At midnight the police raided the village. With them were Chandi Ghosh, the landlord's men Kanai and Sripati, and several others wielding sticks. A freezing winter night. Having forsaken all rest and breaks to harvest the paddy for three nights in a row, the exhausted men of the village were all asleep. The women took turns to stay awake and guard the houses. The sound of conch shells and ululation had revealed the sudden appearance of the police to everyone. Had the police had arranged to...