PRAGOTI

In the “theatre of the absurd” of West Bengal’s politics today, what was a serious case of an unexplained death of a student leader in police custody has now been rendered “small and petty”, and an untoward incident in Delhi which comes much closer to that description, has become an excuse for the ruling party to go on a vengeful rampage across the state. The question before all peace loving and democratic minded people in West Bengal is whether such absurdity should be allowed to prevail? Shouldn’t we demand an end to this disgraceful eye-for-an-eye approach in politics and reassert the voices of reason and sanity?

Sudipto Gupta, a 23 year old bright student, was a leading left student activist of SFI committed to change the society for a better one. He made his choice early in life - to work for the betterment of society. In one of the most horrific incidents in Kolkata, he was beaten to death in police custody after he had courted arrest. What was his fault? He was not demanding anything for himself. He and his comrades were agitating peacefully demanding student union elections in West Bengal, which is a fundamental right of any student. The fact that a student has been beaten to death for demanding student union election shows the abyss that West Bengal has reached with the so called ‘pariborton’ in the state.

"What we need in India today is a popular counter-offensive against the neoliberal establishment, which has now decided to attack the working people to buttress its rule. This obviously requires the unity of left, democratic and progressive forces."