People's Democracy

AIDWA Rally Calls For Acceleration Of Industrialisation

A VAST procession of slogan-shouting women from every section of the society traversed the streets of Kolkata on an unseasonably warm afternoon in support of industrialisation. The Bengal unit of the AIDWA organised the march. A conservative estimate would put the number of marchers at more than 25,000. Slogans arose from the marchers against all attempts to stall the process of development in Bengal and against insidious attempts to bring in anarchy. 

In the meeting held in downtown Kolkata near the Esplanade before the rally commenced, all-India AIDWA leader Shyamali Gupta said that the news that the anarchists had put women and children in the line of fire at Nandigram was disturbing news for every right-thinking person. Pointing out that the violence occurred even after the chief minister’s assurance that Nandigram would not see any industrial project set up, she said it was sad and unfortunate.

Shyamali Gupta pointed out that the happenings in Nandigram where CPI(M) workers were killed and women raped reminded one of the terror-filled days and nights of the 1970s when the Congress raj ran the administration and gave lumpen elements a free hand against the communists. The speaker called for an early return of the Nandigram ousted to their residence. 

The state leadership of the AIDWA including Minati Ghosh, Banani Biswas, Rekha Goswami, Mitali Kumar, and Sabitri Majumdar walked towards the front of the massive procession that saw thousands of women unable to participate because of a slightly late arrival. A large festoon summed up the sentiments of the marchers: ‘Development happens when the drive is from villages to cities and from agriculture to industry.’  (B P)