02Tiger.
16:03Many lives have been lost here.
16:08This is her house.
16:09The girl was holding the cage and attacked there.
16:30How much time did she go?
16:31It's almost 2-3 years ago.
16:37It's 2-3 years ago.
16:38She was in her head.
16:40She was in her head.
16:41She was in her head.
16:44She was in her head.
16:51When she died in her head,
16:55she died in her head.
17:01And we'll go to our police.
17:02You can call them your police,
17:04but they're telling us how to get out of their lives.
17:06We'll go to our office.
17:10We've got to the forest office in the office of a house.
17:13Or, a forest office?
17:15Yes.
17:15Where were you?
17:17We've got water.
17:18Water's water is coming from the top of our water.
17:19Water's water is coming from the top.
17:23Water's water is coming from the forest.
17:25Water's water is coming from our water.
17:36.
17:36.
17:36.
17:36.
17:36.
17:36.
17:36.
17:39.
17:39.
17:46Do you want me to raise my hand?
17:50Do you want me to raise my hand?
17:51Yes.
17:52This is a tree.
17:54It's a tree and it's a tree.
17:57Okay, it's a tree.
17:59What tree?
17:59It's a tree.
18:01It's a tree.
18:01Yes, it's a tree.
18:02It's a tree.
18:04It's a tree.
18:07It's a tree.
18:09This tree is broken, this tree is broken.
18:13We don't have to lose your hand.
18:22Have you seen the tree?
18:24Yes.
18:27This handwoven yellow net is the defence of the villagers here against the tigers that reside right across.
18:34And you can actually see that they weave it there, the forest department gives them the net to weave and
18:39then this net is put all across the village so that the tiger doesn't come in and attract them. And
18:46that doesn't quite stop that because just a month and a half ago they say there has been an incident
18:51of a tiger attack on someone who had gone to collect crabs every other month.
18:57There was some case or the other in this village alone. We've been here what about 20 minutes and we've
19:02met two people who've lost their sons to tiger attacks or someone whose son got away.
19:09So what can we see?
19:15What about the tiger attacks here?
19:20Because there is 102 islands in Sundarban, which has become a locality in 54 islands.
19:26And 40 islands are the largest mangrove forest, which is India's largest mangrove forest.
19:32And today's people who live here are fishing crabs.
19:39In the weather of this cold weather, the crabs are in Malaysia, Thailand and China.
19:44Because there is a demand for the crabs.
19:46And in this time, the locals think that they are working in the crabs.
20:14only last month there was another attack but this time the
20:20man survived
20:50Since we had a lot of attack on the river, how did the river be called?
20:51I was able to reach the river for a city
20:52I was able to reach the river and get the river.
20:59The river was in the river.
21:04There was a river in the river.
21:05It was in the river, but it was on the river
21:08The river was on the river, and the river was on the river.
21:10What did the river go?
21:11How did you get out of the house?
21:14I said, I was a kid. I was a kid.
21:20He was a kid.
21:23He was a kid.
21:24He was a kid.
21:26But he was a kid.
21:29He was a kid.
21:35He was a kid.
21:36He was a kid.
21:37He was a kid.
21:38Where did he go?
21:39Let me see.
21:41Look at me.
21:45I see.
21:45I saw it.
21:47I saw it.
21:54Here too.
21:56There too.
21:59He's also a kid.
22:00I was also a kid.
22:03Yes, there.
22:04Do you want to get back to the house?
22:06No.
22:07no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, now I won't go
22:10No, but now you won't sink a'll get in?
22:13What will you do?
22:14If you don't sink a'll get in a little bit
22:17If you don't sink a'll get in a little bit of a will,
22:19you don't have to sink a'll get out of the normal dirt
22:24Now you won't sink a'll get out of the dirt?
22:27Yes, it looks good
22:51Far from Sundarbans, Havda Rural, TMC MP and star campaigner this election,
22:58Shavni Ghosh, is on the campaign trail.
23:07Now, Bengal Raskulwala Raj Bhokhyla karakko abaki bar Yamuna parme jayke.
23:15Kiya dekhneayai?
23:18Shavni Krushtiikneayai.
23:19Pasanth Balu hai?
23:21Haan.
23:22Mohammed Adi Deir?
23:23Haan.
23:24Bhanu Jindaban.
23:25Mohammed Adi Jindaban.
23:26But kyoo Jindaban?
23:28Or TMC?
23:29Mongyu.
23:30Haan?
23:30TMC kya balu?
23:32Lokkir Bhanda.
23:33Lokkir Bhanda.
23:35We call it Konyasri.
23:38Konyasri.
