Student and woman organizations staged dharna for dismissal of Patna Town DSP Mr. Ramakant Prasad

Patna, August 24:

Protesting against the heinous action of the police on demonstrators peacefully protesting against water logging, garbage pile-up and extreme insanitary conditions in their locality, Longertoli Gali, Nala Road, on 12 August, different students’ and women organizations separately staged dharna at Bhagat Singh Chowk, Gandhi Maidan and demanded exemplary punishment to the guilty police officer the DSP Mr. Ramakant Prasad and unconditional release of arrested students and youths.

The students’ organizations comprising of All India Democratic students’ Organisation (AIDSO), Students’ Federation of India (SFI), All India Students’ Federation (AISF), All India Students’ Association (AISA) and Democratic Students’ Union (DSU) staged Joint Students dharna on Tuesday. The dharna was presided over by a presidium comprising of Anamika from AIDSO, Manoj Chandravanshi from SFI, Navaneet Kumar from AISF, Lais Rahi from AISA and Vikas from DSU. In course of their speech the student leaders asserted: The incident has proved the hollowness of good governance as proclaimed by the state govt. The way the protesters were beaten up severely, trampled upon chests of students and youths by DSP himself, even girl activists were misbehaved by police personnel and barbaric beaten up of them shows the undemocratic and repressive tendency of the Bihar govt. They said that democratic mass movement was under attack. Dharna was addressed by Umashankar Verman, Vice President of AIDSO, Vishwajit Kumar, State Secretary of AISF, Markandey Pathak of AISA and Vikas Kumar of DSU.

The Women organizations Jointly organized a dharna under the banner of Sanyukta Mahila, Sangharsha Morcha on Wednesday. The organizations like Bihar Mahila Samaj, All India progressive Women’ Organisation (AIPWA), Working Women Association, All India Democratic Women Association (AIDWA and All India Mahila Sanskritik Sangathan (AIMSS) participated in the dharna.

While addressing the gathering the speakers said: “The citizens of Langertoli Gali were demonstrating against water logging and sewage pile-up in their area. The Town DSP came to the spot and resorted lathicharge without any attempt at a dialogue. Sadhna Mishra was badly beaten up by the DSP and he threw a burning tire on another woman, Sumanlata Maurya aka Pinky. The burning tire singed the hair and clothes of this girl and she received a burn wound on her arm. 9 women and 5 male social activists were taken to Kadamkuan P.S. In the police station DSP Mr. Ramakant Prasad beat up the male activists mercilessly and trampled upon their chests with his boots like criminals and DSP twice slapped Sadhna Mishra hard and smashed her spectacles. Attempt was also made for sinister motive encircling the women. Only a woman police can arrest woman.” Terming the incident of beating of social activists in police custody and misbehave with women a shameful act and also gross violation of human right, the women leaders told Nitish Government was talking of 50 percent reservation of seats in panchayats and local bodies for women on the one hand and citizens including women were being beaten up in police custody by DSP using the name of Deputy CM on the other. Expressing deep concern over the incidents of raising attacks on mass movements women leaders said police is less active on ever increasing incidents of crimes, but it becomes very much active when people bid to register their protest on the problems they are facing. Beating up ASHA workers mercilessly by police, police repression at Marwan, Forbesganj, Goradi and recently in Nala Road, Patna unveil the reality of good governance. In spite of parroting good governance the Nitish government is now following the path of autocracy. The woman leaders demanded dismissal of DSP Mr. Ramakant Prasad and other guilty officers, unconditional release of all the arrested persons, regular cleaning of drains and lanes and stop police repression on democratic mass movements. Denouncing the incident of mass rape with a youth girl by Officer In charge and other police personals at Manjhi Police Station under Saran district. They demanded to arrest the guilty police officer and other police personels.

Dharna was presided over by Mrs. Sushila Sahay, State President, Bihar Mahila Samaj. Dharna was addressed by Sushila Sahay and Anita Mishra from Bihar Mahila Saman, Anita Sinha and Mdhy from AIPWA; Rampari and Shakulta from AIDWA; Shivani and Chitralekha from Working Women Association and Sadhana Mishra, Anamika and Sandhya Maity from AIMSS.