The '2nd April' March
The '2nd April' March





Students’ Federation of India, West Bengal State Committee has called up on a huge and historical rally from College Street to Dharmatala followed by a mass meeting (addressed by Com. Ritabrata Banerjee, General Secretary, SFI and Com. Dr. Surjyakanta Mishra, the Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Legislative Assembly) on 2nd April 2014. The day marks the first anniversary martyrdom of our Com. Sudipto Gupta. We place forward the following demands to be addressed by the State Government:

•    Judicial inquiry to investigate the killing of Comrade Sudipto Gupta:

On 2nd April last year we had organized a Civil Disobedience demanding the restoration of democracy through resumption of the students’ union election which was banned by the State Government following the murder of a police constable by Trinamool-fostered hoodlums in broad daylight during the SU elections of Harimohan Ghosh College. Our comrades were arrested, and in transit to custody, our State Committee member Com. Sudipto was pushed from the bus and beaten to death by police lathicharge. Many others were critically injured. SFI demanded judicial and CBI inquiry to probe into the barbaric police atrocities, which marks a gross violation of Human Rights. Instead of answering for the negligence on the part of the administration and without answering why only 2 constables were sent to guard 70 students in a bus, the Chief Minister responded as ‘a small matter, petty matter’ and concocted a theory of ‘accidental death’.

"Death due to head injuries... And no injuries due to lathis or rods... He hit head on lamp post," said Javed Shamim, Joint Commissioner of Police, Law & Order, Kolkata in a pre-investigation report which was criticized by our comrades (who were witnesses to the murder in custody), and also by his father Mr. Pranab Gupta who demanded CBI inquiry.

Our demand for the judicial inquiry went unheard as the report submitted by the State-appointed 5th Chief Metropolitan Judicial Magistrate in November was at par with the CM’s ‘lamppost-theory’. When the State administration is the accused, how can they themselves inquire into the murder?

We demand, Judicial inquiry to investigate the killing of Comrade Sudipto Gupta.





•    Restore the democratic milieu in Campuses:

The state witnessed organized terror of outsiders and politically fostered hoodlums during the recently held Students’ Union elections in colleges and universities. Nomination papers of SFI candidates were snatched and torn; candidates were threatened and attacked in colleges, roads and even in their residence, as the police remained a silent spectator in most cases. Even after the elections were over, the winning SFI candidates were not allowed to enter the colleges, and being threatened. The admit cards of our comrades were being seized, bombs were being hurled and they are continuously being implicated in false cases. Raniganj Girls’ College experienced an unprecedented event. Though SFI won 13 of the 23 seats braving the anti-socials and outsiders, yet they were not allowed to enter the college to form the Students’ Union body by a group of over 500 armed hoodlums and mafias. Repeated pleas to the police went unheard as they remained a silent spectator.
We demand immediate restoration of democracy in the campuses, and entry of outsiders must be restricted.




•    Stop murder-rape-molestations:

While the last few years have been a terrible one for the students, peasants and workers alike, but criminals are the ones who have gained prowess in this regime. Rape, murder and molestations are on the rise. Raping a girl and then murdering her have almost become a routine incident. Be it the rural Kamduni, Madhyamgram or suburban Bardhaman, or the elite Park Street, the incident is similar, and similar is the manner in which the State Government had dealt with. Denial of the police to take FIR, or the denial of the rape by the Government, and denial and/or delay of justice have become routine. Our state now holds the dubious distinction of leading the charts of most rapes, and most crimes committed against women. A TMCP leader accused of molesting a girl has been appointed as the General Secretary of the Students’ Union, demonstrates the ruling party and its agents’ attitude. Another TMCP GS raped a student in the Rupnarayanpur Polytechnic College after drugging her with his fellow ‘TMCP workers’.

The manner in which the Government and Trinamool representatives has dealt with has encouraged the criminals, and deters the victims from being the complainants, if they are left alive to do so. The Government has made no effort at all to protect them from being assaulted further, the incident of Madhyamgram being the worst example. Our very own Kolkata, which was always considered safe for girls and women, is now one of the most dreaded metros in India.

We demand stringent and immediate action by the Government and administration to stop the daily incidents of murder-rape-molestations in West Bengal.




 
Post by Students' Federation of India - West Bengal.