SFI AND DYFI held a massive Insaf (justice) rally in the heart of Kolkata on Tuesday, September 20, to seek justice for Anis Khan, Sudipta Gupta, Maidul Islam Midya, Bidyut Mandal, and other young activists killed by police, the regime, and armed criminals during the decade-long tyrannical rule of the Trinamool Congress and demand proper education, jobs, and an end to rampant corruption. Students and youth, drawing deep from their reserve of vibrant energy and overwhelming numbers, joined a mammoth demonstrationin the city centre.

The very special thing about this rally was that it tore up the decade-old rule book that said that nobody except Mamata Banerjee’s ruling party was allowed to hold a rally in Dharmatala, the historic heart of Kolkata. Although the police strongly refused permission to hold a meeting there in the beginning, they were powerless to prevent the massive inflow of protesters that followed. After meeting at three points, the students and youth converged on Dharmatala, bringing activity in the central business district of the city to a standstill. 

MASSIVE MOBILISATION EXHIBITS UNREST PREVAILING IN STATE

Many cannot remember when the city last saw such a large student-youth gathering. The stunning turnout at the rally revealed once again the great unrest that exists among the people, especially the youth, in different parts of the state. The peasant’s pain of not getting a fair price for crops, the deprivation of workers, the suffering of students, teachers, unemployed youth, and women, and above all, the cries of the people crushed by corruption have found vivid expression and culminated in this huge Insaf rally of students and youth.

Many knew the culprits involved in the recruitment scams and coal smuggling, cow smuggling, illegal coal mining, and sand mining. But those powerful people were getting away for a long time. But now, everyone has seen the former state education minister, the president of the secondary board of education, the VC of North Bengal University, and top Trinamool leaders go to jail. More than 250 teachers have been dismissed due to illegal recruitment. All this is just the tip of the iceberg.

The Insaf rally in Dharmatala called for ousting Trinamool in the state to achieve justice. At this meeting on Tuesday, along with SFI and DYFI leadership, Salem Khan, father of martyr Anis Khan, also said that no one will get justice in the state with the Trinamool government in power. So we need to oust this government to usher in the regime of insaf, he concluded.

Speaking at the rally, CPI (M) state secretary Mohammad Salim claimed that the RSS-BJP had infiltrated the state with the help of Trinamool. But human rights will be regained. "Enough of being in fetters for 10–11 years; the new generation is waking up and wants to break free," he said.

Salim, also the former all-India general secretary of DYFI, said, "Itne bazu itne sar ginle dusman dhyan se/Harega woh har bazi jab khele hum ji jan se !( There are so many arms and heads/ Let your enemy count them carefully/ They’ll lose every battle/ If we play from our heart) Who can stop this mission of the new generation? Trinamool and the police administration should realise the mood of the people of the state and try to understand the turbulence of the youth. People want to get out of the suffocating situation. Gone are the days when the Trinamool would shut down people's protest meetings with the help of the police.   Today we are asking for justice within the parameters of the law. But we also know rights are not given in alms.  They must be taken away. "

"We can’t allow some law-breakers to amass heaps of illicit and illegal wealth and travel around in helicopters and hired planes while advising others to sell potato fritters to eke out a living! One group of thieves will be guarded by the state police, while another group of thieves who switched sides will be guarded by the central forces. The chief minister will threaten to cut out the tongue of anyone who dares to protest. Her nephew will direct the police to shoot in the forehead of protesters. And after killing protestors like Anis Khan, they will not even allow filing an FIR at the police station. The police will stop the leftists' meetings and make special arrangements for meetings organised by Trinamool. This duplicity will not work anymore." He also condemned the heinous attack on Salman Khan, brother of student leader Anis Khan, who is a key witness in Anis's death case.

YOUTH & STUDENT LEADERS DEPLORE THE STATE GOVERNMENT

Dhrubajyoti Saha, state president of DYFI, presided over the meeting and said, "We had told the chief minister’s police that we were determined to organise the meeting at Dharmatala. When they found we had come in countless numbers, they simply ran away. "Now get ready for panchayat elections. You have to resist rigging in every booth," he added.

Meenakshi Mukherjee, state secretary of DYFI, said that she was inviting the learned Trinamool leader, who has threatened to make leather shoes out of the skin of every Trinamool critic, to come to this mega rally and choose his favourite colour. She warned that such arrogance would not go unchallenged. Jo Hitler ki chaal chalega, Woh Hitler ki maut marega ("The one, who makes moves that Hitler made, shall also end up the fate of  Hitler"),thundered Meenakshi.  Trinamool is sinking, she said. "Those who work in the police administration, decide whether you will like to become villains in the eyes of the public while protecting the interests of the thieves of Trinamool leaders. Your salary is paid with public money, not from anybody’s personal account. "

All India general secretary of DYFI, Himghnaraj Bhattacharya said this rally has shown the administration the strength and determination of the students and youth of Bengal. "Anis lies in the grave, but lakhs of Anis are on the streets today."

In addition to seeking insaf, the student-youth leadership raised the demand for education and work. Mayukh Biswas, all India general secretary of SFI, said that the chief minister is asking students to fry potato fritters—the Bengali savoury—instead of giving them proper work! Nine lakh government posts are lying vacant and the government is stalling recruitment in every possible manner. The students and youth of Bengal will not accept this irony. Srijan Bhattacharya, state secretary of SFI, said that if the chief minister had taught the party leaders and ministers how to fry potato fritters and sell tea to earn an honest living, they would not have had to be questioned by the CBI-ED. Trinamool and BJP have made a mess of the state-sponsored education system, dropouts are increasing. To save education, the two governments must be made to drop out, he urged.

SFI state president, Pratikur Rahman said, the fear of students and youth of Bengal has been dispelled, and we will not let Trinamool live in peace even for a day. If the police do not take Anis’s killers into custody, the people should take active steps to bring the murderers to justice.

Generally speaking, the mammoth rally appears to have initiated a big wave of left-leaning trends in the current dynamics of Bengal politics.