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By:

Akhilesh Sinha

25 June 2025 at 2:53:54 pm

External involvement in Chandranath’s murder

Political and Geopolitical forces behind the killing in West Bengal New Delhi: The 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections have not only signaled a new trajectory in Indian politics but have also stirred ripples in global geopolitics. The unprecedented victory of the BJP in the state brought to light events that reveal how the long-standing cycle of political power struggles and violence is now emerging in a new form. The most alarming manifestation of this shift came late Wednesday night with...

External involvement in Chandranath’s murder

Political and Geopolitical forces behind the killing in West Bengal New Delhi: The 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections have not only signaled a new trajectory in Indian politics but have also stirred ripples in global geopolitics. The unprecedented victory of the BJP in the state brought to light events that reveal how the long-standing cycle of political power struggles and violence is now emerging in a new form. The most alarming manifestation of this shift came late Wednesday night with the murder of Chandranath Rath, personal secretary to senior BJP leader Shuvendu Adhikari. Chandranath Rath, a veteran who served 15 years in the Indian Air Force, was closely working with his family friend and senior BJP leader, Shuvendu Adhikari. His killing is more than an isolated personal attack and it signals a disturbing new dimension of political violence. Historically, electoral violence in West Bengal has targeted the workers of losing parties. This time, however, even the leaders and workers of the winning side have fallen victim. The implications of this violence extend beyond the state's borders. Following the BJP's landslide victory in West Bengal, the activity of anti-India elements in neighboring countries has intensified. Bangladesh and Pakistan have expressed concern over the party's victory, while China and the United States are also closely monitoring its implications. This highlights that election results in border states now carry geopolitical significance far beyond local politics. For decades, West Bengal and Assam have been treated as strategic zones in broader geopolitical games, with external forces allegedly attempting to maintain unrest in these regions over the past seven decades, like Jammu-Kashmir. Investigations into Chandranath Rath's murder indicate a pre-meditated conspiracy. The assailants used advanced Glock 47X firearms, suggesting that the plot was not confined to local planning alone. The crime occurred just 60 kilometers from Basirhat, near the Bangladesh border, which strengthens the likelihood of external involvement. Violent History History shows that violence and muscle power have always been intertwined with West Bengal politics. From the "Khaddo Movement" of the 1960s to slogans like "Dam Dam Dawai," political action was often synonymous with coercion, intimidation and murder. During the Left Front era, strategies like "scientific rigging," booth capture, and leveraging local goons became commonplace. Later, the Trinamool Congress inherited these structures and kept them under its control. Today's events demonstrate that this system remains alive. Border Dynamics The complexity of border areas and communal dynamics further complicates the scenario. In constituencies along the West Bengal and Assam borders, Muslim candidates secured victories, while regions adjacent to West Bengal in Bangladesh are represented by members of Jamaat-e-Islami. Groups like Jamaat-e-Islami have long pursued anti-India agendas, and their influence can be seen in electoral outcomes across these areas. The BJP's recent victory, and the violence that ensued, draw attention to geopolitics. The President of the United States congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi, marking an unprecedented acknowledgment of a state-level BJP win. In contrast, Pakistani and Bangladeshi media have reacted with alarm, while discussions in Bangladesh's parliament highlight concern for the Muslim communities in these regions. Local outbreaks of violence further underline that West Bengal is no longer merely a domestic political theatre, however, this is a hub of geopolitical activity, where external forces seek to keep unstable and chaotic. This cycle of political violence extends beyond individual acts. It has become a complex mix of administrative inefficiency, local political rivalry, and external interference. The immediate presence of DGP Siddh Nath Gupta and CRPF DG Gyanendra Pratap Singh at the crime scene underscores the gravity of the situation. Chandranath Rath's murder is not merely a personal tragedy but a broader political and societal security challenge. The events echo the 1970s when Naxalism emerged in West Bengal, eventually spreading across India's "Red Corridor." Rath's assassination makes it clear that politics in West Bengal is no longer limited to electoral competition or local governance. The incident lays bare the intertwined realities of political violence, international geopolitics, and social security concerns. If the current trends continue, West Bengal may evolve into a region sensitive not only to national politics but also to global strategic interests.

Kolhapur searches for new municipal HQ

Corporation, which tables a Rs 1,000-crore budget, has wandered for 50 years without owning its building

Kolhapur: When those in power treat public land casually—when governments and administrators shrug off responsibility—the loss inflicted on society is permanent. Public facilities shrink, generations suffer, and land sharks waiting in the shadows walk away laughing. Kolhapur is witnessing exactly such a tragedy today.


For years, a nexus of civic officials, political handlers and land mafia has systematically wiped out public-use spaces belonging to the Kolhapur Municipal Corporation (KMC). But what is unfolding now is even more shameful: the corporation that has completed its Golden Jubilee cannot even protect land meant for its own headquarters.


Recently, KMC quietly shelved its proposal to construct the new corporation building on its prime Rs 40-crore plot at Nirman Chowk, and instead expressed intentions to shift to a five-acre government plot at Shenda Park. But with that Shenda Park land already tied up in a court dispute, the so-called new headquarters appears to be nothing more than a daydream—an announcement designed to fool citizens.


Founded in 1972, the Kolhapur Municipal Corporation has failed for half a century to build its own headquarters on its own land—across a city spread over 66.82 sq km.


Like a scorpion forced to change its burrow repeatedly, the corporation has shifted sites and performed two ground-breaking ceremonies so far:


Nagla Park near Khanwilkar bungalow — first proposed.


Tarabai Park, in land beyond municipal holding limits — a second bhoomipujan 23 years ago.


The result? Due to utter negligence, the land slipped back to original owners. A commercial complex now stands there.


Later, the KMC identified 9 acres 36 gunthas (Survey Nos. 714, 786 / City Survey 255, 256) at Nirman Chowk, previously a garbage dumping site. Architects were invited. Designs were completed. And then? Ten years of paralysis. In the meantime, encroachment mafia moved in, land ownership was challenged in courts and—thanks to government inaction—the prime civic property is slipping away again.


Shenda Park shift

Now, Administrator K. Lakshmi has announced the decision to build the headquarters at Shenda Park. Citizens may celebrate temporarily, but a burning question remains:


Is the relocation for the corporation’s convenience—or for someone else’s profit?


Powerful developers and wealthy investors have their eyes on the Nirman Chowk land. Word on the street suggests deals are already underway. If true, the relocation is not an administrative decision—it’s a sellout.


Kolhapur’s public land has become a banquet table, and mafias have developed a taste for tearing chunks out of it—with blessings from influential power centres.


Kolhapur’s citizens must raise their voices now—before yet another public asset becomes private wealth.


If they do not stop this naked plunder, the coming generations will curse today’s silence.


The question remains: Does anyone have the courage to wake up the Kolhapur Municipal Corporation—before its land and dignity are looted completely?


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