July 19, 2019
From Parliament to protests to MP team visit: Trinamool stands by UP tribal massacre victims
The atrocious and ghastly massacre of 10 tribal farmers last Wednesday in Ubbha village in UP’s Sunbhadra by hired goons of rich landlords is highly condemnable and reflects starkly on the law and order situation in the BJP-governed state. The deceased include three women, and 21 others have had to be hospitalised.
The black-mark incident was raised in the Rajya Sabha today by Trinamool MP Sukhendu Sekhar Roy during discussions on private members’ bills, wherein he highlighted that despite Article 21 of the Constitution guaranteeing protection of life and personal liberty and the SC&ST (prevention of atrocities) Act, such an incident has happened in this day and time. He urged the Home Minister to make a statement in the House, saying what steps the National Commission on SC&ST and the government, both Central and state, were taking. Why no advisory has been sent to the UP government in this case, he asked.
A huge protest demonstration was held in the evening today by the Trinamool Mahila Congress members near the Gandhi Statue on Kolkata’s Mayo Road. Banners and posters harked, “We condemn the brutal attack on Dalits in UP under BJP rule. The BJP has always been anti-Dalit, anti-tribal, anti-poor.” The congregation demanded that the culprits be arrested and punished, and the UP government take strong steps to prevent such killings of the poor and downtrodden. Bangla minister Shashi Panja voiced party leader Mamata Banerjee’s concern, saying that BJP-led governments were mounting atrocities on the marginalised.
To further highlight the grave nature of the incident and stand by the families of the victims of the mass killing as well as meet the injured, a four-member Trinamool Parliamentary delegation is going to Ubbha Village in UP tomorrow. Led by the party’s leader in Rajya Sabha and chief national spokesperson Derek O’Brien, the other members in the team comprise MPs Sunil Mondal and Abir Ranjan Biswas, and former MP Uma Soren.
