We strongly protest the
illegal arrest, harassment and brutal behaviour of West Bengal Police administration along
with ruling party supported goons against members of the West Bengal Civic
Police Association in particular and unorganised sector workers as a whole.
The West Bengal Civic Police
Association is a member of Ossongothito Khetra Sramik Sangrami Manch.
On October 31, more than 150 Civic
Police assembled in a meeting near the Malda Town Hall with prior intimation to
the administration to give deputation to the Superintendent of Police (SP) and
District Magistrate (DM) of Malda district. After they assembled, without any
reason the police arrested more than 140 Civic Police and confined them in
English Bazar Police Station. Two of them, Mahesh Saha and Musaraf Hossen, were
severely beaten up by the police and became seriously ill. They were taken to
the Hospital by the police in haste.
The deputation was to protest against
the illegal dismissal of the entire civic police volunteer force in the
district. The work of about 4,500 of them was stopped in June 2014 and they
were not reinstated after that, despite of the fact that the Government’s order
(GO no. 1940-PL/PB/3P-31/12) dated 14.07.2014, clearly mentioned that all of
them should be reinstated and no new appointments should be made. The dismissed
Civic Police of Malda wrote letters to the respective Police Stations and
Superintendent of Police (SP) of Malda protesting the dismissal. They moved
three writ petitions in Calcutta High Court. The Court ordered the SP of Malda
on 5th, 19th & 25th of September 2014
either to reinstate them or explain why they are not eligible for the job of
Civic Police within 4 weeks time. No action has been taken so far by the SP.
According to the ASP Malda, the
young men were arrested because Section 144 (banning assembly of more than 5
persons) had been imposed in the area. He claims that the civic volunteers were
informed in writing about this, but had still persisted in having their
meeting. The civic police on the other hand claim that they were informed that
they were violating Section 144 just minutes before their arrest, without
giving them even time to disperse. Press reports on the 1st
December claim that the DM and the Subdivisional Officer (SDO) who are
empowered to declare Section 144 also had not idea about the impostion of
Section 144.
The Malda incident is a continuation of a series of
actions being taken to suppress the movement of the civic police volunteers.
Just a few days ago, on 29 October 2014 the Civic Police Association of Hooghly
district organised a meeting at Arambagh Bus Terminal after giving prior
information to SP, DM and IC Arambagh Police Station. When 300 of them
assembled there, goons of the ruling party armed with lathis surrounded them
and threatened them for dire consequences. The President of Hooghly district
unit Subroto Hazra was confined till 7 pm and severely beaten up.
Earlier Ramchandra Poria, father of Sanjay Poria, the President of the
Association was threatened by armed goons of local ruling party to burn their
house and belongings if Sanjay got involved in movement of Civic Police.
Ramchnadra Poira was also told to stop his participation in the Paschim Banga
khet Majoor Samity, another member organisation of the Ossongothito Khetra
Sramik Sangrami Mancha.
The Mancha has decided to organise a public meeting in
Kolkata on 11-11-2014 to highlight various demands of unorganised sectors
workers and the undemocratic situation prevailing in the state.
We demand:
- Immediate reinstatement of dismissed Civic Police following Hon'be Calcutta High Court Order.
- Stop harassment and vicitimisation of Civic Police.
- Ensure gurrantee of constitutional right of 'Right to Association'.
for Ossongothito Khetra Shramik Sangrami Mancha
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