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| caption = | | caption = | ||
| date = 21 July 1993 | | date = 21 July 1993 | ||
| place = [[Esplanade, Kolkata|Esplanade]] | | place = [[Esplanade, Kolkata|Esplanade]], Kolkata, West Bengal, [[India]] | ||
| coordinates = | | coordinates = | ||
| causes = | | causes = | ||
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| result = | | result = | ||
| side1 = [[Government of West Bengal]] | | side1 = [[Government of West Bengal]] | ||
*[[West Bengal | *[[Kolkata Police|Calcutta Police]] | ||
[[Left Front (West Bengal)|Left Front]] | |||
*[[Communist Party of India (Marxist)]] | |||
| side2 = [[Indian National Congress]] | | side2 = [[Indian National Congress]] | ||
*[[Indian Youth Congress]] | *[[Indian Youth Congress]] | ||
| leadfigures1 = [[ | | leadfigures1 = [[Jyoti Basu]] (Chief Minister of West Bengal)<br>[[Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee]] | ||
| leadfigures2 = [[Mamata Banerjee]] | | leadfigures2 = [[Mamata Banerjee]] (Leader) | ||
| howmany1 = | | howmany1 = | ||
| howmany2 = | | howmany2 = | ||
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| sidebox = | | sidebox = | ||
}} | }} | ||
'''1993 Kolkata Firing''' was an incident of firing by [[Kolkata Police]] in 1993 on [[Indian National Congress]] workers. The State Youth Congress led by [[Mamata Banerjee]] had organised a [[protest march]] to [[Writers Building]] on 21 July 1993 against then Communist government of the state demanding photo voter identity cards be made mandatory to ensure fair elections. The Police fired on the protesters killing 13 people and injuring many others. | '''1993 Kolkata Firing''' was an incident of firing by [[Kolkata Police|Calcutta Police]] in 1993 on [[Indian National Congress]] workers. The State Youth Congress led by [[Mamata Banerjee]] had organised a [[protest march]] to [[Writers Building]] on 21 July 1993 against the then Communist government of the state, demanding photo voter identity cards be made mandatory to ensure fair elections. The Police fired on the protesters killing 13 people and injuring many others. | ||
The [[All India Trinamool Congress|Trinamool Congress]] on assuming power in 2011 constituted one-man commission of Justice (retired) Sushanto Chattopadhyay, a former Chief Justice of [[Orissa High Court]] to investigate the incident.<ref name=head/> | The [[All India Trinamool Congress|Trinamool Congress]] on assuming power in 2011 constituted one-man commission of Justice (retired) Sushanto Chattopadhyay, a former Chief Justice of [[Orissa High Court]] to investigate the incident.<ref name=head/> | ||
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==Aftermath== | ==Aftermath== | ||
Union Home Minister [[Shankarrao Chavan|S. B. Chavan]], who had rushed to Calcutta after the incident, advised the state Government to order a judicial probe into the incident. However, no probe was ordered by the Chief Minister, [[Jyoti Basu]], who supported the police actions saying they had "done a good job" in preventing the alleged attempted siege of the Writers' Building.<ref name=today1993>{{cite web | title = Tushar Talukdar become one of the most controversial police commissioners of Calcutta|publisher=India Today | url = http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/tushar-talukdar-become-one-of-the-most-controversial-police-commissioners-of-calcutta/1/302829.html |author=Soutik Biswas|date= 31 August 1993|access-date = 28 February 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/kolkata/1993-kolkata-police-firing-worse-than-jalianwallah-bagh/article10963265.ece|title=Report on Kolkata firing may spark a fresh row|first=Suvojit|last=Bagchi|date=29 December 2014|via=www.thehindu.com}}</ref> | Union Home Minister [[Shankarrao Chavan|S. B. Chavan]], who had rushed to Calcutta after the incident, advised the state Government to order a judicial probe into the incident. However, no probe was ordered by the Chief Minister, [[Jyoti Basu]], who supported the police actions saying they had "done a good job" in preventing the alleged attempted siege of the Writers' Building.<ref name=today1993>{{cite web | title = Tushar Talukdar become one of the most controversial police commissioners of Calcutta|publisher=India Today | url = http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/tushar-talukdar-become-one-of-the-most-controversial-police-commissioners-of-calcutta/1/302829.html |author=Soutik Biswas|date= 31 August 1993|access-date = 28 February 2014 }}</ref><ref name=thehindu>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/kolkata/1993-kolkata-police-firing-worse-than-jalianwallah-bagh/article10963265.ece|title=Report on Kolkata firing may spark a fresh row|first=Suvojit|last=Bagchi|date=29 December 2014|via=www.thehindu.com}}</ref> | ||
