Turtle deaths trigger bandh call in Baneshwar

Cooch Behar: Turtles are perishing due to road accidents, diseases and theft, with hardly any action taken by the administration, claim the Baneshwar Mohan Raksha Committee (BMRC). Turtles are called ‘Mohan’ locally.

The outfit has called for a bandh demanding the removal of one Biswadeep Mukherjee from the post of Secretary of the Devatra Trust Board. On November 9, from 6:00 am to 12:00 pm, all schools, colleges, shops, markets and haats in Baneswar will remain closed.

Parimal Barman, the president of the BMRC and a Trinamool Zilla Parishad member, expressed concern saying: “Mohan, the turtles, hold great importance for the residents of Baneswar. However, due to the apparent indifference of the administrative and Devatra Trust Board Secretary, Biswadeep Mukhopadhyay, Mohans are frequently dying. Furthermore, theft has become a recurring issue. Despite raising the matter multiple times, no action has been taken. As a result, we have called for a six-hour strike in Baneshwar on November 9.”

The traditional Shiv Mandir Dighi in Baneshwar, Cooch Behar-II Block, along with various ponds and canals in the area, is home to a significant population of Mohans. A large portion of Baneswar’s economy relies on tourism centered around this attraction. However, there is a notable lack of administrative initiative to safeguard these turtles, leading to the frustration of the Mohan Raksha Committee.

Biswadeep Mukhopadhyay, Secretary of Devatra Trust Board, stated: “I have not been informed about this issue and I am not aware of the details, so I cannot comment on it.”