Tag Archives: Bhangar

Open Letter To Chief Minister, West Bengal

Posted on January 12, 2018 | Leave a comment

To,

The Chief Minister,

West Bengal

Madam,

Women Against Sexual Violence and State Repression (WSS), a nationwide network of women who oppose and resist state repression and sexual violence against women and girls, strongly condemns your government’s anti-people, anti-democratic actions in unleashing state terror against the struggling people of Bhangor.

Madam, your misuse of state power to crush a people’s movement is even more ironic, given that you came into power on the promise of a pro-people, democratic government. Instead, in the eight years of your rule, your government has grown ever more autocratic and anti-people. Continue reading →

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Towering Resistance: A Report on the Bhangar Movement Against the Power Grid

Posted on June 19, 2017 | Leave a comment

A 12 member team of WSS visited Bhangar in early March, 2017, and met with affected villagers and concerned officials, in order to understand the origins and impetus behind the massive resistance movement against the power grid project being undertaken by Power Grid Corporation of India (PGCIL). This report is based on our visit to the area, public documents and media reports from the area.

You can access the full report at the following link : TOWERING RESISTANCE

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Grand Rally at College Square, Kolkata to Demand Release of Sharmistha Chowdhury And All Other Prisoners Of Bhangar Movement

Posted on May 4, 2017 | 1 comment

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WSS Statement on State Repression on the Anti-Land-Grab Movement in Bhangar, West Bengal

Posted on February 6, 2017 | Leave a comment

CONDEMN STATE REPRESSION AND ARBITRAY ARRRESTS OF THE WEST BENGAL GOVERNMENT
SUPPORT THE ANTI-LAND GRAB MOVEMENT OF THE PEOPLE OF BHANGAR, SOUTH 24 PARGANAS

A NOTE BY WOMEN AGAINST SEXUAL VIOLENCE AND STATE REPRESSION (WSS)

FEBRUARY 6, 2017

WSS stands with the struggling people of Bhangar against the severe repression unleashed by the state in order to establish a power grid and high power transmission lines across the area by force. In the course of this struggle:

  • Two people have died as a result of bullet wounds inflicted by the police and armed goons while several more people have been beaten and injured.
  • On 22 January 2017, K. N. Ramachandran, General Secretary of CPI (ML) Red Star, was overpowered, blindfolded and abducted as he arrived at Howrah station. He was detained for twenty six hours by the police without being produced in court or any information provided to his family before finally being released without the money in his pocket with which to proceed to the location of the protests.
  • On the evening of 25 January 2017, Sharmishtha Chowdhury (a member of WSS), Shahnawaz Mandal and Pradip Singh Thakur have also been picked up by the police around 6:30 pm from Panapukur in Bhangar area. A staggering array of false charges have been slapped on her
    and 35 other people including other members of WSS, under sections of the IPC for allegedly inciting violence, instigating people, destruction of public property and various sections of the Arms and Explosives Acts, in FIR No. 339/17 dated 18.01.17.
  • On 18.01.17. itself, 11 persons including 2 juveniles were arrested, of which the two juveniles have obtained bail as of 25.1.17.
  • Since then, Sharmishtha Chowdhury, Shahnawaz Mandal and Pradip Singh have been held for eight days in police custody during which they were not allowed to meet family nor even allowed to take essential medicines which their families brought for them.
  • Finally, attempt is being made to add sections 18 and 19 of the draconian Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) for which we await the next hearing.

Continue reading →

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