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Blood Island
Brand:
HarperCollins
Paper:
English
Format:
Paperback
Colour:
Paperback
₹339
Save: 15%
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ISBN:
Page Extent:
192
When the house of history is on fire, journalists are often the first-responders, pulling victims away from the flames. Deep Halder is one of them.’ – Amitava KumarIn 1978, around 1.5 lakh Hindu refugees, mostly belonging to the lower castes, settled in Marichjhapi an island in the Sundarbans, in West Bengal. By May 1979, the island was cleared of all refugees by Jyoti Basu’s Left Front government. Most of the refugees were sent back to the central India camps they came from, but there were many deaths: of diseases, malnutrition resulting from an economic blockade, as well as from violence unleashed by the police on the orders of the government. Some of the refugees who survived Marichjhapi say the number of those who lost their lives could be as high as 10,000, while the-then government officials maintain that there were less than ten victims.How does an entire island population disappear? How does one unearth the truth and the details of one of the worst atrocities of post-Independent India? Journalist Deep Halder reconstructs the buried history of the 1979 massacres through his interviews with survivors, erstwhile reporters, government officials and activists with a rare combination of courage, conscientiousness and empathy.
1 review for Blood Island
Description
When the house of history is on fire, journalists are often the first-responders, pulling victims away from the flames. Deep Halder is one of them.’ – Amitava KumarIn 1978, around 1.5 lakh Hindu refugees, mostly belonging to the lower castes, settled in Marichjhapi an island in the Sundarbans, in West Bengal. By May 1979, the island was cleared of all refugees by Jyoti Basu’s Left Front government. Most of the refugees were sent back to the central India camps they came from, but there were many deaths: of diseases, malnutrition resulting from an economic blockade, as well as from violence unleashed by the police on the orders of the government. Some of the refugees who survived Marichjhapi say the number of those who lost their lives could be as high as 10,000, while the-then government officials maintain that there were less than ten victims.How does an entire island population disappear? How does one unearth the truth and the details of one of the worst atrocities of post-Independent India? Journalist Deep Halder reconstructs the buried history of the 1979 massacres through his interviews with survivors, erstwhile reporters, government officials and activists with a rare combination of courage, conscientiousness and empathy.
About Author
Deep Halder has been a journalist for seventeen years, writing on issues of development at the intersection of religion, caste and politics. Currently, he is the executive editor at India Today Group Digital.
1 review for Blood Island
-
Don’t know the reason but the crimes committed by communist world over remains unknown to general public. What is visible is tip of the iceberg. In 99% crimes evidences have been removed, buried or suppressed. Are not they master at their work that they massacred thousands of people in Marichjhapi but forget about world or India, the people of even in Kolkata remained unknown about this massacre. Many books have been written/ films have been made about refugees from Pakistan, but negligible books/films are there on refugees from Bangladesh. Main reason being empathetic governments at other part of India. But in W.B communist didn’t like dissent and criticism.
This book is about sufferings of refugees who came from Bangladesh fearing persecution hoping for better life in India. A group of refugees were sent to Dandakaranya where they faced hostility from tribals. Then left leaders, when they were in opposition told them that if they come to power they would bring back them to West Bengal. But once in power, they were raped, murdered, water well poisoned. Between 7-10 thousand men, women and children were killed. This happened because they refused to become CPM party cadre and chose their identity rather than free rice. This book has heart wrenching testimony of survivors of massacre. One should read this book to know that to what extent communist can go to suppress dissent. Kudos to Deep Haldar that unlike Chetan Bhagat types he followed his conscience.
This book was in my wish list. I am happy to complete it.
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Vineet Kumar Singh –
Don’t know the reason but the crimes committed by communist world over remains unknown to general public. What is visible is tip of the iceberg. In 99% crimes evidences have been removed, buried or suppressed. Are not they master at their work that they massacred thousands of people in Marichjhapi but forget about world or India, the people of even in Kolkata remained unknown about this massacre. Many books have been written/ films have been made about refugees from Pakistan, but negligible books/films are there on refugees from Bangladesh. Main reason being empathetic governments at other part of India. But in W.B communist didn’t like dissent and criticism.
This book is about sufferings of refugees who came from Bangladesh fearing persecution hoping for better life in India. A group of refugees were sent to Dandakaranya where they faced hostility from tribals. Then left leaders, when they were in opposition told them that if they come to power they would bring back them to West Bengal. But once in power, they were raped, murdered, water well poisoned. Between 7-10 thousand men, women and children were killed. This happened because they refused to become CPM party cadre and chose their identity rather than free rice. This book has heart wrenching testimony of survivors of massacre. One should read this book to know that to what extent communist can go to suppress dissent. Kudos to Deep Haldar that unlike Chetan Bhagat types he followed his conscience.
This book was in my wish list. I am happy to complete it.