Police Attack on Kisan Rally in Kolkata

27th August, 2015

Protest the Brutal Police Attack on Kisans and Agricultural Workers Protesting Peacefully in Kolkata, Bengal

We Shall Break All Barricades and Decide the Course of History United Worker Peasant Strike on 2nd September Will Be Our Response

All India Kisan Sabha deplores the brutal police action in Kolkata against the Protest by Peasants and Agricultural Workers in which hundreds have been injured severely. Police went berserk and acted as paid goons of the Trinamul Congress charging at the peaceful protestors. The massive protest action in which around two lakh Peasants and Agricultural Workers from across the State participated was called by the Paschim Banga Krishak Sabha and supported by all Left Peasant Organisations. Thousands of Workers, Students and Youth also took part in the protest action.

The Kisan Sabha had rallied together the Left Peasants’ and Agricultural Workers’ Organisations and built issue-based unity on the demands like remunerative prices, assured procurement, payment of wages for MGNREGA workers, effective flood relief for people and so on. It was in effect a protest against the Neo-Liberal Policies pursued vigorously by the TMC regime in West Bengal and the BJP Government at the Centre.

All eight arterial roads leading to ‘Nabanna’ the State Secretariat witnessed unprecedented flow of people with the red flags of Kisan Sabha. Each of them was led by the leaders of the Kisan Sabha and leaders of the Left Front who attended in an active show of Solidarity with the Peasantry and toiling masses. Hannan Mollah, General Secretary, AIKS, Surjya Kanta Misra, Leader of Opposition, West Bengal Assembly and Joint Secretary, AIKS, Madan Ghosh, Vice President AIKS, Nripen Choudhary, Joint Secretary, AIKS, Biman Basu, Convenor, Left Front and many others were all present in this unprecedented show of protest against the State and Central Government’s policies against Peasants and Agricultural Workers. Biman Basu, Biplab Majumdar, Sujan Chakravarthy, Manoj Bhattacharya, Gargi Chatterji, Tamser Ali, Ritabrata Banerji and others suffered injuries.

Despite the unprovoked attacks in which hundreds have been injured the Peasants and Agricultural Workers who have been facing untold misery under the TMC regime broke barricades and marched ahead towards the Nabanna. Over two thousand volunteers reached the doors of the State Secretariat. Police clearly acting on the orders from the highest quarters used teargas and brutal violence was unleashed to disperse the activists. At all roads leading to Nabanna the police resorted to unprovoked lathi-charge even as the demand that they wanted to submit the Memorandum and Charter of Demands at Nabanna was denied.

AIKS calls upon all units to rise in protest against this brutal police action. Campaign against this action will be taken up across the country and our response shall be shown on 2nd September by actively ensuring success of the General Strike called by all Trade Unions.

Sd/-

Amra Ram, President

Hannan Mollah, General Secretary