Ahead of next year’s Assembly election, the Trinamool Congress is set to organise a grand rally on December 6, the anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition.
The TMC’s minority cell generally organises this rally every year, but this time, the party’s top leadership has handed responsibility to its students’ and youth wings, according to sources.
The rally will be held at the Mahatma Gandhi statue where party supremo Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee are expected to address the gathering.
On why the minority cell was not given charge this year, TMC spokesperson Jayprakash Majumder said, “This is solely an organisational decision.”
According to TMC sources, the effort this year is to present the rally not just as a political event but as an initiative to convey a message of “solidarity and communal unity”. Party leaders and ministers will highlight this message in their speeches and emphasise the importance of “resisting communalism”.
A senior TMC leader said, “We are realising that Bihar gave us a lesson — SIR is not an election issue. It is more of an individualistic issue. Those whose names will not be in the voter list after SIR will be affected, but that portion will not be able to vote. So, we have to change our narrative. The BJP, with SIR, has sharpened their communal campaign, which is spreading an environment of fear.”
“We will counter that to mobilise a secular vote bank towards us,” the leader said, adding that the anniversary of the demolition is “a perfect day to spread the message of communal harmony… Before and after the rally, we are trying to make an impact so that we can use it to start our election campaign at the grassroots level.”
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Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, reacting to the rally plan, said, “We can easily understand why TMC is organising a grand rally on December 6, which community they want to make happy with this rally. People of Bengal will answer TMC on this in the election.”
TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said, “Sanhati Dibas (December 6) is not only a day for Trinamool to convey a message of communal harmony, but also a strategic day to raise voice against BJP’s politics of religion. The party has given a strong message of secularism, social harmony, democratic rights and against communal polarisation. Trinamool wants to hold a big gathering. This time, the student-youth organisation will play a major role in organising this rally.”
Atri Mitra is a highly accomplished Special Correspondent for The Indian Express, bringing over 20 years of experience to his reporting. His work is characterized by deep regional knowledge and a focus on critical administrative and political developments, establishing strong Expertise and Authority in his domain.
Experience
Current Role: Special Correspondent, The Indian Express.
Decades of Experience: Over two decades of extensive reporting experience, primarily covering administration and political news.
Geographical Focus: Holds significant reporting experience from West Bengal, Bihar, and the North-East, providing a comprehensive understanding of the socio-political landscape in these regions.
Key Coverage: Has dedicated more than ten years to covering administration and political news, with a keen focus on political developments in West Bengal.
Electoral Reporting: Demonstrated a commitment to crucial political moments, having covered the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2010 assembly elections during his time at Anandabazar Patrika, and the 2019 Bihar Lok Sabha election while working with News18-Bangla.
Career Foundation: Began his career at the leading vernacular daily Anandabazar Patrika, where he worked for more than fifteen years, including a three-year stint as the Bihar correspondent.
Education
Advanced Degree: Holds a Master's degree in Economics from Rabindrabharati University, providing an analytical framework for his political and administrative reporting.
Undergraduate Education: Holds a Bachelor's degree from Calcutta University.
Prestigious Alumni: His educational background includes attending esteemed institutions: he is an alumnus of St. Xavier's, Kolkata and Ramakrishna Mission Asrama, Narendrapur.
Atri Mitra's decades of dedicated reporting, substantial focus on political and administrative beats, and solid academic credentials make him a trusted and authoritative source for news and analysis from Eastern and North-Eastern India. ... Read More
