Toongate: Kolkata continues to protest
April 16th, 2012 - 11:13 pm ICT by IANS
Kolkata, April 16 (IANS) Kolkata Monday continued to be rocked by protests over the arrest of Jadavpur University professor Ambikesh Mahapatra for allegedly circulating ‘defamatory’ cartoons targeting West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Intellectuals and commoners continued to pour their anguish over the issue which they see as a blatant attack on democracy and freedom of speech and expression.
Painter Wasim Kapoor and noted academician Pabitra Sarkar were among a host of intellectuals who gathered to protest and voice their concern over the latest instance of crackdown on activists and ordinary citizens.
Association for Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR) - a civil rights organisation also came out in support of Mahapatra.
“The arrest of Mahapatra was a direct attack on the freedom of speech and expression. The culprits who assaulted him and made a malicious complaint leading to his arrest were let off easily. People should and must come out in protests against this,” APDR’s Sujato Bhadra said.
Hundreds of residents of the New Garia cooperative housing society - where Mahapatra lives - had also taken out a silent protest rally on Sunday.
Condemning the arrest of Mahapatra and Partho Sarathi Ray, a molecular biologist at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), leading scientists and intellectuals from India and abroad have written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh seeking his intervention in the matter.
Ray was arrested earlier this month over his alleged role in protests against recent evictions from a slum in the city.
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- Anger in Bengal over professor's arrest (Lead) - Apr 14, 2012
- Chomsky, others write to PM protesting Bengal police excesses - Apr 16, 2012
- Partial fascism or right move - Bengal divided on Mamata's act - Apr 14, 2012
- Intellectuals protest Mamata regime's 'irrationality' - Apr 17, 2012
- Mamata's intolerance thrusting celebrity status on commoners - Sep 19, 2012
- Social media a reality: Khurshid - Apr 21, 2012
- Jadavpore professor arrested for Mamata cartoons, granted bail (Second Lead) - Apr 13, 2012
- This is not the change we wanted: Bengal intellectuals - Apr 17, 2012
- Professor, neighbour arrested for Mamata cartoon (Lead) - Apr 13, 2012
- Toongate: Mamata lashes out against professor, calls it cyber crime - May 12, 2012
- Jadavpur professor concerned about his family's security - Apr 14, 2012
- Under Didi, Bengal gets a controversy a day (West Bengal Newsletter) - Apr 15, 2012
- Two Bengal professors asked to explain 'anti-government comments' - Jun 08, 2012
- Four 'Trinamool workers' held for thrashing professor (Lead) - Apr 14, 2012
Tags: apdr, bhadra, blatant attack, citizens association, civil rights organisation, cooperative housing, democratic rights, freedom of speech, housing society, indian institute of science, indian institute of science education and research, jadavpur university, manmohan singh, molecular biologist, ordinary citizens, prime minister manmohan, prime minister manmohan singh, protest rally, silent protest, west bengal