Family fled Bengal after acid attack and rape threats:BJP worker says, ‘Fear still prevents us from returning to Kolkata’

“My face was saved, but my body was burned. Acid was thrown at me, stones were hurled at our house, rape threats were issued, and one night we had to flee everything just to stay alive.” These are the words of Ranjita Pramanik, whose life once moved normally through the crowded lanes of Kolkata. Today, she is confined to a wheelchair and lives with her family in a small rented room in Bhopal. Ranjita, once an active member of the BJP Mahila Morcha, says her family fled Kolkata overnight in August 2021 to save their lives. Even though a BJP government came to power in West Bengal on May 9 this year, Ranjita and her family say they still do not have the courage to return. Read the report… Family had lived in Kolkata for generations Ranjita says her Bengali Brahmin family had lived in Kolkata for generations in a deeply religious and spiritual environment. Around 2015-16, she became associated with the BJP Mahila Morcha, while her brother Ranjan became active with Hindu nationalist organizations. Initially, life remained normal. But according to the family, the atmosphere began changing as political tensions in West Bengal intensified. Harassment and threats began Ranjita alleges that after becoming politically active, she began facing harassment on a regular basis. She claims she was stopped on roads, subjected to obscene comments, harassed in public, and that stones were thrown at their home. The family initially ignored these incidents, hoping the situation would improve. Tensions escalated during 2021 assembly elections According to the family, the situation worsened during the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections. Ranjita says threats became frequent, and after the elections, the atmosphere allegedly turned even more violent. She recalls that on the day of Ekadashi, while she had gone outside to feed a cow, she was attacked with acid. “I bent down, so my face was saved, but the acid fell on my lower body,” she says. Acid attack left her wheelchair-bound Ranjita says the attack severely damaged the lower half of her body. Over time, the effects worsened. Her body began shrinking, her bones became deformed, and she gradually lost the ability to walk. “I could not walk. My entire body had become weak and twisted,” she recalls. She later underwent treatment in Jaipur, where doctors inserted metal rods to straighten her legs. Family claims they faced threats during court proceedings The family says they approached the court after the attack, but even there they allegedly faced pressure and threats. Ranjita claims the accused warned them to withdraw the case or face dire consequences. According to her, the family was threatened with sexual violence and death if they continued legal proceedings. Fearing for their safety, the family eventually withdrew the case. They claim the threats only intensified afterward. Forced to leave Kolkata overnight Ranjita’s father, Rabin Pramanik, worked in Kolkata’s Bara Bazar area. He says the political atmosphere changed drastically after the elections. “They came to my shop, broke lights, and threatened us, saying we could not live there anymore,” he alleges. The family says they had a home, work, and a stable life in Kolkata, but circumstances forced them to leave everything behind overnight. “It was our ancestral home. We left everything and fled,” Rabin says. Family wandered across cities for treatment After leaving Kolkata, the family first moved to Jaipur, where Ranjita was treated at Sawai Man Singh Hospital. As medical expenses mounted, the family’s savings were exhausted. They later moved to Varanasi, where Ranjita underwent treatment at Ramakrishna Mission and several Ayurvedic institutions. The family also spent some time in Vrindavan. Ranjita says many individuals, saints, and religious organizations helped them during difficult times by providing food, medicines, and support. Bhopal became a place of support After moving through several cities, the family eventually arrived in Bhopal. There, they came in contact with Bajrang Dal workers and local residents, who helped them arrange identity documents, ration supplies, and basic necessities. Ranjita says they received significant support from local people. Today, the family lives in a small rented room in Bhopal. Monthly rent and electricity expenses amount to around Rs 5,000-6,000. The family says their financial condition has become so difficult that arranging medicines is often a challenge. “We were not beggars in Kolkata. We had a home and livelihood. Today, we struggle even for our daughter’s treatment,” Rabin says emotionally. Brother also claims he was assaulted Ranjita’s brother, Ranjan Pramanik, now works as a security guard at a factory in Bhopal. He too was associated with Hindu nationalist organizations and alleges that during the COVID-19 period he was targeted and assaulted. He claims he was tied to a pole, beaten, and threatened to leave the organization. The family believes they were continuously harassed because of their political ideology and eventually forced to abandon their hometown. Family still afraid to return to Bengal Though the family has slowly tried to rebuild life in Bhopal, the trauma remains fresh. Ranjita’s mother says her daughter often wakes up frightened at night and breaks down remembering past incidents. Ranjita says she still fears returning to West Bengal. “It feels like they will kill us if we go back,” she says. Despite the political change in the state, the family says they still do not feel safe enough to return home.