Meet Barun Biswas: The schoolteacher who became the voice of women when West Bengal’s Sutia turned into a “rape village” under CM Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s Left govt
· OpIndia
On 5th September, India celebrates “Teachers Day” to mark the birth anniversary of Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan. He was the country’s first vice-president, second president, as well as a distinguished philosopher and educator. Teachers are often described as the silent architects of the future. From ancient times to the decades following Independence, generations of teachers have shaped lives, built their communities and even made extraordinary sacrifices in the face of adversity.
Stories of their courage and commitment continue to emerge from different corners of the country. One such episode unfolded in West Bengal, where a schoolteacher found himself at the centre of a struggle against a criminal gang that had terrorised an entire community through rape, murder, extortion and intimidation.
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It was in the early 2000s, when the state was under the Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led Left Front government, headed by Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee. An organised gang had created an atmosphere of fear that extended far beyond individual victims in Sutia village of Gaighata Block in North 24 Parganas district close to the India-Bangladesh border. Women were subjected to sexual violence, people were killed, and threats were used to terrorise the locals.
For years, fear kept the area subdued. Speaking out could mean becoming the next target, leaving vulnerable residents with little choice but to endure the brutality around them. The gang was headed by Sushanta Chowdhury, and they used sexual torture as a tool of control. Officially, 33 rapes and 12 murders were recorded but the actual number was much higher. However, the devastated people were too scared to report them.
Any protest against the despicable acts was met with equal cruelty, and the person was subjected to gang rape for weeks on end. Sometimes all women of a family had to endure this savagery irrespective of their age to punish them and serve as a lesson for others. Just half a dozen nearby hamlets were aware of this horrifying tale, while the authorities showed no interest in protecting the people. Unsurprisingly, these criminals were also known to have ties with the CPM leadership and enjoyed the patronage of Left politicians.
The reign of terror and a police force that looked away
Girls were violated in the presence of their parents. “Two of the goons had pinned down my father on the floor. They had thrust a revolver in his mouth, threatening to shoot him if he tried to shout. My mother was held at a dagger’s edge. And in front of their eyes, I was raped by three persons,” a victim shared while recounting the harrowing experience she suffered inside her home at the tender age of 13.
Another woman described how her neighbour, whom she referred to as uncle, had sexually attacked her. She was only 14 years old at the time. He took her to a remote location one evening and forced her to consume alcohol, after which she was raped throughout the night. “I don’t know how many men and how many times. In the morning I was dumped at my place in a semi-conscious condition,” she unveiled.
However, the torment was far from over. A few days later, members of the gang abducted her to an abandoned house in Sukhsadhur Bhiteya, a less populated area of Sutia, where they also raped her, forcing her family to vacate the area.
A woman recalled that her father, who worked for a private company in Kolkata, had been asked Rs 50,000 by the gang commanded by Sushanta Chowdhury and his associate Bireswar Dhali a few days prior to her rape. The family had recently begun constructing a pucca home. The demand was turned down, and the perpetrators threatened with consequences “worse than death.”
She revealed, “My father tried to protect me when the gang pounced on me. But they hit him on the head with a gun. My younger sister, too, was beaten up and dragged out of the house. One of them shoved a pistol barrel into my father’s mouth and forced him and my brother to watch as they took turns raping me. A chill runs down my spine when I remember that night. They laughed and joked. I bore the pain and humiliation because I was afraid they would kill my father or rape my sister also. Mercifully, I fell unconscious after a couple of hours.”
The neighbours locked themselves in their homes, as any attempt to intervene would result in the same outcome for all the women in their family regardless of their age. Her father was also barred from visiting the doctor or going to work by the gang. He remained confined to his home for approximately two months until his injuries healed.
“It was nine years ago when the gang first raided my house. They raped me in front of my husband and son, who was a teenager then. When I resisted, they became furious and threatened to teach me a lesson for daring to speak up,” noted another victim of their atrocious actions.
They returned after a few days to resume the torture as she mentioned, “One of them kept hitting me on my bare thighs with a stick while I was being raped. The pain from those blows keeps returning on and off. The gangrapes continued regularly for a month,” adding that she had become accustomed to the pain.
