Rallies and protests are an inextricable part of Bengali culture much like their delicacies Mishti Doi, Aloo Posto and Luchi, the Calcutta High Court said on Thursday while permitting the West Bengal State Government Employees Unions and Associations to hold a rally in Howrah [State of West Bengal vs State Co-ordination Committee].
A division bench of Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya allowed the State government employees to hold the rally to raise their grievances including pay hike."Undoubtedly Mishti Doi, Aloo Posto, Luchi are inextricably part of Bengal culture, it appears that public rally, protests etc are also part of this culture. In our opinion, all Bengalis are born orators. The State is filled with culture and heritage," the bench observed. However, the bench clarified that the employees would only be allowed to carry out rally and not indulge in any public meeting or speeches to conclude the rally. It also refused to consider the apprehension of the State that participants of the rally would disturb the law and order in the city. "These are government employees and not workers of any political party. All the members of this Union owe a duty to the society and the State. So we have no doubt in mind that they will conduct themselves in such a manner befitting a government employee," Chief Justice Sivagnanam underscored. Further the bench ordered all the stakeholders in the State to seriously consider the fact that such rallies and processions, which are common now in Bengal, do cause serious inconvenience to the general public. "It's high time organisers of such rallies be it political or others, devise alternate ways and means to voice their grievances as such rallies on arterial roads causes great inconvenience to the public at large," the Chief Justice underlined. The bench was hearing an intra-court appeal filed by the State challenging a single-judge's order that permitted the Union to carry out the rally for voicing their various demands including hike in salaries.The division bench, however, dismissed the appeal. Advocate General Kishore Datta appeared for the State. Senior Advocate Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharyya represented the State Employees.
TAGS: Calcutta High Court rally protests Bengali culture Mishti Doi
