CPM state secretary Md Salim on Friday welcomed the spontaneous protests by people across Bengal and said the Left would hit the streets on September 1 to demand justice for the junior doctor, who was found raped and murdered at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
The CPM leader spoke about the September 1 protest on a day the BJP was staging a pan-Bengal movement on the issue and amid murmurs in the CPM about the party’s absence from action over the past few days.
Salim, however, clarified that a final announcement about the “structure” of the protest would be made following a meeting of the Left Front constituents.
“We have proposed to the Left Front to restructure the September 1 rally into a bigger gathering to demand justice in the RG Kar issue,” Salim, who took time out from the ongoing state committee meeting to speak to the media, said.
Every year, Left parties take out peace rallies on September 1 to observe “yuddho birodho divas (anti-war day)”.
“We believe peace cannot come to our homes, our state, our country if crimes like this (RG Kar) continue to happen and those guilty are not punished. Therefore, we want to hold a large gathering on this demand on September 1. But how the restructuring of the programme can be done will be discussed among Left Front partners and other Left parties,” Salim added.
Voices of discontent have been rising among a section of CPM leaders and supporters as they felt Left youth leaders brought the RG Kar incident into public focus on August 9, but suddenly the party was missing in action.
“The RG Kar incident would not have come to light if DYFI leader Minakshi Mukherjee and her team did not stop the police from running away with the hearse carrying the doctor’s body. Our legal team led by Rajya Sabha member Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharyya moved the court as counsel for the victim’s family and a CBI probe was ordered. Since then there has been a spontaneous outburst of people’s anger on the streets but over the last few days, the Left remains missing in action. The BJP is exploiting our absence and pushing its agenda, which is a far cry from ensuring justice for the girl,” said a senior CPM leader from East Burdwan.
“That Md Salim finally announced a date for protest is heartening. The people’s anger needs to be channelised in the right direction to get justice for the girl and her family. As the state committee meeting is being held, we were expecting a decision to be taken there. We cannot let the BJP divert the issue,” the leader added.Almost sounding like responding to criticism on the ground, Salim said while the people should stage more spontaneous protests on the issue as the battle for justice had to be collective, the CPM would take political programmes on the issue.Salim said that the government was trying to suppress protests and several of his party leaders, supporters and common people had been framed in false cases. He said apart from providing legal assistance to such victims of the state government’s atrocities, mass organisation of the party would lead a march to Lalbazar with all such people on Saturday.“We will assemble at College Street at 1.30pm on Saturday and from their march to Lalbazar demanding justice for all those implicated in false cases. We appeal to all those framed in false cases to get in touch with us. The fight against the government and the police has to be collective. Voice must unite to get justice,” a member of the SFI statecommittee said.
