QKolkata: Bengal’s Republic Day Tableau Rejected By Centre & More
Your daily lowdown of all things Kolkata.
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1. Bengal’s Republic Day Tableau Rejected
The Bengal government’s Republic Day tableau proposal has been rejected, the defence ministry said on Wednesday.
The expert committee tasked with choosing the tableaux examined Bengal’s proposal in two rounds of meetings, the ministry said in a statement.
“The tableau proposal of the West Bengal government was not taken forward for further consideration by the Expert Committee after deliberations in the second meeting. It is pertinent to mention here that the tableau of the Government of West Bengal was short-listed for participation in the Republic Day Parade 2019 as an outcome of the same process,” the ministry said.
In its proposal to the Centre, the Bengal government had laid down its plan to decorate the tableau with themes of Kanyasree, Sabujsree and Jal Dharo, Jal Bharo.
(Source: The Telegraph)
2. Woman Hailing Cab After Park Street Revelry Molested By Men In Car
A 35-year-old woman from Barasat, who along with her husband and daughter, went to Park Street to celebrate New Year’s Eve was allegedly molested by a group of men sitting in a car. The incident took place around 1 am when the family was looking for a taxi at the Esplanade crossing to return home.
It happened despite police being out on the roads till as late as 4 am on Wednesday in full force to maintain law and order around the party zone, where more than 50,000 revellers had converged on. Maximum deployment was at Esplanade, New Market and Park Street. In fact, a group of cops were stationed close to the spot and the moment the woman screamed for help, the man at the wheel sped away.
(Source: The Times Of India)
3. Two Youths Leave For Picnic, Their Bodies Found By Tracks
Two drivers of small goods carriers were found dead on two sides of the railway tracks near their homes at Gazidanga bustee near Lake Town on Wednesday morning. Police found grievous injuries on Sajal Paswan and Swapan Karmakar’s heads and legs.
The two 23-year-olds reportedly went on a picnic on New Year’s Eve organised by a local club. A witness said the two hurried out after one of them got a call in the middle of the night. They did not return and their bodies were found the next morning, police said. Locals said their mobiles were buried nearby. “He was our only bread-earner,” said Anita Paswan, Sajal’s mother. Swapan’s sister, Dipa Sarkar, said, “The picnic was organised by their drivers’ association. At the picnic, they had a brawl with some youths from Chingriahata.”
(Source: The Times Of India)
4. Bengal Finds New Protest Tool In Kolam
Kolam protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, are traversing across state borders and will be used in Bengal as well. Social, political and cultural organisations, which have been taking to the streets since the new law was passed, will use kolam to register their protests.
“We felt the need to draw kolams after a few protesters were arrested in Chennai for painting and writing anti-CAA/ NRC slogans on the roads. We shall show solidarity to the movement that will bind the south and the north across communities,” said Tanmoy Ghosh, secretary of Bangla Sanskriti Mancha. The organisation that promotes Bengal’s culture has planned to draw kolams on the road during a protest rally from Gariahat to Garia this week.
(Source: The Times Of India)
5. Mamata’s North Bengal Acid Test
Trinamool leaders in Darjeeling district are gearing up to marshal over 1 lakh people to Mamata Banerjee’s Friday rally in Siliguri against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the NRC, the ruling party’s biggest mass-mobilisation drive since ceding ground to the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
The march, Trinamool insiders said, is being planned to send out a message that the party might have fared badly in the parliamentary polls, conceding defeat in all eight seats in north Bengal, but it had not lost the stomach for a resounding comeback.
“Didi is keen to make an impact with the march…. Given the fear among people about the NRC and the CAA, we think we can put together a good show,” said a Trinamool leader, adding that elaborate plans were being drawn up.
(Source: The Telegraph)
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