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Protests help in the release of CPIML General Secretary Com. Dipankar Bhattacharya.
News items attached.
Rise in Protest Against This Onslaught On Democracy
CPI(ML) had organised Jharkhand Assembly gherao on 1 March on the following demands: (1) Stop atrocities on dalits,(oppressed castes) adivasis (tribals) and minorities; (2) Stop Koel-Karo Hydel Project; (3) Arrest the culprits of Ranchi "land scam" and return the land to tribals; (4) Appoint judicial enquiry on Doranda firing and punish the concerned officials; (5) Police officials responsible for Tapkara killings must be booked under 302 I.P.C.; (6) Suspend the medical officer related with the investigation of Kurpania rape and punish the concerned S.P.; and (7) Book the concerned police officials under Sec.302 who killed innocent Jaipal Rajak in Bokaro Steel City.
It can be mentioned here that within the short span of two months, the Jharkhand Govt. has ordered police firing thrice, and on the other hand, two successful bandhs (general strike) have been observed against it, called by CPI(ML) and other democratic forces. Therefore, CPI(ML) had decided to gherao (encircle) the Jharkhand Assembly peacefully to voice people's protest against Chief Minister Babulal Marandi's attempts to turn Jharkhand into a police state and also to raise issues related to Adivasis' land and the anti-Adivasi Koel-Karo Hydel Project.
During the gherao, when Com. Dipankar and other comrades, on their way to the Assembly, reached near the barricade, CRPF and RAF contingents posted there without the least provocation resorted to brutal lathicharge on them. The City S.P. Sampat Mina and SDO Sunil Singh led the attack.
Not only the arrested persons were manhandled, they were also given electric shocks through a special machine by the SDO himself.
After their arrest, out of the 41 comrades, nearly 30 were put in the police van for 12 hours. Com. Dipankar and 10 other comrades were put in 8 ft. by 8 ft. police lock-up of Jagannathpur P.S. (in H.E.C., Ranchi) for 14 hours. They were manhandled and mentally tortured by CRP and RAF jawans under the instruction of SDO and City SP. Attempts were made even to handcuff them, but the police could not succeed due to massive protest by our comrades. Then after 14 hours of arrest, Com. Dipankar and 40 other comrades were presented before CJM at his residence at 5 o'clock in the morning. Com. Dipankar and 5 other comrades were booked under Sec. 114, 147, 148, 149, 323, 324, 357, 188, 353, 307, 431, 506 of IPC and 7 criminal Act.
The kind of political vendetta resorted by the Government of Jharkhand under patronage of Union Home Ministry is unprecedented and portends ill to the democratic polity. This may be the beginning of the new phase of fascist repressive methods to silence political parties expressing the discontent of the common people. We urge upon you to take cognizance of the gravity of the incident and rise in protest against this onslaught on democracy. The Party has decided to observe 7 March as all-India protest day. Send protest memorandum to the Governor (Fax No. 0651-301596) and Chief Minister (Fax No. 0651-252563 or 252561) of Jharkhand Government.
--Swadesh Bhattacharya, PB member
Intellectuals in Patna Condemn Ranchi Incident
The incident of brutal lathicharge on CPI(ML) activists who were going to stage a peaceful gherao of Jharkhand Assembly protesting against Tapkara and Doranda firing incidents and demanding scrapping of Koel-Karo project is an open fascist act by Jharkhand Government, aimed at violating the people's democratic right to stage a protest. ... This act of Jharkhand Govt. is politically motivated and anti-democratic. We all strongly condemn this act and demand immediate and unconditional release of all arrested persons including Com. Dipankar.
--Prof. AKP Yadav, Father Phillip Manthara, Prof. Kishori Das, PUCL, Prof. Santosh Kumar, Prof. Bharati S. Kumar, Prof. Shahida Hassan, Advocate, Mr. Khursheed Alam, Prof. Sadhu Sharan Suman, Mr. Basant Chaudhary, Advocate, Mrs. Meera Dutta, Mr. Vishwajeet Sen, Mr. NP Kuer, Shri Madan Kashyap, poet, Shri Alok Dhanwa, poet, Shri Shekhar, story writer, Prof. Ram Bineshwari Singh, Shri Ranjit Verma, Advocate, Prof. Niroj Sinha, Mrs. Laxmi Kumar, Mr. Virendra Kumar, Prof. Pradhan H Prasad, Prof. Rohit Raman, Mr. Shankar Singh, Mr. Chandrika Prasad.
