Left calls it right: 12-hour strike
With Congress, they will protest high-handed police posture
The enthusiasm of students of West Bengal who were scheduled to attend their schools after a year from February 12 got spoilt as the Left Front and Congress called for a 12-hour strike following the lathi-charge of the Kolkata Police on the members of the Left Front student wing during their march to the West Bengal secretariat.
Demanding employment and industrialisation, 10 student union wings of the Left Front on Thursday started their protest rally towards Nabanna, but the congregation was stopped at the Esplanade area of Central
Kolkata. When the student wings tried to break open the barricades, the police used lathis and water cannons on
them and fired tear gas leaving several CPI (M) cadres injured.
Several students were admitted to SSKM and Kolkata Medical College hospitals.
Talking to the Free Press Journal, Aditi Sinha Roy of SFI said that the police had manhandled women students and tried to disrupt the rally intentionally.
“Several exams are due. Future of many students is uncertain and despite passing exams most of us are jobless. So, we were taking our protest to Nabanna. The police suddenly became aggressive and first fired tear gas,” mentioned a student who sustained a leg injury.
A section of protesting students was also seen chanting anti-state government slogans in front of the North gate of the state secretariat. They were arrested.