TMC Martyr's Day rally: Several schools in Kolkata declare holiday on July 21
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is expected to address the gathering at Esplanade around 1 pm, but people will arrive in the city early in the morning. The TMC has been organising the annual mega rally for the last 15 years outside Victoria House in Esplanade in the heart of Kolkata to commemorate the deaths of 13 people who were killed in police firing during a demonstration by the West Bengal Youth Congress, which was then led by Banerjee, on July 21, 1993.
Loreto House, Loreto Convent Entally, St James' School, The Heritage School, Loreto Day School Sealdah, Loreto Day School Elliot Road, Loreto Day School Dharamtala, and Loreto Day School Bowbazar will remain closed.
La Martiniere Schools Boys and Girls, Birla High School, Sushila Birla Girls' School, and Birla High School Mukundapur will hold online classes. South Point will have online classes up to Class 5. According to an official, Classes 6 and above have a parent-teacher meeting that ends by 11.30 am.
According to some teachers, a decision will be made later on whether to hold classes on a Saturday to make up for the Monday classes.
La Martiniere announced that due to the rally, all classes from the lower nursery to Class 12 will be conducted online. Additionally, the unit test for classes 6 to 12 that was originally scheduled for Monday will now take place on Tuesday.
Parents have welcomed the decision to keep schools closed on Monday. In the past, it has frequently been observed that students arrive home around 4.30 pm or even later due to these traffic jams. Many children get restless when they have to wait for long periods on the bus.
Debika Burman, whose daughter studies in Loreto House, said, 'It is a good decision because otherwise we also get very worried as to when she will reach home. It becomes very stressful for all.'
Anandi Jain, whose son is a student at La Martiniere Boys, said that her son once got stuck in traffic for over three hours. 'I am happy with this decision because previously, once my son, when he was a child, had a traumatic experience of being stuck in traffic jam for hours, after that, I avoided sending him to school on this day.'
The Calcutta High Court Friday directed that all processions heading to the TMC's rally at central Kolkata's Dharmatala on July 21 must reach the venue by 8 am or after 11 am to ensure the smooth flow of traffic through Central Kolkata during rush hour.
On Thursday, Justice Tirthankar Ghosh, in a verbal observation, also urged the TMC to choose a different venue for the 'Martyrs' Day' rally from next year, such as Shahid Minar, the Brigade Parade Ground, or the Salt Lake Stadium.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
12 minutes ago
- News18
Bengal BJP Chief Calls Urgent Delhi Meet Tomorrow To Counter TMC Attack In Parliament
Last Updated: Tomorrow's meeting is expected to chalk out talking points for MPs, prepare rebuttals, plan floor interventions, media outreach, and coordinated messaging on social platforms Amid growing tension between the BJP and the Trinamool Congress over the alleged harassment of Bengali-speaking migrants, the West Bengal unit of the saffron party has sprung into action with chief Samik Bhattacharya calling a high-level strategy meeting in Delhi on Monday (July 21). The larger message the BJP wants to push is that the TMC is allegedly risking national security by providing Aadhaar cards to illegal Bangladeshis for political benefits. Bhattacharya will hold a meeting with all the BJP MPs from West Bengal, ahead of the monsoon session and will arrive in New Delhi late on Sunday. The meeting's agenda is to finalise the BJP's counter to the TMC's 'BJP is anti-Bengali" narrative — the Mamata Banerjee-led party is expected to vociferously push this on the floor of both Houses in the coming days. According to sources, the BJP is anticipating a coordinated and 'all-out" offensive by TMC MPs, targeting central leadership as well as state representatives, particularly over the alleged harassment of Bengali-speaking Muslims in BJP-ruled states. The TMC has claimed that these individuals are Indians, while the local administration suspects them to be Bangladeshis. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee recently led a march in Kolkata to protest the alleged harassment of Bengali speakers in BJP-ruled states. 'What does the BJP think? They will hurt Bengalis? They are calling them Rohingya. Rohingya are in Myanmar, not here. 22 lakh poor migrant workers are being targeted," Banerjee said. Banerjee also had a spat with Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma over the treatment of Bengali-speaking individuals in his state. She further raised the issue of how electricity was disconnected in a Delhi locality primarily occupied by Bengali-speaking migrants, which the BJP claimed was as per court orders. The BJP has repeatedly alleged that the TMC is risking national security by providing Aadhaar cards to illegal Bangladeshis for political benefits. The TMC has countered this by saying these individuals are Indians and Bengali, accusing the BJP of an 'anti-Bengali" mindset — a charge that, if believed by Bengal, could cost the BJP with elections seven to eight months away. Hence, the meeting on Monday is expected to outline talking points for MPs, prepare rebuttals, possibly plan floor interventions, media outreach, and coordinated messaging on social platforms. This flashpoint comes at a time when the TMC is already under fire over corruption allegations and administrative lapses in Bengal. The BJP insiders believe the 'anti-Bengali" rhetoric is an attempt by the TMC to deflect from its governance record and rally regional sentiment ahead of the assembly elections next year. With emotions likely to run high, both sides seem to be preparing for a fiery face-off in Parliament next week. view comments Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Hans India
