Kolkata intellectuals protest against Lalgarh killings
By IANSSaturday, January 8, 2011
KOLKATA - A section of intellectuals Saturday took out a procession and blocked a main busy road in the city in protest against the killing of seven villagers near Lalgarh in West Bengal’s West Midnapore district a day earlier.
Painters, sculptors, singers, actors and theatre personalities of Kolkata walked hand in hand, carrying posters and banners condemning the killings. The procession started from the city’s intellectual hub College Square and concluded at Esplanade, three km away.
“I condemn these killings. This is really horrific,” said painter Jogen Choudhury.
“It is really barbaric. This violence is state sponsored. This is unacceptable,” said theatre personality Bhibas Chakroborty.
Theatre artistes Bratya Basu and Shaoli Mitra, painter Shuvaprasana and singer Nachiketa were among those who took part in the procession.
The protesters blocked the road and staged a sit in protest in Espalande causing traffic snarls in the central part of the metropolis.
The banners and posters carried by the protesters not only appealed for stopping the bloodshed but also demanded flushing out of “harmads” (a term used to describe Communist Party of India-Marxist workers by their political opponents) from different parts of the state.
At least seven people were shot dead and 17 wounded near a Maoist hub in West Midnapore district Friday, prompting union Home Minister P. Chidambaram to summon Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee to New Delhi.
