Raniganj: The overnight disappearance of a stone statue of freedom fighter and philosopher Rahul Sankrityayan in Bengal’s Raniganj has escalated into a fresh political confrontation.The Wire has reported how in a meticulously planned operation carried out in the dead of night on July 12, unidentified miscreants cordoned off an area, switched off the streetlights, and smeared mud over CCTV cameras to disable surveillance before removing a full-length stone statue of Rahul Sankrityayan.As the report had noted, Communist Party of India (Marxist) workers who had been demanding the recovery of the missing statue had said that they were specifically told by the Bharatiya Janata Party’s workers not to blame the BJP or Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh for the disappearance of the statue. Locals say the statue could only have been removed with the help of a crane and that its 14-foot pedestal was demolished overnight – a fact that indicates some degree of administrative knowledge, if not assent.On the afternoon of July 29, writers, intellectuals, civil society members, and participants in democratic movements from across the Raniganj area organised a march demanding the recovery of the statue and punishment for those responsible for its disappearance.The procession began at Shisu Bagan More, passed through Rambagan More and culminated at the site where Sankrityayan’s statue once stood. As the meeting got underway, participants alleged that a group of BJP workers emerged from near the party office and attempted to disrupt the gathering in full view of police personnel. According to the organisers, the group said that the meeting would not be allowed to continue.A confrontation at the site of the protest for the reclamation of Rahul Sankrityayan’s statue in Raniganj, on July 29. Photo: By arrangement.One of the organisers, Anup Mitra, is a former chairman of the Raniganj Municipality and a noted writer. He alleged that the organisers had got permission for the meeting from the administration in advance, but that police remained silent when the confrontation began. He claimed that the protesters themselves resisted the disruption and continued with the meeting.“Once police stepped in, the organisers were informed that the meeting could not be held at the venue. When people refused to disperse, police officers forcibly switched off the microphone, bringing the programme to a halt,” Mitra said.Supriya Ray, another activist and organiser of the protest, said the police action sparked widespread anger among those present, with many local residents also resisting the intervention.Gouranga Chatterjee, a prominent Paschim Bardhaman activist, alleged that the police had acted in support of the BJP. “This movement will not stop,” he said. “Our campaign to recover Rahul Sankrityayan’s statue will continue.”Meanwhile, Rahul Sankrityayan’s son Jeta strongly condemned the alleged disruption of the protest meeting.Speaking to this reporter over the phone on Wednesday night, he said, “People with a conscience, across the country, should come forward to oppose such incidents and support the demand of the recovery of the Mahapandit Rahul Sankrityayan’s statue.”When contacted by The Wire on the afternoon of July 30, Asansol-Durgapur Police Commissioner Pranab Kumar said that the investigation into the disappearance of the statue was continuing.Rahul Sankrityayan. Photo: By arrangement.Referring to a memorandum submitted by the Buddhist community, he said the representation was under examination as part of the ongoing inquiry.Kumar did not speak about the allegation that police had helped BJP workers shut down the protest.FlashbackSankrityayan’s statue was installed at Raniganj to mark the birth centenary of one of India’s foremost philosophers, historians, and freedom fighters. Sankrityayan was also a pioneer of the idea of interpreting history through a scientific and materialist perspective.Raniganj was a significant choice because it is in Bengal’s coal belt that Sankrityayan’s lifelong commitment to the rights and struggles of the working class had been particularly cherished.On April 9, 1993, a full-length stone statue was unveiled near Panjabi More in Raniganj by veteran freedom fighter and then land and land reforms minister Binoy Krishna Choudhury. The ceremony was attended by Sankrityayan’s wife Kamala Sankrityayan, his son Jeta, his daughter Jaya and several eminent personalities from across Bengal.The Raniganj Municipality also named the road after Rahul Sankrityayan.Every year on April 9, people gather before the stone statue in Raniganj to pay tribute to the renowned scholar. Since July 13, the whereabouts of the statue have been unknown.