The July 21 Commission set up by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to probe the police firing on Congress workers on July 21, 1993 on Monday submitted its report calling the incident worse than that of Jallianwala Bagh massacre but at the same time failing to fix responsibility of the firing on the top police officers or for that matter the then Home Department so to say.
While Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee then headed the Police Ministry, the Department Secretary was Manish Gupta, who was currently the State Power Minister in Mamata Banerjee Cabinet. Curiously, the Commission tended not to spend much word on the duo’s role. Gupta, who had earlier as the Home Secretary and then a Chief Secretary stated in his report that the situation was so grave that it necessitated a police firing, mysteriously changed his stance while deposing before the Commission where he said that the firing was uncalled for.
The report that could be quite embarrassing for the left Front also recommended a compensation of Rs25 lakh for the next of kin of those who died and Rs5 lakh for those who were injured on the fateful day.
The incident took place when the police opened fire at more than a lakh-strong people led by then Youth Congress president Mamata Banerjee charging at the Writers’ Buildings violating prohibiting orders.
“The incident was much worse than what happened in Jallianwala Bagh” Justice (retired) Sushanta Chatterjee said after submitting the 700-page report adding “the firing was uncalled for” and that the “control room officials” at lal Bazar police headquarters were “vicariously responsible and liable thereby for the incident.”
Seventy-five rounds of bullets were fired he said the police control room and the Home Department failed to discharge their duties the retired Judge said without however mentioning whether the Home Secretary or the political executive could be held liable for the incident.
The then Home Secretary Manish Gupta was currently a Cabinet Minister. Another senior police officer of those days was also holding a political post in the ruling party.
Incidentally, 1,100 Swadeshis had died in Jallianwala Bagh which had only one entrance and exit route when General Dyer ordered firing at a peaceful meeting. Reacting to the report, the BJP State president Rahul Sinha said, “The left Government had overreacted. The police should have controlled the crowd by resorting to lathicharge” adding “this was one of the worse massacres.”
CPI(M) MP Md Salim however questioned the judiciousness of the comparison between the two incidents saying “by doing so the Commission has belittled the supreme sacrifice done by the Swadeshis against the imperial-colonial forces.”
There was always a scope for debate but “such strong statements were not justified” he said adding how Vasant Sathe, a Central Minister had then held a different version of the incident.