We have here in West Bengal a peculiar menace which I can term as “Extortion is a profession”. What I have been observing since last 2 decades is that extortion is not a crime here!
Unnecessary ‘clubs’ have mushroomed in every nook and corner of the city (Siliguri) in particular and in West Bengal as a whole in general, for the sole purpose of extortion. These are actually gangs of local extortionists (some white-collared gentlemen) who extort money from the general public, every now and then, in the name of religious festivals or dance-parties or cricket matches, or even for organising lotteries.
Although most of them “sporting” clubs they have nothing to do with promoting sports. These clubs also profess to provide security to the residents for a regular ‘donation’. This gives rise to the question: If these so-called clubs are formed to provide security, what is the need of the police force or the public administration?
The irony is that no one protests against this ‘misculture’ and if someone dares to do is laughed at and humiliated and even boycotting by the neighbourhood. It is said that the malpractice of extortion through clubs exists more or less in the whole of West Bengal except the Darjeeling Hills. If it is really so, then it is very unfortunate and a serious matter. The fact is that most of these clubs have political patronage.
Surprisingly, these clubs are registered by the government, making the profession of extortion legalised — just like prostitution is legalised in Germany!
To maintain law and order and to provide security to the public is the responsibility of the government. Who has authorised these clubs to provide security and that too by forced ex-“donation”? We do not need these local ‘dadas’ in the form of clubs to maintain law and order. This is undemocratic, unconstitutional, unethical and immoral.
Thus, due to this Club Mafia, Bengal is being hated for extorting through their network of clubs. This is a kind of terrorism and it has assumed a form of “parallel government” like the kidnapping ‘industry’ of Bihar and the terrorism that rocked Punjab in the yesteryears.