Nabanna ‘Abhijan’ fails to gain momentum

Kolkata: The Nabanna ‘Abhijan’, called by Sangrami Joutha Mancha, a coalition representing unemployed youth, terminated teachers and government employees, failed to gain momentum on Monday as low turnout and lack of public support led to an early retreat.

Despite the Calcutta High Court and Howrah Police not granting permission for the protest, demonstrators gathered at Platform 9 of Howrah Station and Cab Road. The march, initially scheduled for noon, began around 12:45 pm, proceeding along Grand Foreshore Road under heavy police deployment, including Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel, water cannons and double-layer barricades.

Protesters carried placards and a symbolic model of Nabanna, but were halted near Telkal Ghat Road, well before reaching the police barricades. Though around 2,000 people initially joined, the crowd had thinned to fewer than 100 by 2:30 pm. Police made repeated announcements declaring the rally illegal and referred to the High Court’s interim order. Officers monitored the situation but refrained from confrontation.

Protest leaders attempted a sit-in near Telkal Ghat, vowing to replicate the protest model of Shahid Minar, but the effort quickly lost steam. By late afternoon, most participants had dispersed, prompting organisers to call off the protest.

Some leaders allegedly tried to provoke law enforcement with verbal altercations, but police maintained restraint. “There was no need for force. The crowd dispersed on its own,” said a senior official of Howrah City Police.

“We declared the gathering illegal and issued multiple warnings through the public address system. Despite that, the rally went ahead. We have recorded everything and will submit a detailed report, along with visual documentation, to the High Court,” the

official added.