KOLKATA HIGH COURT ORDER

Collection Of Funds Organised To Fight

Case Against Biman Basu

ACTIVISTS, elected representatives, intellectuals, writers, theatre personalities and others came together in New Delhi to express solidarity with the ongoing struggle to protect the democratic rights of working people, achieved after years of struggle.

At a meeting ‘In Defence of the Right to Protest’, organised in the lawns of Vithal Bhai Patel House on April 19, all of them donated one rupee per person to CPI(M) Polit Bureau member, Biman Basu, to help him carry out the struggle against the Kolkata High Court judgement sentencing him to 3 days imprisonment for speaking up against its attempts to stifle the right to protest. He has moved the Supreme Court in appeal against this judgement and has undertaken such mass collections in Bengal also.

In Delhi, four cultural organisations, Jana Natya Manch, Janwadi Lekhak Sangh, Janasanskriti and Act One organised this solidarity programme. Speaking on this occasion, Biman Basu said he had decided to appeal against the Kolkata High Court judgment in the Supreme Court and to meet the expenses, he had decided to collect one rupee from every person. Saying he had great respect for the judiciary, Biman Basu however questioned what was wrong in the tribals taking out a procession in Kolkata on their genuine demands. This procession was used as the ground for the judgement. Basu pointed out that the toiling people of the country do not take out rallies/morchas for the sake of fun. These forms of protest were one of the important tools in their fight for their rights. He concluded b saying that the democratic structure of the country needed to be protected and for this the balance between the three pillars of democracy – parliament, executive and judiciary – needed to be maintained harmoniously.

After donating his one rupee, CPI(M) general secretary, Prakash Karat spoke to waiting media persons and said this fight was not just Biman Basu’s individual fight but concerned the entire nation’s democratic rights. Karat reiterated CPI(M)’s full support to this important fight being carried out by Biman Basu.

The four organisations in a press release stated that democratic rights have increasingly been coming under attack. “In particular, the judiciary seems to have taken it upon itself to pass strictures against rallies, strikes, bandhs, and other forms of protest.  This is undemocratic, since it takes away from common citizens the right to protest peacefully and engage in collective bargaining for improving their quality of life.

“It has to be understood that this is an issue that affects not only political parties and organisations, but also artists, intellectuals, journalists, and members of the intelligentsia since it has direct bearing on the issue of the freedom of expression” they said.

Jan Natya Manch secretary, Moloyshree Hashmi chaired the meeting. Among those present included CPI(M) Polit Bureau members, Chittabrata Majumdar and Brinda Karat, CPI secretary D Raja, Forward Block leader Devrajan, CPI(M) central committee members W R Varada Rajan, P Madhu, a number of CPI(M) MPs, mass organisation central leaders and others.

B Prasant reports from Kolkata

A few weeks back, CPI(M) Polit Bureau member, Biman Basu was adjudged by the Kolkata High Court as having committed contempt on the issue of a High Court judge’s direction against taking out of processions in the streets of the city.  Despite Biman Basu’s submission that he had not said anything out-of-line against the court of law, the High Court sentenced Biman Basu to three days’ of incarceration plus Rs 1000 as fine with one more day of incarceration in case the fine was not paid.

Biman Basu received a four weeks worth of stay on this order.  He preferred to appeal against the order at the Supreme Court.  Biman Basu declared that he would collect funds to the tune of Re one per person to muster the financial strength necessary to fight the case.  He has declared that he would not burden the Bengal CPI(M) with the costs of the case.  State secretary of the CPI(M), Anil Biswas said that every member of the CPI(M) would pitch in with Re one and collect Re one each from other people.

Accordingly, on April 15, Biman Basu led the collection drive not only in places in the city but also at Salt Lake and at Kalyani in Nadia.  In Kolkata, Biman Basu collected funds from the people who came in thousands near the Ganashakti Bhavan. Earlier, he had been at the Nandan cine complex to collect funds.  Bucketfuls of Re one coins and notes were collected, and there was a big rush to help Basu with his court case.  The money remaining in excess after the court case was over would be donated to the Bengal chief minister’s fund for legal aid, Biman Basu said.

In a brief address, Biman Basu said that since the court sentence was passed in a case where he had spoken about the right of the people to organise processions, he had gone to the people for help to fight the case at the Supreme Court. Anil Biswas said that the more important issue at hand was the cause for which the collection was being made.  The CPI(M) never wants the honour of the courts of law to be breached in any manner whatsoever.

However, said the CPI(M) leader, there were certain developments taking place against which popular movements were necessary.  The programme that was undertaken, explained Biswas, was also meant to further strengthen the basis of the judicial system.  Biswas commented that it must be ensured that no doubts persisted in the minds of the people about the judiciary.

Biman Basu subsequently went to Bhangar in south 24 Parganas and to Kalyani in Nadia where, too, the fund collection drive was notably successful with massive popular participation.  CITU leader, Shyamal Chakraborty has said that more funds would be collected at the NPMO rally held in Kolkata on April 17 where CPI(M) leader, Jyoti Basu would be present.