[Reader-list] LETTER FROM ODISHA MASS MOVEMENTS AND ACTIVISTS TO MAMTA BANERJEE ON HER FASCIST REPRESSION IN KOLKATA

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 LETTER FROM ODISHA MASS MOVEMENTS AND ACTIVISTS TO MAMTA BANERJEE ON HER
FASCIST REPRESSION IN KOLKATA


 To,



Ms. Mamata Banarjee,

The Chief Minister,

West Bengal.



Dear Chief Minister,



We strongly condemn the illegal eviction drive undertaken by the
administration in the slums of Nonadanga and the police brutality
thereafter. The eviction drive, which is done in name of beautification of
city, will leave hundreds of people homeless to face scorching sun and
blinding rain and storms, including pregnant and lactating women, children
and the aged.



On 4th April 2012, the Kolkata Police brutally lathi-charged peaceful
protesters, thus seriously injuring Rita Patra, a pregnant woman among the
assembled. To protest police brutality, forcible eviction of slum dwellers
without proper rehabilitation, another mass demonstration was held near
Ruby Hospital on 8th Apil 2012. This demonstration was broken up by Kolkata
Police despite having acquired prior permission and 69 activists of
“Uchchhed Pratirodh Committee” (Anti-eviction Committee) of Nonadanga,
including women and children, were arrested. Among those arrested was a 9
year old girl, Manika Kumari, daughter of Dilip Shaw. This young child was
kept in lock-up for 9 hours which violated the Juvenile Justice (Care and
Protection of Children) Act. At yet another demonstration on 12th April,
peaceful protesters were attacked by thugs later identified as belonging to
TMC cadres. However, instead of punishing the perpetrations, several
peaceful activists were arrested, including Ms. Rangta Munshi, Advocate &
Assistant Secretary of APDR.



All arrested on 8th and 12th April were released after few hours of
detention on PR bond except 7 activists - Ms. Debolina Chakraborty, Ms.
Debjani Ghosh, Mr. Abhijnan Sarkar, Mr. Samik Chakraborty, Mr. Partho
Sarathi Ray, Mr. Siddhartha Gupta and Mr. Manas Chatterjee. They have been
detained since 8th April and have been charged under Sections 143, 149,
332, 341, 342, 353 of Indian Penal Code. According to police, the activists
were involved with provoking people in wrongful activity, assembling
illegally, wrongfully restraining and resisting policemen. All the above
allegations charged, as per police record is out rightly false and
concocted. We strongly condemn the arrest and continued detention under
police custody of these human rights defenders. The seven activists, who
have been accorded the status of political prisoners, are on hunger strike
in protest of the heinous actions of the state, and are joined by other
political prisoners and the evicted slum dwellers.



At this juncture, we urge you to take the following measures to uphold the
human rights of citizens.



   1. Immediate release of seven democratic leaders without any conditions.



   1. Provide adequate compensation and proper rehabilitation for the
   evicted families of Nonadanga.



   1.  Take action against the police officials who are culpable for the
   brutal lathi charge on 4th April and violating the Juvenile Justice Act by
   holding a minor in detention.



We urge you to take immediate action to restore democracy and respect human
rights of all marginalized people in your state.



With Regards,





Abhaya Sahoo,   POSCO Pratirodh Sangam Samiti

Prafulla Samantara, Lok Shakti Abhiyan

Sudheer Pattnaik, The Samadrusti

Dhirendra Panda, Odisha Development Review Collective

Pradeep Baisakh, Odisha Development Review Collective

Sirisha Naidu, Minning Zone People’s Solidarity Group

Sandeep Kumar Pattnaik, National Centre For Advocacy Studies