23:39Rupasri.
23:40Samyata.
23:42Kaya Bangla.
23:45Radha kakana da hir chae.
23:50Ya tum hao.
23:52Bahame diru.
23:55Ani leheshuna kona?
23:56Sita shu, Grishwa shu, Borsa shu, Bana shu,
24:01Saiklo shu, Korona shu, Durjoga shu.
24:04Baha Hai from Aashuk вход to Baha Aashuk,
24:06But it is as impossible,
24:07Go forgive us!
24:11Go forgive us!
24:12Go forgive us!
24:16Two minutes- can I get you here?
24:18You are the very interesting way of directing,
24:20with how much you borrow from what you have done before being an actor.
24:26Yes- performance certainly matters
24:28And it keeps the energy up, the excitement high, and like I tell you that we are on the ground
24:34for 365 days.
24:36So we like to change the narrative a bit, the attitude a bit, the style a bit.
24:40Who writes your script? You yourself?
24:43I'm the director, I'm the producer and the writer of my own film.
24:47One last question. The BJP says it's going to be a 2011 this time.
24:52Will you be at what?
24:54A 2011.
24:57They are mistaken. I always tell them that it's good to be dreaming, but a dream often comes true.
25:05But in the case of BJP, it's never going to come true.
25:07Because Mahmouda Banerjee holds the ground pretty firmly.
25:22Many would suggest that there is, if there is a catchphrase, there is also a catchphrase, which is Paribartan.
25:27The BJP's catchphrase is not originally BJP's term.
25:36Ask their leaders, not the Bengali leaders.
25:40Ask them what is the meaning of Paribartan, they will not know what it is.
25:43We are not talking about Paribartan. We are talking about Pratta Vartan.
25:47That means the return of the legacy of Mahmouda Banerjee.
25:50But do you see that there is, you think there's no anti-incomments here?
25:53No, I can never say. That's what I'm saying. There has to be some.
25:56Okay.
25:57There are lapses. Why won't there be? That's human to make lapses. It has to be such a big state.
26:05You know, one of the things that we hear on Ground is Mamata Bhalo, but the local leadership is terrible.
26:11And that's who they want to get rid of.
26:14Lots of people we've spoken with.
26:15So what are the areas?
26:17I'll tell you where I've been.
26:19The roads are on there, the lights are on.
26:20No, it's misuse of power, oppression, cut money, syndicate.
26:25Okay. That the local leaders are...
26:27That's what we're saying.
26:29If you have Mahmouda Bhalo, keep your Mahmouda.
26:32But for the first time, Shawnee, what you see on Ground is a pitched polarizing battle.
26:36It wasn't quite there in 2021.
26:38But the sheer fact that there is acceptance now, where you talk about Jai Shri Ram, it echoes.
26:45Do you see what was subaltern regionalism? Religion is now taking over.
26:50That mold that Bengal was, somewhere down the line has cracked.
26:53Don't you think that's shameful?
26:55No, I'm asking you.
26:56I'm saying that hate has been normalized.
27:00And it's not Bengal, it's all over India.
27:02It's normal to abuse minority.
27:05It's normal to abuse the Muslims.
27:08It's normal to say hateful things.
27:11Look at the Chief Minister of Assam.
27:12But the BJP is not saying this. The BJP is saying that you have, as your political party, has followed
27:18the politics of a season for a particular community.
27:21Jai Shri Ram cannot be a political slogan in the first place.
27:22It can be religious. We have always been used to saying Jai Shri Ram, Jai Ma Kali, Jai Ma Durga.
27:28Right? It cannot be a political slogan.
27:31Trinambul Congress doesn't need to echo names of gods and goddesses to garner votes.
27:39BJP wants to do that and they are a communal party. They are the biggest communal parties.
27:43The BJP, in terms of when you talk about regional identity, they are trying to ally fears.
27:50They say that you try and prey on Bengali identity and try and fear monger and say that
27:57Machli ne khane ko milega if they come.
27:59So you're trying to create an atmosphere of fear and distrust for the Bharatiya Janta party.
28:05They are trying to do that in other northern states. Aren't they doing it?
28:10In the northern belt, Ram Navami. They have been closed in Navaratri.
28:15But the majority there is different.
28:18BJP doesn't care.
28:19The culture there is different.
28:20If they come here, they are going to impose themselves on us.
28:23That's what. That is the only reason why the South doesn't allow them.
28:26They want to impose Hindi. They want to impose their own rules and regulations.
28:31They want to dictate what we wear, what we eat, where we go, who we want to marry.
28:35That is the only reason why the South doesn't allow them.
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