Rally in solidarity with Shahabag Movement, from Bangaon to Petrapole International Border, West Bengal, 3 March, 2013
AAMRA organised a rally with the support of different groups of Little Magazines and Group Theatres to support Shahabag Movement in Bangladesh, date was 3 March, 2013. Route of the rally was from Bangaon station to Petrapole border. A large numbers of demonstrators rallied in support of the movement with colourful banners and rhythmic slogans.
Rally in solidarity with Shahabag Movement, from Bangaon to Petrapole International Border, West Bengal, 3 March, 2013
It was that time when the world witnessed voices of the new generation from Tahrir to Shahabag. In early 2010, we viewed a series of anti-government protest, uprising that spread throughout much of the Arab world. It was the time when we in Kolkata witnessed Hok Kolorob (let there be polyphony) movement, 2014, a four month long series of protests by the students of Jadavpur University.
AAMRA organised a rally with the support of different groups of Little Magazines and Group Theatres to support Shahabag Movement in Bangladesh, date was 3 March, 2013. Route of the rally was from Bangaon station to Petrapole border. A large numbers of demonstrators rallied in support of the movement with colourful banners and rhythmic slogans.
We know that thousands of young people gathered spontaneously at Shahbag Chottor (intersection), Dhaka, at the behest of activist-bloggers of the Bangladesh Online Activist Network (BOAN) to protest against Bangladesh war criminals. For the intensity of the demonstration, Shahabag Chottor had been renamed as ‘Projonmo Chottor’ (new Generation Roundabout). New generation youths demanded for justice for war crimes committed by Pakistan supported Rajakars against Bengalis during Bangladesh liberation war in 1971.
The background of this movement linked with change of Bangladeshi politics. We have to go through the routes. The worldwide notable rise of Political Islam came through organisations birthed and shaped by the ideas of Maoulana Moududi and Sayyid Qutub. We witnessed a haunting slogan three decades ago in the streets of Dhaka and other parts of Bangladesh, ‘We are all Taliban, Bangladesh will turn into Afghanistan’, chanted by different groups of political Islam in their rally. Youths had been recruited from Bangladesh by the Taliban in a large number to participate in Jihad. When they returned, they carried back the legacy of Taliban, which dictates a strict adherence of Sharia Law for governance. These returnees created ‘Harkat-Ul Jihad-Al-Islam, Bangladesh or HuJI-B. Since its formation (2000) they carried several terrorist attacks across Bangladesh. We can explain that in this context the phenomena of Shahbag movement should be seen. It stands in opposition to the political Islam conceptualized by Moududi’s doctrine, whose political leaders (from Jamaat-e Islam) perpetrated Genocide, Mass rape in 1971.
As a declared stand against all patterns of fundamentalism and Political Religion, we organised this rally as co-organiser to show our solidarity with Shahabag Movement. Later we also published a Book, it was a compilation of different articles, reportage, criticism, poetries on Shahabag Movement. This rally gathered a large section of activists in West Bengal, working for Human Rights and secularism. Using narratives of the Bangladesh Liberation movement we displayed banners, distributed handbills and chanted slogans throughout the rally. Patriotic song and song on liberation was sung by the chorus team. We displayed the national flag of India to show that India is with the Shahbag Movement as we were with them in the war period of 1971. Activists of the Shahbag Movement came to the other part of the border, Banapole. We exchanged greetings. We sang ‘Dhono Dhany Pushpe Bhora’ (popular Bengali patriotic song, written by D L Roy) from both sides of the fence, actually it was an emotional moment. People from both sides of the border were crying. It was one of the significant rallies in the historiography of West Bengal’s protest rally.
Here we annex the letter, which was sent to different persons and groups to invite them to participate in our rally.
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Shahabag Tomar Pase Ache/ We are with you Shahabag |
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Aamra Ek Sachetan Prayas Ek Sachetan Prayas |
Wed, Feb 27, 2013 at 4:34 PM |
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To: Subhapratim Roychowdhury , anupam adhikary , Tareque Kazi , Sukumar Mitra , Shamik Sarkar , gias uddin , TAHAMINA KHATUN , suvankarc@gmail.com, arindamchakraborty082@gmail.com |
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আমরা: এক সচেতন প্রয়াস
AAMRA is an amalgamation of multidisciplinary team of researchers and activists erstwhile worked as an assemblage of movement, research and activism. Popular abbreviation of AAMRA is, An Assemblage of Movement Research and Appraisal.-
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