An executive inquiry was subsequently undertaken; Kanwaljit Singh, then joint CP in charge of Writers' Building carried out the executive inquiry for Dorina Crossing events, while D. C. Vajpai investigated the Mayo Road events. 21 years later these officials informed an inquiry commission that reports files have been missing both from the Kolkata police headquarters at [[Lalbazar]] and the state secretariat at Writers' Building.<ref name=toi/> | An executive inquiry was subsequently undertaken; Kanwaljit Singh, then joint CP in charge of Writers' Building carried out the executive inquiry for Dorina Crossing events, while D. C. Vajpai investigated the Mayo Road events. 21 years later these officials informed an inquiry commission that reports files have been missing both from the Kolkata police headquarters at [[Lalbazar]] and the state secretariat at Writers' Building.<ref name=toi/> | ||
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==2011 Inquiry== | ==2011 Inquiry== | ||
Mamata Banerjee eventually became the Chief Minister of West Bengal in 2011, and in May 2011, the state government formed a judicial commission, headed by Sushanto Chattopadhyay, a former Chief Justice of [[Orissa High Court]], to inquire into the police firing. Most of the politicians of the time deposed statements with the commission, including [[Biman Bose]], state chief of the West Bengal [[Communist Party of India (Marxist)|Communist Party of India]],<ref name=head/> and [[Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee]], former West Bengal chief minister, who was then [[Ministry of Information & Cultural Affairs (West Bengal)|Information and Cultural Affairs minister]] in the Jyoti Basu-led state [[Government of West Bengal]] | Mamata Banerjee eventually became the Chief Minister of West Bengal in 2011, and in May 2011, the state government formed a judicial commission, headed by Sushanto Chattopadhyay, a former Chief Justice of [[Orissa High Court]], to inquire into the police firing. Most of the politicians of the time deposed statements with the commission, including [[Biman Bose]], state chief of the West Bengal [[Communist Party of India (Marxist)|Communist Party of India]],<ref name=head/> and [[Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee]], former West Bengal chief minister, who was then [[Ministry of Information & Cultural Affairs (West Bengal)|Information and Cultural Affairs minister]] in the Jyoti Basu-led state [[Government of West Bengal]] and also in charge of the [[Kolkata Police|Calcutta Police]]. In his 50-minute deposition on 26 February 2014, Bhattacharjee justified the firing and also stated, "At that time, in principle I did not feel the need for judicial inquiry and I still stick to my views."<ref name=today/><ref>{{cite web | title = Buddhadeb justifies 1993 police firing on Youth Cong. Workers |publisher= Business Standard | url = http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/buddhadeb-justifies-1993-police-firing-on-youth-cong-workers-114022600698_1.html|date=26 February 2014| access-date = 28 February 2014 }}</ref> | ||
Also in the month of February 2014, five former police officers of the period were summoned twice in front on the panel. This included, Tushar Talukdar (then police commissioner), D C Vajpai (then additional CP), R K Johry (former joint CP), N K Singh (former DC-south) and Kanwaljit Singh (then joint CP in charge of Writers). The home secretary during 1993, [[Manish Gupta (politician)|Manish Gupta]], who is now power minister in ruling state cabinet, in his deposition stated that he was against police firing.