Com. Dipankar's Arrest in Ranchi Evokes Nationwide Protest,
Effigy of Babulal Marandi Burnt
After receiving the news of arrest of Com. Dipankar and 40 other comrades in Ranchi on 1 March, a wave of discontent spread among Party ranks and general democratic personages. The Party called for observing nationwide protest on March 2. Immediately responding to the call, Party ranks all over the country organised rail roko, rasta roko, demonstrations, dharnas etc. to voice their protest against the arrest of Com. Dipankar and others and police repression.
At Hazaribagh Road station, Rajdhani Express was detained for 5 hours. GT Road was blocked at several places. At Nirsa in Dhanbad, a 3-hour Rasta Roko was organised in which about 250 people participated. They were subsequently arrested. The effigy of Chief Minister of Jharkhand was also burnt.
In Dhanbad, a militant rally was held on the main road and after the rally, a mass meeting was held. The effigy at Chief Minister Babulal Marandi was burnt in front of the District Court, blocking the road there. Com. Swapan Mukherjee, Upendra Singh and Sukhdev spoke in the meeting.
Akhil Bharatiya Coal Mazdoor Sangharsh Samiti (All India Coal worker's struggle Committee) in its all-India meeting in Munidih area of Dhanbad condemned the arrest of Com. Dipankar and other comrades and demanded immediate, unconditional release.
On March 2, statewide protest day was observed in Bihar. Roads were blocked in Darbhanga and Dumraon, rail lines were blocked in Mairwa. Various forms of protest including street corner meetings, effigy burning etc. were adopted in Patna, Arrah, Jahanabad, Mohania, Dumraon, Gaya, Samastipur, narkatiaganj, Bettiah and Muzaffarpur. On 4 March, Jahanabad bandh was organised. On 5 March, a dharna was organised in Patna in which apart from our Party, leaders from MCPI, SUCI, AICCTU, AIPWA, RYA, AISA, BPKS, Khet Mazdoor Sabha (agricultural worker's union) also participated. From 6 March Advani and Marandi's effigies will be burnt and statewide Chakka jam (stop the wheels) will be initiated from 7 March. The movement will go on till Com. Dipankar and other comrades are released.
CPI(ML) activists and supporters held a militant 'March to Home Ministry' here in Delhi. In Delhi, protesters were stopped at Parliament Street Police Station, where they held a meeting and burnt the effigy of Jharkhand Chief Minister Mr. Babulal Marandi. The march was led by Com. B.B. Pandey, Rajendra Pratholi and Ranjit Abhigyan. In Calcutta, Party activists led by Com. Kalyan Goswami and Jayatu Deshmukh staged a demonstration before Raj Bhawan on 5 March. Thirty comrades were arrested while entering Raj bhawan. Elsewhere in Calcutta main roads were blocked. A memorandum demanding Com. Dipankar's unconditional release was handed over to the Governor.
Left Leaders' Jointly Condemn Com. Dipankar's Arrest
Com. Jalauddin Ansari, State Secy. of CPI, Com. Krishna Kant of CPI(M), Com. Tarakant Prakash of RSP, Com. Nripendra Krishna Mahato of Forward Bloc, Com. Amriteshwar Chakravarty of SUCI, Com. Ajay Chaudhry of MCPI and Com. KD Yadav of CPI(ML) have in a joint statement condemned the arrest of Com. Dipankar and other comrades in Ranchi on 1 March.
Movement Demanding Com. Dipankar's Release Mounts
The movement to get Com. Dipankar Bhattacharya unconditionally released is gaining momentum day by day. Party's Jharkhand State Committee has started massive indefinite dharna at Albert Ekka Chowk, Ranchi in which thousands of people from various districts of Jharkhand are taking part. The Party has decided to observe all-India protest day on 7 March, the day on which telegrams and faxes protesting against the arrest of Com. Dipankar and other comrades will be sent to President of India and Governor/Chief Minister of Jharkhand. Meanwhile a memorandum has already been sent to the President of India. The Party has decided that in case the Govt. does not release Com. Dipankar and others, "Ranchi Chalo" (March to Ranchi) will be organised on 14 March.
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