The Kolkata Police Commissioners latest announcement banning rallies and law violation programmes in the heart of city is a welcome move,but without political consensus.
The announcement seems to be at the behest of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee,and,as expected,nine out of the 11 political parties invited by the Police Commissioner to the Lalbazar police headquarters rejected the proposal.
Significantly,the ban comes at a time when the CPM and other parties have already declared law violation programmes. The state government now runs the risk of having to justify confrontations between the law enforcing agencies and the CPM,Congress,BJP,SUCI,with all these political outfits vowing to defy the ban.
Though mainstream parties appreciate concerns about the common man facing hardships during protest rallies,they point out that the move is at the behest of someone who has in the past disrupted normal life too often to register her protests.
In December 2006,for instance,Mamata staged a 26-day hunger strike at Metro Channel in Kolkata,demanding return of land forcibly acquired from farmers of Singur. The Governor urged her to break the fast,but Mamata refused till then President A P J Abdul Kalam and PM Manmohan Singh appealed to her. Next,she blocked the Delhi-Durgapur Expressway in front of the Tata Motors plant for 14 days. This led to hundreds of vehicles and commuters being held like hostages for over a fortnight on the highway.
Madhuparna is a principal correspondent based in Kolkata
madhuparna.das@expressindia.com
