Shops wear Trinamul colours - Some traders back new govt, others fear being made ‘target’ NARESH JANA

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Shops wear Trinamul colours - Some traders back new govt, others fear being made 'target'

NARESH JANA

Signboards of a motorcycle repairing shop and an eatery in Keshpur sport the green, saffron and white colours. The eatery owner said he used the colours because "it is the symbol of the new government". Pictures by Samir Mondal Keshpur, April 4: Several shopkeepers in West Midnapore are wearing their political colours not on their sleeves but on signboards to either display loyalties or to protect themselves. In the one-time CPM bastions of Keshpur, Garbeta and Daspur, the signboards of various establishments are being painted white, green and saffron either out of fear of becoming a "target" of the Trinamul Congress or to declare oneself a supporter of the new government andparivartan. For a shopkeeper in Keshpur, "it was a question of his survival". "I was an active supporter of the CPM. After the election results last year, Trinamul workers here asked me to close down my shop. A month later, they allowed me to reopen it, but only after I paid a fine of Rs 10,000 to a Trinamul leader. I have replaced the signboard of my shop and used the party colours. I have also started attending Trinamul meetings and processions. What can I do? It is a question of my survival," he said. Another shopkeeper at Anandapur said he, too, replaced his signboard after being forced to pay Rs 5,000 to Trinamul workers to reopen his shop that was ransacked after the Assembly poll results. "I was never into active politics, but I used to attend CPM meetings and processions. But they still ransacked my shop," he said. The two shopkeepers, however, clarified that Trinamul supporters didn't ask them directly to change the signboards. It was only after the party supporters started changing their's that the others followed, they added. Several shop owners in the district said they used the Trinamul colours on their signboards because the act meant they supported parivartan. "I changed my signboard because I wanted to be a part of parivartan. I was never Left-minded and used a normal signboard during the Left Front rule. But now, I have changed it as there has been a parivartan with Trinamul coming to power," said Majibur Rahman, the owner of a medicine shop in Keshpur. Ananda Majhi, who runs Ashirvad Hindu Hotel in the same town, echoed Rahman, saying the colours were the "ongoing craze". "The colours are the symbol of the new government and parivartan. So, I have used them," Majhi said. The CPM MLA from Keshpur, Rameswar Dolui, said the ruling party workers terrorised people who supported the CPM and the shopkeepers had no option but follow their orders. "They are being terrorised by Trinamul leaders. They are being forced to support the party. They are scared," said Dolui. But Trinamul district president Dinen Roy denied the allegations, saying no Trinamul supporter had forced anybody to pay "fine". "During the CPM-led regime, they did not have the freedom to express themselves. Now they have nothing to fear," he added. Nazrul Khan, who owns Bright Colours, a signboard-making company in Midnapore town, said the demand for the new boards were so high that it was difficult for him to take orders everyday. "I need about 20 litres of these paints daily, whereas I don't need 15 litres of all the other colours taken together," said Khan.