The Calcutta High Court has directed the Mamata Banerjee faction of Trinamool Congress (TMC) to shift its annual Martyrs’ Day rally away from its traditional venue in front of Victoria House at Esplanade this year. The court cited serious traffic concerns, bringing an end to the long-standing practice of holding the event at that location.
Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya, while hearing a plea moved by TMC Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien, made it clear that a large gathering right in front of Victoria House, the headquarters building of CESC at Chowringhee Square, would choke the arterial Chittaranjan Avenue in the heart of the city. The court noted that two other political programmes on Martyrs’ Day had already been permitted by the police for July 21 and therefore directed the official TMC faction to hold its event on one side of the road in front of Birla Planetarium near Victoria Memorial Hall, while keeping the other side open for traffic. Adequate police arrangements have also been ordered.
July 21 is observed as Shahid Diwas or Martyrs’ Day to commemorate the 13 Congress and Youth Congress workers who were killed during a rally in 1993. At the time, Mamata Banerjee was the president of the Youth Congress. For decades, TMC has traditionally organised the Martyrs’ Day rally on the open ground in front of Victoria House at Esplanade, claiming the political legacy of the day.
This year, however, the arrangements are different, as three different events are being held. The rebel TMC faction led by Ritabrata Banerjee, and the Congress party are also organising separate events on the day. Kolkata Police has already granted permission to the two groups to organise the events at two different places. The rebel TMC faction has been allowed to hold its programme at Mayo Road in front of Mahatma Gandhi’s statue, while the Congress party, seeking to reclaim the legacy, will organise its event at the Shahid Minar ground.
The official TMC faction had applied to hold the event at its traditional venue in front of the Victoria House, but the permission was denied under prohibitory orders issued by the govt. It may be noted that Victoria House is a separate British era structure, separate from the more famous Victoria Memorial located at the south of the Brigade Parade Ground, commonly known as the Maidan.
The party had approached the High Court challenging the denial. During the hearing today, the court rejected the traditional venue due to the risk of severe traffic disruption and logistical problems in the busy Esplanade area. The Court noted that a Division Bench had already directed that no rallies be held in front of Victoria House. The High Court further observed that permitting the meeting at Victoria House would choke a major traffic point and that holding three programmes in close proximity on the same day could create law and order problems.
Advocate General Surajit Nath Mitra opposed the request to hold the meeting near Victoria House, contending that two other organisations had already been granted permission for programmes in the area and that another gathering would create law and order concerns. The State suggested Wellington Square as an alternative venue, and also proposed the bigger Brigade Parade Ground if the expected crowd exceeded 10,000.
But TMC insisted on a place near the Esplanade area because of its historical significance, and the party suggested the road in front of the Birla Planetarium. The court accepted this alternative, stipulating that only one side of the road will be used for the event, keeping the other side open for traffic.
The Court directed that the meeting be held between 12 pm and 3:30 pm, and the number of participants should not exceed 3,000. The court further ordered the police to deploy adequate personnel to ensure that no untoward incident takes place during the programme.
Notably, all three venues are located in or around the Maidan area. With the court order now in place, Kolkata will see three separate Martyrs’ Day programmes on July 21, by the official TMC at Birla Planetarium, the rebel TMC faction at Mayo Road, and the Congress at Shahid Minar, marking a clear departure from the single traditional rally that had been held for years in front of Victoria House.
