People's Democracy

RALLIES and demonstrations held statewide on April 9, under the aegis of the Bengal Left Front, condemned the communal violence in Gujarat and called for the resignation of the Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi. A fund-raising drive for the Gujarat victims, too, was organised throughout the state.

Addressing the central rally held in Kolkata at the Rani Rashmoni Road crossing in the Esplanade area, Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya said religious fundamentalism "have never been a part of the mindset of the Bengal people." Bhattacharya asked the people to remain vigilant against conspiracies to try to destabilise the peaceful situation prevailing in Bengal. He said Gujarat chief minister Modi must be asked to resign immediately, and he pointed out how "the communal rioting has continued with impunity even after the prime minister’s visit to Gujarat." Prime minister Vajpayee, said Bhattacharya, "has spoken about his shameful frame of mind over Gujarat: we feel ashamed of the role played by Vajpayee in tackling the Gujarat killings."

Those present at the Left Front rally included the CPI(M) state secretary Anil Biswas, Manju Kumar Majumdar (CPI), Debabrata Bandyopadhyay (RSP), Aparajita Goppi (Forward Bloc), Mihir Byne (RCPI), Pratim Chatterjee (FB-Marxist) and Kiranmoy Nanda (Socialist Party).

Several well-known writers, actors and artistes of the state participated in the rally. The people’s donations in aid of the Gujarat riot victims were collected among others by noted economists Dr Ashok Mitra and Dr Amiya Bagchi and by theatre-person Kheyali Dastidar. (INN)