In yet another damaging order going against the human rights records of Bengal Government, the State Human Rights Commission once again indicted the Government for its poor human rights records and asked Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to act within the ambits of the Constitution.
Disposing off the Shiladitya Chowdhury case, the West Bengal State Human Rights Commission (WBHRC) on Monday recommended a compensation of Rs 2 lakh to the West Midnapore farmer whose human rights were allegedly infringed by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in August last year.
Chowdhury had questioned Banerjee as to why the fertiliser prices were going up at a one of public rallies in Binpur in West Midnapore on August 8 last year. The Chief Minister promptly reacted by identifying him as a Maoist cadre and getting him arrested. He was still fighting the case.
Ambikesh Mahapatra, a Jadavpur University professor who was arrested and later, released for sharing a cartoon on the Chief Minister. The Commission had also recommended a compensation for Mahapatra — apart from a punishment for the erring officers — but was later rejected by the Government.
In its recommendations on Monday, the Commission advised the Chief Minister to act constitutionally, adding it was being forced to make such recommendations because protecting human rights was its duty.
Reacting to the order State BJP president Rahul Sinha said, “The recommendations are a blow to the Government of West Bengal.” The BJP had taken up the case with the Commission.
Right activist Miratun Nahar said, “The Government should take lessons from today’s recommendations and act accordingly but going by the past experiences one wonders the Chief Minister would heed this.”
Actor Kaushik Sen said, “Bengal should be proud of the Commission’s decision as the people’s concerns have been addressed by the Commission. The Trinamool Congress and its top leadership now should stop misuse of power as they have been doing by trying to gag any voice of protest by branding the protesters as either Maoists or Marxists.”