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@HarperCollinsIN @deepscribble @TedhiLakeer @bibekdebroy @orfonline I am so glad that someone has finally a proper book on the Marichjhapi massacre 1979 - arguably the biggest massacre in post-independent India. Death toll estimates around 4-5000 (some claims at over 7k). Yet completely edited out of our memory by Left intellectuals 2/n
@HarperCollinsIN @deepscribble @TedhiLakeer @bibekdebroy @orfonline Today's book launch is probably the first time that I spoke at a public event about the horrific episode without someone trying to interrupt or shout me down. Indeed, the Left's control over historical narrative is quite extraordinary that it took 40 year to write this book 3/n
@HarperCollinsIN @deepscribble @TedhiLakeer @bibekdebroy @orfonline Before this book, Marichjhapi only appeared as passing reference or background (as in Amitabh Ghosh's Hungry Tide). The few who tried anything more were muffled systematically..... the history of Saibari, Nandigram and other massacres are still to be written. 4/n
@HarperCollinsIN @deepscribble @TedhiLakeer @bibekdebroy @orfonline What made Marichjhapi worse is the fact that it involved Hindu refugees who had already been traumatized by the genocide in East Pak 1965-71. Left intellectuals always claim that subalterns cannot speak, but don't mention that it is they who do not allow the subalterns speak 5/n
@HarperCollinsIN @deepscribble @TedhiLakeer @bibekdebroy @orfonline The politics that led to this massacre should also be remembered: the CPM suspected refugees of being RSP supporters, and did not want RSP (ironically an ally) to build a base in the area. So they used "environmental concerns" to carry out genocide 6/n
@HarperCollinsIN @deepscribble @TedhiLakeer @bibekdebroy @orfonline Here is my copy of the book.... It should be translated into Bangla. A suggested title for Deep's next book: Marichjhapi to Nandigram - a history of Left rule in Bengal 
