The Burmans of Cooch Behar’s Pathakuli are a divided lot and a tragedy has made the rift deeper. On Wednesday morning when Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee came calling on the kin of those killed on April 10, Jagadish, father of the slain 18-year-old first-time voter Anand, refused to meet her.
Jagadish Burman’s refusal was a reminder of the acrimonious atmosphere that personal political choices can create within a family and its fallout.
Instead, Anand’s maternal grandfather Kshitish Chandra Roy and uncle Ranjit later went to meet the chief minister at Mathabhanga, where she addressed an campaign meeting.