Paschimbanga Chhatra Samaj, a recently formed student organisation, is spearheading the ‘Nabanna Abhijan’ march in Kolkata today, August 27. The organisation intends to march to the state secretariat, which has been fortified and heavily guarded by police.
The ‘Nabanna Abhijan’ march is taking place in Kolkata even though the administration has declared it illegal.
Paschimbanga Chhatra Samaj, a student organisation, is not registered and, according to the students, is apolitical. Sayan Lahiri of Rabindra Mukta University, Subhankar Halder of Kalyani University, and Prabir Das, a master’s student at Rabindra Bharati University, are organising the march.
On the other hand, there are also allegations of Chhatra Samaj being RSS affiliated which is why the left, including CPI (M), SFI and DYFI is distancing themselves from the rally. Reportedly, the march to State Secretariat is declared illegal by TMC who claims that the student organisation does not have the police clearance for it.
“We have three demands, justice for Abhaya, capital punishment for the culprit, and Mamata Banerjee’s resignation,” Lahiri told the media, as per India Today.
Nabanna Abhijan march turned violent
The ‘Nabanna Abhijan’ protest march in Kolkata on Tuesday turned into mayhem, with demonstrators clashing with police, resulting in a tense standoff.
#WATCH | West Bengal: Police use water cannons to disperse protestors from Howrah Bridge.
A ‘Nabanna Abhiyan’ march has been called today over RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape-murder case. pic.twitter.com/bQJ5a3hh1k
— ANI (@ANI) August 27, 2024
#WATCH | West Bengal: Protestors pelt stones as they agitate over RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape-murder case.
Visuals near Fort William in Kolkata as Police and protestors come face to face. pic.twitter.com/TnIMXaDmBr
— ANI (@ANI) August 27, 2024
The protest began at College Square in Kolkata and moved to the state secretariat, Nabanna, with massive crowds gathered in Howrah’s Santragachi area. The demonstrators, many of whom were students and regular citizens, marched towards their destination while carrying the national tricolour and chanting slogans.
However, the scene swiftly heated as demonstrators sought to scale and take barricades away. This caused the police to employ harsh methods including water cannons, lathi charges, and tear gas to disperse the gathering.
Meanwhile, the junior doctors protesting against the RG Kar rape and murder, have disassociated themselves from ‘Nabanna Abhijan’. Instead, they have demanded that a different gathering be held in Central Kolkata on Wednesday, August 28.
