Explained: Why is July 21 important to Mamata Banerjee and the TMC?

The event commemorates an incident that took place on July 21, 1993, wherein 13 Congress workers were shot down by the West Bengal police during a protest rally organised by the Youth Congress under Mamata Banerjee.

TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee speaks to party workers through a virtual meeting on Martyrs Day rally, an annual mass rally to commemorate the 1993 Kolkata firing as Martyrs Day.

In a first, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee held her party’s flagship political event, the July 21, Martyrs day rally, through virtual platforms on account of the social distancing norms in place to control the coronavirus outbreak. The event is significant this year given that it is the last July 21 rally before the state goes to polls in 2021. Banerjee launched the campaign for next year’s election at the rally.

Announcing the decision to hold the rally online, Banerjee tweeted out on Tuesday: “We have been organising the annual rally since 1993 in memory of the martyrs. However, due to restrictions because of the pandemic situation, this year we are organising our annual July 21st #ShahidDibas rally in a different way.” “We have organised a unique booth level outreach programme across the State today from 1 PM. At 2 PM, I will be addressing my brothers and sisters in every booth. In July 2021, we will have the biggest ever programme after the people bless us again,” she added.

Banerjee addressed people through the party’s social media handles. Giant screens and monitors have been installed in public places and TMC offices across the state.

Significance of July 21 to the Trinamool Congress

The July 21 Martyrs Day rally is an annual event organised by the TMC in the heart of Kolkata at Esplanade road. The event commemorates an incident that took place on July 21, 1993, wherein 13 Congress workers were shot down by the West Bengal police during a protest rally organised by the Youth Congress under Banerjee. The incident is believed to have been a turning point in the political career of Banerjee.

In the months preceding the incident, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPIM) had come back to power in West Bengal in 1991 with a sweeping mandate. The Indian National Congress (INC), which was the main opposition party back then, accused the CPIM of rigging the polls and demanded that photo voter ID be made mandatory to ensure fair elections.

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FILE: TMC supporters during a rally on the 25th anniversary of the Martyrs’ Day rally last year.

Banerjee, who was leader of the Congress at that time, led a rally with party workers to the Writers’ building demanding the implementation of the photo voter ID. As they were about a kilometer away from the spot, the police opened fire, killing 13 of the workers.

The incident led to the pouring in of huge public sympathy for Banerjee who was a rising political face at that time. Four years later she formed the TMC, which came to power in Bengal in 2011. After the election, the state government led by Banerjee formed a judicial commission headed by Sushanto Chattopadhyay to inquire into the incident.

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Since the incident in 1993, the TMC organises the rally every year to commemorate the 13 workers whom they refer to as martyrs.