Eminent personalities shared the dais on Martyrs’ Day rally

Former Trinamool Congress MP and singer Kabir Suman on Thursday urged party supremo Mamata Banerjee to secure the release of political prisoners who are languishing in various jails.

Suman was addressing the rally, held to pay homage to 13 martyrs who were gunned down by police on this date in 1993. He said that he was missing TMC leader Madan Mitra. Mitra is behind bars in connection with the multi-crore Saradha scam. He contested from the Kamarhati assembly seat while in correctional home and was defeated by Manas Mukherjee of CPI(M).

Suman said that when anti-social elements backed by the CPI(M) had attacked journalists and other staff of a private television channel, Mitra had gone there and made arrangements so that all the workers could reach home safely. “Madan was always eager to help others and I hope that he will come out of jail and demolish all the allegations made against him,” Suman said.

Also at the rally was Syed Mohammad Nurur Rahman Barkati, the Shahi Imam of Tipu Sultan Masjid, who said he had always supported Mamata Banerjee and would continue to do so in future because of her courage. “When people did not dare to talk against CPI(M), Banerjee raised her voice against the corrupt party,” the Imam said.

As has been the tradition ever since the rally was started, Banerjee has hosted eminent personalities from different walks of life near the CESC House. Veteran singer Dwijen Mukherjee and psephologist Amiya Chowdhury shared the dais on Thursday, among several other people. Celebrated litterateur Mahasweta Devi was present in one of the meetings held a few years ago.

Noted Sanskrit scholar Nrisingha Prasad Bhaduri, artist Subhaprassana and poet Subodh Sarkar were also present during Thursday’s rally. Veteran Olympian Gurubux Singh and tennis player Akhtar Ali shared the podium with footballers Prasanta Banerjee, Gautam Sarkar and Samaresh Chowdhury. Singers Nachiketa, Shantanu Roy Chowdhury and Aneek Dhar were present along with State Minister of state for Information and Cultural Affairs Indranil Sen.

There were numerous film stars from Tollywood as well, namely Indrani Halder, Arindam Seal, Soham, Tanusree and Nusrat, along with noted director Gautam Ghosh. Indranil Sen along with other singers sang Tagore’s “Banglar Mati Banglar Jal” and Dwijendralal Roy’s ‘Dhano Dhanyo Puspo Bhara’ before singing the national anthem that marked the closing of the function.