Kolkata, Apr 18 (PTI) Back-to-back visits by two rights panels on Friday, followed by an impact assessment trip by West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose to a high school in Malda — now functioning as a relief shelter for several hundred residents displaced by communal violence in Murshidabad — provided the victims with an opportunity to voice their grievances directly to the visiting officials.

The visits also prompted the homeless camp inmates to stage a protest against local police alleging “confinement like prisoners”.

Teams from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and National Commission for Women (NCW) on Friday visited the Parlalpur High School relief camp in Baishnabnagar, Malda, to meet the Murshidabad riot victims, even as Governor Bose defied Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s appeal to defer his visit and interacted with the displaced, prompting the TMC to allege political provocation.

Bose assured the victims sheltered at the refugee camp of taking “proactive action” to redress their grievances.

The Governor, who took a train from Kolkata to reach Malda town, spoke to the children, women and men at the camp.

“I met the family members who are in the camp here. I listened to their grievances and understood their feelings. They have briefed me in detail and also told me what they wanted. There will certainly be some proactive action taken,” Bose said after the meeting.

Earlier in the day, Bose said he would “verify reports from the field, visit hospitals, residences and relief camps. The central forces and state police are working together and the situation will soon normalise. I will send my recommendations after the visit.” Sources at Raj Bhavan indicated that the Governor may visit the violence-hit areas of Murshidabad on Saturday.

Tension escalated briefly during Bose’s visit to the school in the evening when angry camp residents broke barricades and surrounded district officials, accusing police of preventing journalists from entering the premises and not allowing them to speak to the media or meet visiting relatives.

Protests were held over alleged “police-imposed censorship, denial of access to the media to cover the Governor’s interaction with victims and inhumane living conditions”.

“This camp feels worse than a prison. Police are not allowing us to meet anyone and narrate our ordeal,” a camp resident told reporters.

“We are not allowed to go out or interact with our relatives here. We do not know why the media is not allowed inside when the Governor is here and talking to us. We want the world to know about our talks with him,” the inmate alleged.

Several women alleged harassment by police personnel and said they were being threatened at night to not talk to outsiders.

“Police are treating us like criminals. We are being given dry rotis, bananas and stale rice. It is hard to tell whether we are in a refugee camp or a detention centre,” a woman at the camp told reporters.

In its suo motu cognisance of the violence, the NHRC fact-finding team took note after talking to members of the affected families staying at the Parlalpur High School camp.

The Commission on Tuesday had said that it had decided to send a team to conduct an on-the-spot inquiry into the incidents, considering the seriousness of the situation.

The commission has also sought a detailed report from the state government within three weeks.

The NCW delegation, led by chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar, also visited the camp to assess the condition of women displaced by the violence, which erupted during protests against the enactment of the Waqf (Amendment) Act earlier this month.

“I am shocked by the condition of women and children here. They were forcibly evicted from their homes and have gone through unimaginable trauma,” Rahatkar told reporters after interacting with camp residents.

Commission member Archana Majumdar, accompanying Rahatkar, alleged that women were molested and driven out of their homes.

“It is the state government’s responsibility to ensure their safety. What is the TMC doing? Is the government trying to turn West Bengal into another Bangladesh?” Majumdar said.

The NCW delegation is expected to spend the night in Malda before heading to Murshidabad on Saturday.

The panel is scheduled to meet district officials, victims and eventually call on the Governor, Chief Secretary and Director General of Police in Kolkata on Sunday.

The ruling TMC criticised the Friday visits, alleging that they were aimed at stoking tension in the already-volatile region.

“When the CM had requested him to delay the visit, the Governor should have honoured that. His actions show an intent to create unrest. The NCW and NHRC visits are also politically driven to help the BJP destabilise the situation,” senior TMC MP Sougata Roy alleged.

Countering the allegations, BJP state president and Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar accused the TMC of shielding those behind the violence for vote-bank politics.

“The TMC is panicking because these visits might expose their nexus with the rioters. They are appeasing miscreants for political gains,” Majumdar told PTI.

At least three people were killed and over 274 arrested in connection with the violence that engulfed Muslim-majority areas such as Shamsherganj, Suti, Dhulian, and Jangipur in Murshidabad district from April 8-12.

Security has been tightened across the region, with 17 companies of central paramilitary forces deployed alongside the state police to prevent further escalation. PTI CORR/SCH/PNT RG BDC SMY MNB