July 22, 2013
Mamata Banerjee pays homage to the martyrs of Ekushe July
Mamata Banerjee`s Facebook post on Ekushe July
`Today is 21st July.
On this date in 1993, a democratic movement was going on in Bengal with the demand, `no voter ID, no vote`. Police fired indiscriminately on the peaceful demonstrators at Kolkata.
13 people died and more than 100 were injured.
Every year, we commemorate this day as `Sahid Dibas` and hold a large congregation in Kolkata, where people from far-flung villages come to participate.
This year, for the first time, we are unable to hold this commemoration meeting on 21st July due to the ongoing one-month long panchayat election. Tomorrow, the 4th phase of elections will be held for Birbhum, Nadia, Murshidabad and Malda districts.
So we are dedicating 21st August of this year to hold 'Sahid Dibas'.
Today, on this occasion, we remember our colleagues whom we lost and extend our solidarity to all those who laid down their lives towards the cause of democratic movements worldwide.`
`This year, as I have already shared with you, we would be celebrating Sahid Dibas on 21st August. Still I went and laid wreaths to pay our homage to the thirteen valiant souls whom we lost on the fateful day of 21st July, 1993.`
