The Forgotten Victims of Political Violence: Children and Crude Bombs in West Bengal

An alarming investigation shows that over the past three decades, at least 565 children in West Bengal have suffered injuries or fatalities due to homemade bombs linked to political violence, tragically highlighting a cycle of negligence and ongoing conflict within the region.

In West Bengal, India’s political landscape has been marred by violence for decades, with children often bearing the brunt of this turmoil. An investigative report reveals that since the 1990s, at least 565 children have been killed or injured by crude homemade bombs, utilized primarily during elections to intimidate rival factions.

One poignant case is that of Puchu Sardar, who was only nine years old when he encountered what he thought was a cricket ball—a discovery that resulted in a devastating explosion. Puchu and his friends stumbled upon a bag containing several bombs, mistaking them for harmless playthings. A single hit of his bat detonated a horrific blast, leaving two of his friends dead and Puchu with severe injuries that required extensive medical care.

The investigation, conducted by the BBC, examined reports from state newspapers to document these tragic incidents, discovering that approximately every 18 days, a child falls victim to bomb-related violence in West Bengal. The overwhelming majority of these occurrences happen when children are innocently playing outside, highlighting the alarming nature of politically motivated violence that has persisted without accountability.

West Bengal has experienced an extensive history of political strife, with its political parties often resorting to bomb deployment as a means of settling scores. Over the last century, from early anti-colonial movements to contemporary political conflicts, the usage of crude bombs has evolved into a pervasive tool of terror, especially during election periods, posing a grievous threat to innocent lives.

The consequences of this violence extend into the lives of survivors, such as Poulami Halder and Sabina Khatun, who have both suffered severe injuries that have altered their lives irreversibly. With like-minded aspirations to teach, they face social stigmas and physical challenges caused by their traumatic experiences. Adult survivors also confront their pasts; Puchu now lives with the mental and physical scars from that day in 1996.

Despite the heinous nature of these attacks, political parties deny responsibility, providing a potent marker of society's apathy towards child welfare in contexts of political violence. As tragedies continue, like the recent death of nine-year-old Raj Biswas during an explosion, the cycle of despair raises urgent questions about the future of West Bengal's children amidst unabated violence.

As the landscape remains charged with political activity, the enduring plight of children caught in this web of violence demands a reevaluation of accountability and protection for the most vulnerable.