By Zaidul Haque, TwoCircles.net,
Kolkata: Social Democratic Party of India’s West Bengal unit, spreading their movement all over the state to start AMU campus in Murshidabad, organized a protest demonstration on 19th July at Metro Channel, Esplanade East Kolkata. Braving the rain, SDPI members took part in the protest and demand immediate start of construction work for the Murshidabad campus.
Most of the supporters came from Murshidabad, a stronghold of SDPI. Earlier, the group had selected a place in front of Mahatma Gandhi Statue for the demonstration, but Kolkata Police did not give them permission and allowed the place of Metro Channel, SDPI state president Taidul Islam told TCN.
State Secretary of Bandi Mukti Committee (Prisoners Relief Committee) Chaotan Das in a demonstration of SDPI at Metro Channel, Esplanade East, Kolkata on 19th July, 2012.
Besides the SDPI and PFI, some non-Muslim organizations also participated in this program to support the demands. State Secretary of Bandi Mukti Committee (Prisoners relief Committee) Chotan Das criticized the state and Union government’s activities in various fields, AMU campus to price hike of vegetable products, petrol etc and discrimination with Muslim prisoners by the government. Chotan Das said, Every government has been arresting some Muslim youth in the name of terrorism, but later they declared they are innocent, and released them. He also said, `I personally know a Maulana who is engaged in Mosque. One day police came and arrested him. I protested against the police and asked them about the allegations against him. Police could not find any and released him.’
Chotan Das demanded the Government to stop arresting Muslims without any proper proof. He criticized the communal mentality of some police officials in the state. Government should take step to stop harassment of Muslim, he said. He also demanded the government to immediately start AMU campus in Murshidabad. Chotan Das thinks, AMU campus will be established in Muslim dominated district, the ruling Trinamul Congress Government led by Mamata Banerjee does not like it, so she wants some in Hills area.
SDPI state President Taidul Islam said, after forming the government, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has reopened some old commission reports on killing of some general people like Marichjhampi, Saibari etc, those are more than 20 years old and happened during the left front regime, but does not mention the Katra Masjid riot in Murshidabad in 1987. A commission called Justice Dev Commission was established and commission placed the report but left front government did not place it in Assembly. SDPI demands to open the Dev commission report by Mamata Banerjee led government immediately. Taidul Islam said, more than 100 innocent Muslims were killed in Katra Masjid riot. Victim families did not get any
compensation from state government.
Braving the rain, supporters of SDPI at the demonstration at Metro Channel, Esplanade East, Kolkata on 19th July, 2012.
SDPI State Secretary Masudul Islam, PFI state president Md Sahabuddin, PFI state Secretary Anisur Rahman, All India Mili Council Musrshidabad district leader Md Alauddin also delivered their speech in this demonstration.
With a charter of seven demands SDPI had called the demonstration in Kolkata. They were immediate start of AMU campus in Murshidabad, proportional population reservation in govt jobs and Private sector, opening of the Dev Commission report on Katra Masjid riot, citizenship to the Bangladesh people who came here due to political and financial reason after 1971, change of the state school teacher recruitment examination schedule during Ramdan on 29th July, New Station between Garia and Baghajatin in Sealdah south section to be named after Dr Ambedkar, release of all the political prisoners arrested under UAPA act without any condition.
The demonstration started in the morning and ended in the afternoon. After the demonstration a four-member delegation team of SDPI met the private secretary of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at CMO office and submitted their demands.