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| To try and counter Saturday’s student rally, Team Trinamul fielded the young and old, the poster and placard, the shout and slogan... on Monday afternoon |
HERDED OUT OF CLASSROOM, CLUELESS AT THE RALLY
She was one of the 150-odd students from Polerhat High School in Bhangar, around 30km from the city, who were taken out of their classrooms and herded into buses to attend the Trinamul Congress rally on Monday.
The Class XII student — she requested Metro not to identify her — was a clear misfit in the group as she walked the 2.3km from Academy of Fine Arts to Mayo Road carrying a hand-written placard and holding it in front of her face every time a TV or still camera zoomed in. “Please don’t take my photos. My father doesn’t know I am here,” she pleaded.
This is her account to Metro:
“I had barely reached school after cycling for more than 30 minutes on Monday morning when two dadas and one of our teachers came to the classroom and said we had to leave for a rally in Calcutta.
“I was not feeling well and had thought of skipping school today. But I had to copy some notes from a friend at school and so I went to school. I told Sir that but he asked all of us to accompany him and assured us that we would return soon.
“Within moments, several other students and I were made to board a private bus standing outside our school. That was around 11am. We were told not to carry our schoolbags and that we would be given water bottles and refreshments on the way.
“After travelling for around two hours we were asked to get down in front of Victoria Memorial. I could recognise the white building as I had been here twice with my parents and have seen it several times on TV. The teacher accompanying us had even promised that he would take us for a stroll inside the park if the rally ends quickly.
“All of us then stood in a queue and began walking till we reached a large gathering where many of us were handed hand-written posters and placards and asked to walk with the rally. I asked my teacher how far we would have to walk and what the rally was all about. But he said he would tell us later and asked us to keep walking.
“I did not even know for which political party we were walking till we came here and even after walking half the distance, I don’t know why we are walking and what are we protesting.
“My parents do not allow me to come to school even during students’ or guardians’ protests on campus and if they see me on TV walking in a rally in Calcutta, instead of being in school, I don’t know what will happen to me.”
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Prabhas Mondal,
private tutor
Resident of: New Town
I walked because: “CPM is alleging that the VC has molested a young girl. We protest against such allegations. Some outsiders had gheraoed the VC at his office till 4am. How can someone have the physical strength to molest a girl right after coming out from a nightlong gherao?”
Debu Patra,
runs syndicate business
Resident of: Jatragachi, Rajarhat
I walked because: “I oppose the way the students at Jadavpur University have held the headmaster captive for several days. They should immediately release him.”
Kunal Karmakar,
second-year BA (general) student
Resident of: Behala
I walked because: “I protest against the way some outsiders kidnapped the VC at Jadavpur University and the way police beat up TMCP supporters who tried to save the VC.”
Bhaiyya Mallick 37,
driver
Resident of: Lake Town
I walked because: “I don’t know. The party asked me to come and so I joined the rally.”
Salman Mondal
second-year BA (general) student
Resident of: Garia
I walked because: “Some SFI supporters had gheraoed and assaulted the general secretary of TMCP union at Jadavpur University. We are protesting against such an act and demand their arrest.”
Sabita Nandi
second-year BA (general) student
Resident of: Garia
I walked because: “I am not very sure about the issue. I think it is regarding some teachers beaten up by police inside Jadavpur University. Many of my friends were coming to the rally, so I joined in.”
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