<ref name=toi>{{cite web| title = July 21 probe panel won't summon Mamata Banerjee | url = http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/July-21-probe-panel-wont-summon-Mamata-Banerjee/articleshow/29920083.cms |author=Debashis Konar|date= 6 February 2014|access-date = 28 February 2014 | work = The Times of India}}</ref> On 20 February, on a petition filed by three retired IPS officers, Dinesh Vajpai, RK Juhuri and Nawal Kishore Singh challenging a notice served to them by the commission. On 28 January, the [[Calcutta High Court]] stayed the notice. This was in accordance of its previous 2011 judgement that "the commission may summon the three former IPS officers after completing the deposition of all other witnesses". Final verdict is however awaited.<ref>{{cite web | title = HC stays former cops' deposition| url = http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/HC-stays-former-cops-deposition/articleshow/30699206.cms |date= 20 February 2014| access-date = 28 February 2014 | work = The Times of India}}</ref> | Also in the month of February 2014, five former police officers of the period were summoned twice in front on the panel. This included, Tushar Talukdar (then police commissioner), D C Vajpai (then additional CP), R K Johry (former joint CP), N K Singh (former DC-south) and Kanwaljit Singh (then joint CP in charge of Writers). The home secretary during 1993, [[Manish Gupta (politician)|Manish Gupta]], who is now power minister in ruling state cabinet, in his deposition stated that he was against police firing.<ref name=toi>{{cite web| title = July 21 probe panel won't summon Mamata Banerjee | url = http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/July-21-probe-panel-wont-summon-Mamata-Banerjee/articleshow/29920083.cms |author=Debashis Konar|date= 6 February 2014|access-date = 28 February 2014 | work = The Times of India}}</ref> On 20 February, on a petition filed by three retired IPS officers, Dinesh Vajpai, RK Juhuri and Nawal Kishore Singh challenging a notice served to them by the commission. On 28 January, the [[Calcutta High Court]] stayed the notice. This was in accordance of its previous 2011 judgement that "the commission may summon the three former IPS officers after completing the deposition of all other witnesses". Final verdict is however awaited.<ref>{{cite web | title = HC stays former cops' deposition| url = http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/HC-stays-former-cops-deposition/articleshow/30699206.cms |date= 20 February 2014| access-date = 28 February 2014 | work = The Times of India}}</ref> | ||
To date, the panel has heard 350 witnesses, and is expected to submit its report by April 2014. As the victims were from lower-middle-class families and did not have any criminal record, their families are expected to receive monetary compensation.<ref name=toi/> | To date, the panel has heard 350 witnesses, and is expected to submit its report by April 2014. As the victims were from lower-middle-class families and did not have any criminal record, their families are expected to receive monetary compensation.<ref name=toi/> During the 2014 inquiry, Justice (retired) Sushanta Chatterjee, former Chief Justice of the Orissa High Court described the police response as “unprovoked and unconstitutional”. “The commission has come to the conclusion that the case is even worse than Jallianwala Bagh massacre,” said Justice Chatterjee.<ref name=thehindu/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/assembly-elections-2011/west-bengal/looking-back-at-july-21-1993/articleshow/8310909.cms|title=Looking back at July 21, 1993|website=Times of India|date=14 May 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/politics/what-happened-on-july-21-1993/|title=What had happened on July 21 1993 at Writers’ building in West Bengal?|date=29 December 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/what-happened-on-july-21-1993/cid/1266400|title=What happened on July 21, 1993|website=www.telegraphindia.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.millenniumpost.in/why-bengal-can-never-forget-21-july-5597|title=Why Bengal can never forget 21 July|website=www.millenniumpost.in|date=21 July 2012}}</ref> | ||
==See also== | ==See also== | ||
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[[Category:History of the Indian National Congress]] | [[Category:History of the Indian National Congress]] | ||
[[Category:All India Trinamool Congress]] | [[Category:All India Trinamool Congress]] | ||
[[Category:Police brutality]] | [[Category:Police brutality in India]] | ||
[[Category:Politics of Kolkata]] | [[Category:Politics of Kolkata]] | ||
[[Category:July 1993 events in Asia]] | [[Category:July 1993 events in Asia]] | ||