Cooch Behar observes Martyrs’ Day on Aug 4

COOCH BEHAR: On August 4, 1988, Robin, Biman, and Haider were shot dead by the police while protesting against adulterated oil. To honour them, the Shaheed Robi-Bima-Haider Memorial Raksha Committee and Youth Trinamool Congress commemorated Martyrs’ Day by paying tribute to the fallen.

Each year, on this day, Martyrs’ Day is commemorated on the south bank of Cooch Behar’s Sagardighi by offering garlands at the Martyrs’ Column. The event saw the presence of Cooch Behar district youth Trinamool Congress president Kamlesh Adhikari, Cooch Behar city block youth Trinamool secretary Rakesh Chowdhury, and other leaders.

In 1988, many children and adults had fallen ill owing to adulterated oil in the state. Consequently, an agitation against adulterated oil was called in Cooch Behar on August 4, 1988, on the orders of the then state Youth Congress leader, Mamata Banerjee, and a procession was carried out in protest. As it crossed the Sagar Dighi Kachari More, the police opened fire, resulting in the deaths of Ravindra Narayan Chandra, Biman Das, and Haider Ali.

Rabindra Nath Ghosh, vice-president of the state Trinamool Congress and chairman, Cooch Behar municipality, paid tribute to the martyrs’.

Ghosh said: “On that day, upon the leader’s order, we were marching in a procession against adulterated oil towards the district magistrate’s office when the police opened fire, resulting in the death of three workers. We salute the bravehearts”