Kolkata: Kolkata Police on Thursday resorted to lathi-charge, firing of tear gas shells and water cannons trying to disperse an agitation of Leftist youth workers when they were marching to the state secretariat in protest as part of Nabanna Abhiyan. Several agitators, including women, suffered bleeding injuries.
Condemning the police action, the Left parties have called for a 12-hour bandh across the state starting from Friday morning, when, incidentally, schools are scheduled to reopen after 11 months.
Sources in the state administration indicated that the police might take a tough stance once again if bandh supporters try to enforce blockades on roads and railway tracks during school hours.
On Thursday, students and youth organisations belonging to different Left parties with an intention of “showing red card” to chief minister Mamata Banerjee in protest marched to the state secretariat from in and around Kolkata. However, Banerjee was not in her office.
This event was planned ahead of the proposed Brigade Parade Ground rally of the Left parties, likely to be held at the end of this month, in which Communist and even national Congress leaders are expected to take part.
Also read: Over 150 Women Protesters Allegedly Beaten up by Kolkata Police During Protest Over Jobs, Farm Laws
Leftist student and youth activists had been gathering at multiple places in Kolkata and the neighbouring city of Howrah, where the state secretariat of Nabanna is located, from Thursday morning. Some were seen riding tractors, while some carried football, whistles and red cards, shouting the slogan Khela Hobey (there will be a match).
“The students and youths went to show red card to the chief minister. This was in contrast to the prime minister’s recent threat of showing the chief minister ‘Ram card’. What’s a Ram card? Football only has yellow card and red card,” alleged CPI(M) politburo member Md. Salim.
“Why is Mamata Banerjee so scared of students and youth pressing for legitimate demands? This violence was planned. Water mixed with bleaching powder was sprayed on protesters,” he added.
Tension gripped in the parts of Kolkata when the agitators tried to remove police barricades. Several agitators, including women, have suffered bleeding injuries after the police resorted to caning to disperse them. The injured included Pratik-ur Rahman, the state president of Students’ Federation of India (SFI), the student wing of the CPI(M).
“We carried out protest to demonstrate how the government betrayed the youth. First, getting jobs through the Public Service Commission, College Service Commission and the likes have almost stopped. Further, there has been a de-industrialisation drive, resulting in a severe crisis in job opportunities. The way the police attacked peaceful agitators is atrocious,” said SFI national secretary Mayukh Biswas.
A protestor falls to the ground after he suffered injuries during a protest organised by Leftist youth workers in Kolkata and police resorted to baton charge. Photo: Special arrangement.
The agitators had come from several districts, mostly from in and around Kolkata, accusing Mamata Banerjee government of neglecting the youth employment in the state.
“The police tried every means to disperse the agitators. They resorted to indiscriminate caning, injuring many protesters. Many of us have been taken to jail,” said Pradip Neogy, a member of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), the youth wing of the CPI(M), who came from Shyamnagar in North 24-Parganas district.
Police accuse protesters of violence
The police, however, alleged that they too came under attack from the protesters, who the police accused of pelting stones.
“Our policemen, including officers, have suffered injuries,” said a senior officer of Kolkata Police who did not want to be named.
Human rights activist Ranjit Sur criticised the role of the police. “I strongly condemn the police brutality on Leftist student and youth activists,” said Sur, a vice-president of Association for Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR), the state’s largest human rights organisation.
In a statement, CPI(ML)(Liberation) West Bengal state committee criticised the police action, saying it was “most unwelcome in an opposition-party ruled state” at a time when the Narendra Modi-led Union government is trying to oppress all kinds of the democratic activity.
Thursday’s event had started on a rather ‘sweet note’, with agitators at several places trying to hand over sweetmeats and hand sanitisers to policemen on duty. However, trouble began when a group of agitators managed to reach close to Nabanna, and later when another group tried to breach the barricade at Dorina Crossing at Esplanade in the heart of Kolkata.
Scuffles between the police and agitators took place at Maulali area as well.
The Left and the Congress have decided to contest the coming Assembly elections in alliance to offer a third alternative to the voters amidst a perceivably polarised battle between the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). This is the first major programme against the state government the Left has taken this year.
Snigdhendu Bhattacharya is a journalist and author based in Kolkata.
Source: https://thewire.in/rights/kolkata-left-workers-suffer-bleeding-injuries-during-a-protest-as-police-use-force
