State intelligentsia to protest against female violence

Kolkata: The state intelligentsia is organising a rally to increase consciousness against incidents of rape and violence against women.

In a press note, jointly released on Tuesday, written in Bengali by Magsaysay award winner, Mahasweta Devi, poet Shankha Ghosh, writer Nabanita Deb Sen, director Mrinal Sen, Tarun Majumdar and Dadasaheb Phalke Award winner Soumitra Chatterjee, they said: “The incidents of rape and violence against women all over the state is a major concern for all of us.

“Only administrative measures cannot stop these barbaric acts. We all need to question our conscience and be united in stopping this evil that otherwise will engulf our society.”

They have also blamed the ruling Mamata Banerjee-led government for not being able to handle the law and order situation in the state.

“If the administration is unable to stop this menace ordinary people will find it difficult to live here. The attitude of the offenders tells us that they believe that they can walk away by committing any crime due to their political patronage and no one can punish them,” the press note said.

Last time they came together was when 27 people were killed due to police firing in Nandigram.

Banerjee’a comment that all the accused in the gang-rape and murder in North 24 Parganas district, are members of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) have created a massive uproar all over the state.

“The job of a chief minister is not to determine who belongs to which political party, but to punish the guilty. She was speaking like Trinamool Congress chief and not like an administrator,” remarked social activist Bolan Ganguly.

Significantly, the main accused, Ansar Ali, is a known as a Trinamool Congress (TMC) supporter and a relative of TMC-controlled KirtipurII gram panchayat (village council) head Sayeeda Bibi and her husband, Kirtipur II block Trinamool president Asraf Ali Mollah.

“Even if we consider that the protesters were CPI [M] activist, don’t they have the right to protest? Everyone knows such anti-socials have switched loyalties after TMC came to power.

“Why did she allow that? Minutes before claiming that the accused were CPI [M] supporters, she said criminals had no colour. She’s contradicting herself,” theatre personality Koushik Sen said.

On different occasions as chief minister, Banerjee had labelled those posing uncomfortable questions to her as CPI (M) or Maoist supporters.

Last year, she labelled Belpahari marginal farmer Shiladitya Choudhuri and Presidency University student Taniya Bhardwaj as Maoists.