Marichjhanpi

About

Marichjhanpi is an island set in the mangrove forests of the Sundarbans in West Bengal, India. It is primarily known today for the Marichjhapi massacre in 1979 when the newly elected Communist Party of India (Marxist) government of West Bengal evicted several post-partition Dalit refugees who were living in the reserved forest. The clash between armed residents and the police resulted in about 10,000 deaths. Although the exact death count is unknown, researchers believe that several collateral deaths took place from violent clashes, alleged police brutality, and disease.

Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). Photography via Wikimedia Commons.