West Bengal chief minister and enfant terrible Mamata Banerjee seems to be a law unto herself, what with her penchant for branding every controversy and unsavoury incident involving her party and government a Communist or then Maoist conspiracy to defame and malign her government and every citizen who summons the courage to question her government's policies and programmes a Maoist if not Maoist sympathiser........
She rode into Writers' Building on the back of tall promises to usher in an era of "Poribartan" (drastic change) and complete disconnect from the so called "Stalinist " rule of the Communists, but, the more things supposedly change, the more they remain the same and Mamata certainly seems to be beating the Communists hollow at the "suppression" game.....
In the latest incident of police brutality, subservience to the chief minister and utter disdain for the fourth estate (press and media), three local journalists were mercilessly caned by the police forces when there was an unruly scramble for space during a programme graced by both the West Bengal Governor as well as the chief minister on Thursday........
The above mentioned function or programme was hastily organised within the compound of the newly relocated state secretariat and the space allocated to the members of the fourth estate to cover the release the State Government's first ever "Administrative Calendar" was so confined and claustrophobic that the photo journalists, pen pushers and men in khakhi were soon jostling each other for some much desired elbow room.......
In fact, so narrow, confined and congested was the area that the photo journalists and other photographers were soon pushed beyond the confines of the area allocated to them and infringing on the space appropriated by the police and other para military forces who were assigned the duty of providing security to the politicians and other luminairies on the dais........
In their misplaced zeal to prove their undying and unswerving loyalty to their political masters the policemen who had gathered there in strength soon began raining batons and lathis on the journalists gathered there irrespective of sex, age and physical infirmities.........
On being asked why the policemen on duty were pushing, shoving and crudely manhandling them; the Assistant Commissioner's pyrrhic and gloating reply or rejoinder was "because we have the right and political mandate to do so".......
Journalists who took offence and umbrage at the pompous remark of the Assistant Commissioner and registered their protest by raising slogans against him soon found themselves at the wrong end of the lathis and batons and being caned and beaten up without as much as a by your leave by the goons and goondas in police uniforms.......
Three journalists including a reporter from the vernacular daily "Bartamaan" and the lensman of the Bangladesh based publication "Pratham Aalo" were grievously injured in the carnage and utter mayhem and had to be rushed to a nearby corporate hospital.........
The carnage and utter mayhem only came to an end when a few journalists managed to draw the governors' attention to the brutality and his secretary and Man Friday began admonishing the police forces for their boorish and bombastic behaviour........
On his part, the governor assured the gathered press persons that no effort will be spared in bringing the guilty and errant policemen to book and even took the time out to go and visit the seriously injured pressmen in the hospital where they were taken.....
As is her wont, the chief minister maintained a studied and stoic silence on the sordid episode while a few of her party men and ministers even ventured as far as squarely laying the entire blame for the fracas, imbroglio and sorry state of affairs at the door steps of the members of the fourth estate deputed to cover the official function.........
The Kolkatan media persons are now living in hope and praying that the governor as well as DIG's promise of bringing the guilty and errant police personnel to book.......
As for the chief minister and her "love hate" relationship with the fourth estate, the less said the better.........
She rode into Writers' Building on the back of tall promises to usher in an era of "Poribartan" (drastic change) and complete disconnect from the so called "Stalinist " rule of the Communists, but, the more things supposedly change, the more they remain the same and Mamata certainly seems to be beating the Communists hollow at the "suppression" game.....
In the latest incident of police brutality, subservience to the chief minister and utter disdain for the fourth estate (press and media), three local journalists were mercilessly caned by the police forces when there was an unruly scramble for space during a programme graced by both the West Bengal Governor as well as the chief minister on Thursday........
The above mentioned function or programme was hastily organised within the compound of the newly relocated state secretariat and the space allocated to the members of the fourth estate to cover the release the State Government's first ever "Administrative Calendar" was so confined and claustrophobic that the photo journalists, pen pushers and men in khakhi were soon jostling each other for some much desired elbow room.......
In fact, so narrow, confined and congested was the area that the photo journalists and other photographers were soon pushed beyond the confines of the area allocated to them and infringing on the space appropriated by the police and other para military forces who were assigned the duty of providing security to the politicians and other luminairies on the dais........
In their misplaced zeal to prove their undying and unswerving loyalty to their political masters the policemen who had gathered there in strength soon began raining batons and lathis on the journalists gathered there irrespective of sex, age and physical infirmities.........
On being asked why the policemen on duty were pushing, shoving and crudely manhandling them; the Assistant Commissioner's pyrrhic and gloating reply or rejoinder was "because we have the right and political mandate to do so".......
Journalists who took offence and umbrage at the pompous remark of the Assistant Commissioner and registered their protest by raising slogans against him soon found themselves at the wrong end of the lathis and batons and being caned and beaten up without as much as a by your leave by the goons and goondas in police uniforms.......
Three journalists including a reporter from the vernacular daily "Bartamaan" and the lensman of the Bangladesh based publication "Pratham Aalo" were grievously injured in the carnage and utter mayhem and had to be rushed to a nearby corporate hospital.........
The carnage and utter mayhem only came to an end when a few journalists managed to draw the governors' attention to the brutality and his secretary and Man Friday began admonishing the police forces for their boorish and bombastic behaviour........
On his part, the governor assured the gathered press persons that no effort will be spared in bringing the guilty and errant policemen to book and even took the time out to go and visit the seriously injured pressmen in the hospital where they were taken.....
As is her wont, the chief minister maintained a studied and stoic silence on the sordid episode while a few of her party men and ministers even ventured as far as squarely laying the entire blame for the fracas, imbroglio and sorry state of affairs at the door steps of the members of the fourth estate deputed to cover the official function.........
The Kolkatan media persons are now living in hope and praying that the governor as well as DIG's promise of bringing the guilty and errant police personnel to book.......
As for the chief minister and her "love hate" relationship with the fourth estate, the less said the better.........
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