Mamata 'regrets' death of SFI student leader, but what about action?

After strong protests in Bengal and other parts of the country over the Students Federation of India (SFI) student leader’s death, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that the death, like all other deaths, was unfortunate. The CM also promised to provide all help to the 22-year-old student’s family. “Any death is unfortunate. A human being has died. We have also lost a lot of our workers. I will do everthing possible to help the family,” she said.  Banerjee added that she would visit the other students who have been injured during the protest. However, when asked whether any inquiry will be conducted, she said, “This was an accident. Cannot say anything more.” [caption id=“attachment_684224” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. AFP[/caption] While Mamata Banerjee and her senior cabinet colleagues attended the IPL inauguration ceremony, a 22-year-old student died of injuries sustained in police custody. The incident occurred when hundreds of supporters of the SFI hit the streets to protest against the state higher education department’s decision to stall student union elections at all educational institutions for the next six months. SFI members claim that Sudipta Gupta, an MA student in the Rabindra Bharati University, died after he was “brutally hit by policemen on his head and face” that led to him falling from the bus in which he was being taken to jail. The police, however, termed it as an accident saying he collided against a lamp post, which caused his death. “A group of (SFI) supporters, who were being taken to the jail in a bus, had a verbal altercation with the home guard and a constable inside the bus. The altercation led to jostling at the gate where few students were leaning out and shouting slogans. It was unfortunate that this 22-year-old got hit against a lamp post in the melee,” said Javed Shamin, Joint Commissioner of Police. Blaming the Mamata government for ’lawlessness’, left leader Sitaram Yechury said, “The SFI student leader has died in police custody, so the state government is solely responsible for it. Judicial inquiry is needed.” Sudipto slipped into a coma and was shifted to SSKM hospital where the doctors failed to revive him after an hour-long battle. The body is to be handed over to the family on Wednesday morning after a post mortem and magisterial inquest. According to reports, many students were injured during the protest. “Another student is in a critical condition, after undergoing a seven-hour surgery on his arm which was nearly severed, allegedly when the police smashed it through the window of a bus,” reports NDTV. Meanwhile, outraged over the incident in Bengal, angry students in Chennai have taken to the streets to protest as a mark of solidarity. Left leaders in West Bengal have demanded a departmental inquiry into the incident and announced a protest rally on Thursday and a 12-hour strike in Garia-Tollygunge area. Lawlessness is not new in Bengal. Recently, a police officer was shot dead in Kolkata as members of the students’ wings of Congress and Trinamool Congress violently clashed at a local college near Garden Reach College area in Kolkata. Four students were injured in the violence. The incident took place at Harimohan Ghose College when members of Chattra Parishad (CP), Congress’ students arm, and Trinamool Congress Chattra Parishad (TMCP) were filling nomination papers for the upcoming students’ union election. It’s time to end the the blame-game and it’s time that the Mamata-led government takes action against such incidents. The chief minister must understand that it’s not sympathy that people in Bengal needs, it’s the promise of action.