32 minutes ago
- Hans India
Bengal: Police announces traffic restrictions for Trinamool's ‘Martyrs' Day' rally
Kolkata: The Kolkata Police, on Sunday, announced major restrictions on vehicular traffic movements in and around Kolkata amid the Trinamool Congress's annual Martyrs' Day rally scheduled for July 21. A traffic advisory notification issued by Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Kumar Verma informed that there will be restrictions on several roads from 4 a.m. to 9 p.m. on July 21. "Traffic will be controlled on Amherst Street, Bidhan Sarani, and College Street. Traffic will also be controlled on BB Ganguly Street, Bentinck Street," the statement issued by the City Police Commissioner read. The list also includes Brabourne Road, Strand Road, New City Road, and Rabindra Sarani, where vehicular traffic movement will be restricted. The Kolkata Police also informed that no goods vehicles will enter the city from dawn. The police also declared no parking zones on Cathedral Road, Lovers Lane, Hospital Road, Casuarina Avenue, and Hastings Crossing to avoid traffic congestion. The Calcutta High Court had ordered traffic control on July 21 and had directed Kolkata Police to ensure that there is no traffic congestion in central Kolkata and within a five-kilometre radius of the rally venue from 9 am to 11 am. According to Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Verma, traffic movement will be controlled in the city in compliance with the court's order. Meanwhile, special surveillance will be kept at the entrance of the city. Additional traffic police personnel and RAF forces will be kept at important intersections of the city. The police have also made tight security arrangements in a bid to avoid any untoward incident. Drone cameras will be used to monitor the traffic situation. Several kiosks have been set up to help those who would take part in the political event or those common people facing difficulties in commuting. The Trinamool Congress holds its annual 'Martyrs' Day' rally in Kolkata on July 21. West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee addresses a public meeting during the rally to commemorate the 13 people who were killed during a demonstration by the West Bengal Youth Congress, then led by Mamata Banerjee, on July 21, 1993.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Tortured migrants to be at forefront of Trinamool rally
1 2 3 4 5 6 Kolkata: Uttam Brajabashi, the 50-year-old Rajbongshi from Cooch Behar's Dinhata, arrived at Sealdah station on Sunday morning to be a part of Trinamool Congress's Martyrs' Day rally. With several hundred party supporters backing him, the soft-spoken Brajabashi questioned why, having spent his lifetime in Cooch Behar, he was slapped with an NRC notice by an Assam Foreigners Tribunal, accusing him of illegally entering India from Bangladesh even before he was born. Later, speaking to reporters, Brajabashi said, "I have never been to Assam. I was born in 1975, and my age is now 50. I do not have any birth certificate. I went to Guwahati with a lawyer to attend the foreigners tribunal meeting. I have spoken to a Trinamool neta who said that they were behind me to give me support." Like Brajabashi, several migrants who worked in other states also started reaching Kolkata to attend the Trinamool rally. These people, mostly from Malda and Murshidabad, who are now in Kshudiram Anushilan Kendra and Gitanjali Stadium, may have otherwise chosen to stay back home, but the issue of Bengali-speaking migrants being harassed in other states brought them to Kolkata. They said they wanted to hear out CM Mamata Banerjee on this. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Couple Wonders Why Their Photo Went Viral Till They Go Through The Comments Learn More Undo You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata At Kshudiram Anushilan Kendra, Tanbir Alam from Malda said his maternal uncle, who is working in Jaipur right now, faced problems as police asked him to show evidence that he is Indian. "On Saturday, he called us saying that the police asked them to show their citizenship card. He was clueless and showed his Aadhaar card, but it was not accepted. Now he has asked for help so that he could get a certificate from the local police station to show as evidence. " He stated that an initiative has been taken up for preparing specific cards that could be used as evidence. Shakil Sheikh, who works as a construction labourer in Delhi, said, "We haven't faced any harassment yet, but that doesn't mean that I will be safe in the future. I have all the identity proofs like those who are being harassed for speaking Bengali and being tagged as Bangladeshi. My question is how do I prove that I am an Indian citizen if my valid identities are being challenged in other states? We are poor villagers who work as migrant labourers in other states to earn money. " Abdul Zalil, who is a student and whose family members travel to other states to earn money, said, "We are citizens of this country. We learned since our childhood that we are together and that different castes, creeds, and religions stay together, so why this discrimination? Why is a section trying to divide us based only on religious identities and mother tongue? The CM has already taken this matter seriously, and we are waiting to hear her address. " At Gitanjali Stadium, Malda's Manirul Sk said, "I go to various places, including Jaipur and Delhi, where I work in sewing, but the recent incidents faced by several migrant labourers are very scary. I appeal to Didi to do something so that we can move to any part of the country and work freely without fear." Sundor Bhuiya from Malda, who works as a construction labourer in Delhi, expressed his concern if he could go there without fear in future. "Many from our district travel to Delhi and other parts of the country as construction labourers. We want Didi to take action so that we do not face such harassment again."
