New student outfit in Bengal set to lead ‘March to Nabanna’ today, police deem it ‘illegal’: What is Chhatra Samaj?

At a press conference, Additional Director General (Law and Order) Manoj Verma said Nabanna was a restricted area as prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the BNSS are in force near the secretariat, preventing the assembly of five or more people. “We are getting inputs from various sources that miscreants with vested interests will try to create a law-and-order situation to provoke a response from the police, which they would then exploit,” he said.

Students of a Women’s college in Kolkata during a protest against the rape and murder of a doctor at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital. (Express Photo by Partha Paul)

Verma also assured students appearing for Tuesday’s UGC NET exams that ample arrangements were in place to ensure they could take the tests without problem.

Addressing a press conference at Nabanna, ADG (South Bengal) Supratim Sarkar claimed that permission had not been given for any march to the state secretariat. He claimed that a student leader involved in organising the march met a “prominent political figure” at a five-star hotel in Kolkata on Sunday but did not identify either.

At a press conference at the Kolkata Press Club, Sayan Lahiri, one of the Chhatra Samaj leaders, denied any such meeting happened. “This is an absolutely apolitical protest march by the students of West Bengal. Do not try to find any political affiliation for us, it is a pure social movement and we are requesting all political parties’ top leaders to stay away from the march. We do not want any political party to gain from this march.”

School teacher Shubhankar Halder who is one of the main organisers of the march said though the Chhatra Samaj does not have any political affiliation, he was an “RSS member and proud of that”. Lahiri too said that he was part of the BJP and while in college had been associated with the TMC. Rabindra Bharati University student Prabir Das who is pursuing his Master’s degree said not everyone in Chhatra Samaj had a political affiliation. “We are students and fighting for justice for our sister,” he said.

Civilians and students protest against the rape and murder at RG Kar hospital in Kolkata. (Express Photo)

Apart from the Chhatra Samaj, a government employees’ organisation called the “Sangrami Joutho Mancha (Revolutionary United Front)” has said it will march to Nabanna on Tuesday. “Our march will start from College Square and Santragachi in Howrah while the Sangrami Joutho Mancha will start its march from Howrah station,” said Lahiri.

On the police and the TMC’s statements about the possibility of violence, Lahiri said, “Everyone on Facebook who has responded to our call has said they will hold a peaceful march. We talked to the police and they told us to be alert so that something that happened on August 14, when miscreants ransacked R G Kar during a peaceful movement, does not reoccur.”

Halder alleged the police had threatened the outfit’s members and told them to remain at home. “We do not know why the police are afraid,” he said.

The TMC has alleged that the BJP is behind the Chhatra Samaj. TMC leader Arup Chakraborty has alleged that Halder faces a case of molestation at Nabadwip police station in Nadia district. Not denying it, the Chhatra Samaj leader said, “Those who raise their voice against Mamata Banerjee’s government face such complaints. As I said, I am a regular RSS member and I am proud of that.”

Meanwhile, CPI(M) leader Minakshi Mukherjee said on Facebook, “Some people are trying to do propaganda by using my name and claiming that we are supporting this march. I am clearly saying this movement is backed by people associated with the RSS and the CPI(M) does not support it.”

State BJP president Sukanta Majumder said, “There is a march by students on Tuesday. We repeatedly said this was not a movement by the BJP. But we are supporting everyone demanding justice in the R G Kar case. Seeing the police arrangement, we assume the state government is afraid.”