The inheritance of loss
 20 August 2010
 Asim Pramanik

BEHRAMPORE, 20 AUG: Some of them have lost their memories. Some, their sanity. Common are tales of bed-ridden folk here. And what binds all these tales together is the atrocities meted out by the BSF personnel.
Some recall their sons being shot dead right in front of their eyes while others who survived the lathi-wielding jawans speak from their beds of the pain they felt.
Those who succumbed to BSF atrocities ~ unprovoked firing or mindless battering ~ cannot come back to seek justice. But what of those who are left behind ~ living under the trauma of losing their loved ones? What of those, who have been crippled for life, without any source of care or sustenance?
These were some of the burning questions which prompted the UN to release funds with which a treatment camp was set up at Jalangi last week for the victims of BSF atrocities living along the Indo-Bangla border in Murshidabad. The camp organised by MASUM, a human rights NGO, offered free treatment including medicines and psychological counselling to the penniless and traumatised victims.
Medical experts expressed shock and awe at the condition of the victims.
“Anxiety, depression, grief and bereavement of losing near and dear ones have hit these people hard. Fear of loss seem to be incorporated in their daily life, having lost their homes to the river and their family members to the BSF atrocities,” said Dr Mohit Ranabir, a psychiatric counsellor. “I treated a woman who was picked up by BSF jawans and sexually harassed by them”, the counsellor added.
Golak Mondal and his wife, Karna Mondal witnessed their son being shot at by a rushing BSF personnel two years ago. Their son, Shilajit (18) died instantly before their eyes, said the rights activists attending the camp. Most of the victims were from border areas of Raninagar police station in Murshidabad. Secretary of MASUM, Mr. Kirity Roy said: “The free medical camp funded by UN exclusively for the torture victims was first of its kind in the state. We hope to continue our medical care for the victims who have lost everything of their life ~ their children, homes, lands and lastly their own faculties.” The medical examination and care also stand as irrefutable evidence of state-sponsored torture, Mr. Roy added.