These were merely a handful of the shocking accounts left behind by countless victims as Sutia descended into a nightmare and acquired the chilling reputation of a “rape village” as the gang seized and oppressed an entire community, effectively creating a parallel system where it dictated terms and turned fear into power.
Law and order completely collapsed, and the police behaved like mute spectators while the criminals tightened their grip over the village. The message was loud and clear: the nefarious elements could act with impunity, while those entrusted with protecting the citizens seemed unwilling and unable to perform their duty.
It was against this backdrop that one schoolteacher decided that silence was no longer an option.
Barun Biswas: The voice that defied fear
Barun Biswas, a schoolteacher and social activist, surfaced as a beacon of hope for the people of Sutia. He, along with a few others, established the “Sutia Pratibad Mancha” in 2002 in his late 20s. It was a forum that intended to seek justice for the victims and protest against the criminals to liberate the area from their suffocating chokehold.
“If we can’t protect our daughters, sisters, wives and mothers, then we shouldn’t be living in a civilised society. If we lack the courage to take on the rapists, we deserve more severe punishment than they do. So come and join us to protect the honour of our women,” the young man urged during his passionate speech. He had entered the battle carrying a copy of Ramakrishna Paramhansa’s writings.
The movement gradually evolved into a mass mobilisation, compelling the gang leader, Sushanta Chowdhury and his aides to surrender. Afterwards, Barun gave him a copy of Ramakrishna’s work and advised, “Jele boshe poris (read it in jail).” However, the dynamic idealist paid a heavy price for his noble efforts as he was shot dead upon exiting the nearby railway station after returning from school on 5th July 2012.
News of his death shattered the hearts of many in Sutia, but perhaps none felt the loss more deeply than the women he had helped rescue and counsel. They mourned the loss of their beloved “Barun Kaku,” a term of affection that reflected the place he had earned in their lives as a protector and a source of courage against the marauding gang of rapists who had once held their village hostage.
Sushanta Chowdhury’s men were apprehended in connection with the murder and admitted that the directive originated from the gang leader at Dum Dum Central Jail. Subhankar Biswas alias Fotke informed the police that his boss summoned him, after which he reached out to contract killers.
They were tasked with eliminating Barun and monitored his activities for several days before ultimately taking his life. In a coordinated operation, the police from Habra, Gaighata and Gopal Nagar arrested five individuals, including Fotke, after the deadly occurrence. A Bengali film titled “Proloy,” inspired by Barun’s life and struggle, was produced in 2013.
Last month, his father Jagadish Biswas named ex-state minister and former leader of the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC), Jyotipriya Mallick, also known as Balu, as one of the persons he suspected of involvement in the murder. The family accused investigating agencies of carrying out a “farce in the name of investigation” and argued that justice had not yet been served.
The aftermath
Sushanta Chowdhury was booked in the Sutia gang rape cases and received life sentences in at least 16 incidents involving extortion, murder and rape. Additionally, he was charged with being involved in Barun’s killing. He was incarcerated at Alipore Central Jail on concurrent life sentences.
The 47-year-old had a near-fatal case of septicaemia and heart problems and was moved to M R Bangur Hospital by jail officials. However, his health worsened, and he was brought to the Calcutta National Medical College Hospital, where he passed away in 2014. He was initially housed at Dum Dum Central Jail before being transferred to Alipore Central Jail when his condition deteriorated.
At least 40 cases of gang rape, murder and extortion were filed against Chowdhury and his four goons, including the equally dreaded Anish Majumdar and Bireswar Dhali, who had considerable political clout. These three members of the infamous “Kargil gang” remained behind bars.
According to other reports, Judge Debiprasad De found Sushanta Chowdhury, Ripon Biswas and Ramesh Majumder guilty of raping 19 women. The three would take pictures of their victims and then blackmail them. Bijoli Mondal was the first woman to submit a formal complaint with the Gaighata police, accusing the three of sexually violating her in a classroom.
Ten of their accomplices also received varied prison sentences. Bablu Poddar and Naresh Majumdar, two fugitives from Nagberia hamlet, were sentenced in absentia.
Local Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and volunteer groups had also brought the state women commission’s attention to the matter in September 2001. On 15th August 2002, a team headed by its chairwoman at the time also visited Sutia and spoke with a few victims. The period of terror was eventually put to an end after persisting unabated for at least two years.