Kolkata: On Monday, doctors and healthcare staff Kolkata chose to hold a rally demanding an immediate ceasefire in Palestine. While, doctors hitting the streets might be a rare sight, the participating practitioners maintained that they had no option but to organise a rally to send out a loud message that the attack on healthcare infrastructure is an attack on humanity and that there should be an immediate ceasefire.
After October 7, more than 12000 people including 200 healthcare workers and doctors were killed in the bombardment and other ways of attacks by Israeli forces. Reports also suggest that so far more than 30 hospitals have been bombed in Palestine.
Protesting against the crime against humanity committed by Israel, the healthcare workers associated with the Kolkata chapter of the Medical Service Centre (MSC) rallied in Kolkata. Several doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals gathered with placards, posters and banners outside Neel Ratan Sarkar (NRS) Hospital to demand an immediate end to the numerous war crimes being committed in Gaza.
The healthcare professionals, during the rally, brought out in support of the patients, doctors and healthcare system that are being targeted by Israeli armed forces, walked in solidarity from the NRS Hospital to Calcutta Medical College Hospital.
The Kolkata rally was part of a number of rallies organised by MSC across the country.
“We have organised this rally to express our concern about the ongoing war crimes being committed by the Israeli forces in Gaza. The attack on the healthcare system including the doctors and patients is deplorable. We demand a complete ceasefire and an end to the war crimes being committed there,” said Dr Biplab Chandra, MSC West Bengal state secretary, as he walked along with his fellow members.
Healthcare workers with the placard Say No To War during the rally | eNewsroom
Adding to that Dr Anshuman Mitra said, “The dastardly attacks on patients, doctors, pregnant women and children need to come to an end. The constant bombardment of healthcare infrastructure is a violation of the UN Geneva Convention. Hence, we as doctors are here to condemn the war crime being committed by Israel in Palestine.”
The doctors and healthcare professionals congregated at the main gate of the hospital after the rally, raising concern over hospitals being targeted by the Israeli armed forces. They maintained that this was the least that they could do to protest against the constant attacks being made on Gaza’s healthcare infrastructure.
“This is the least that we can do,” said Dr Mridul Sarkar, Secretary, MSC CC. He maintained, “As a doctor, seeing fellow doctors being killed on duty is painful.” On being asked what he thought about the attack on Gaza’s Al-Shifa, he said, “What’s happening out there is painful. The world is a witness to the war crimes being committed by Israel. We just can’t believe the Israeli propaganda news claiming that Al-Shifa was used by Hamas as a human shield.” He then paused and said, “Remember, how the US while attacking and hounding Saddam Hussein had claimed that weapons of mass destruction were present in Iraq and needed to be destroyed. But what emerged were tales of crimes being committed in Abu Ghareb. We believe what’s going on in Gaza is similar to what happened back then.”
The doctors have written to the UN not just demanding a complete ceasefire but also expressing their desire to serve those in need of medical help in Gaza under its aegis.
Time Magazine, also reported that doctors in the United States have claimed that they will not be silent about what is happening in Gaza.
Team India ‘lost’ the world cup. Winning or losing are part of the game but what happens when the game becomes part of the political propaganda and the audiences are not sports lovers or cinema lovers but fans who hate others. A Bania paper in Uttar Pradesh gave a headline for the final game as ‘dharmyudh’. The game of cricket is being used for political purposes. As cricket is a powerful business in the country and every one non-playing ‘captains’ of the game earn a much bigger sum than the players.
There is not a single stadium in the name of any cricketing legend anywhere unlike the politicians and powerful leaders who might not have played cricket but dominated it. Bishan Singh Bedi opposed Feroz Shah Kotla ground in Delhi being named after Arun Jaitley but what happened. Bedi, the legend is thrown away from the game. Same thing happened again when legends like Kapil Dev and Mahendra Singh Dhoni, two world cup winning captains, were not being invited to watch the game in Ahmedabad. Why? Perhaps, because, the board and its political masters were certain of Indian victory and hence nobody ‘else’ should be there on the podium to ‘greet’ the Indian team except for the ‘Supreme Leaders’, who must have been practicing to ‘deliver’ the ‘winning speech’ for days. Unfortunately, that did not happen as Team India got defeated.
As a team, this is a superb team which lost the game but won the heart of the people but the real defeat is of the Board of Cricket Control in India which has converted it into a political game. It is not a game. It is purely business and politics. I lost interest in the game once I saw players being ‘auctioned’ and the format of the game being changed to favour the batsman.
The biggest crisis of cricket was the demise of the West Indians’. They were unparalleled and a sheer joy to watch.
In India, the biggest upturn in cricket came after the historic victory of 1983 under Kapil Dev at the Lords. I still remember the excitement and joy it brought in our lives. For days, we did not forget it. It was just the transistor age and many of us had not even had the luxury to watch it on TV. After that investors came in and cricket became a big game. Kapil Dev was the player who changed it and brought cricket to non-English speaking people of the country. He was not an intellectual like Bishan Bedi nor sophisticated like Sunil Gavaskar, who could fit anywhere according to the requirement. Kapil always spoke from the heart and that is why he has always been straight forward and stood up for the rights of the players. Years later, the other man who changed the dynamics of cricket in India was Mahendra Singh Dhoni, emerging in from a relatively smaller town/city. After Kapil Dev, it was under Dhoni that India won the world cup. That was the time when we were growing and the rules of the games were still great.
As the new dispensation in India came in 2014, the game of cricket also changed a lot. More money came in but it also wanted players to sing and dance to the tone of the board. India had already hosted several world cup tournaments in the past but I think this was the worst. And the reasons are clear. Rather than thinking about India, the whole focus of the board of the cricket control in India (BCCI) was Gujarat and Gujarati Asmita as if other cities and states don’t have it or deserve it.
Whenever cricket is understood and history of cricket is written by any impartial person, the four to five cricket grounds always come to mind. The first and foremost remain Eden Gardens in Kolkata where players world over would love to play in front of a truly sports loving crowd. Have we seen how the first world cup win of Australia happened under Allan Border at Kolkata and how he was greeted by the stadium giving a standing ovation. Similarly, Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, Cheapak in Chennai, Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi and Karnataka Rajya cricket Stadium in Banglore had always been extremely welcoming to the international players and enjoyed the good game. After all, you go to watch a match to see a good game and not merely a win for your team.
In the last ten years, Gujarat has got unprecedented favour from every one. It got the maximum funding for ‘sports’ even when there is not even one player who could have gone to any international events like Asian Games, Olympics or elsewhere. States which have been sending players at the international events never get even half of the funds that Gujarat has got. Look at the world cup events. Ahmedabad was pampered so much that it was given the ‘prestigious’ match against Pakistan. Why? It is purely for monetary purposes because a match against Pakistan is still extremely a popular game in terms of business.
The crowd at Ahmedabad have been boorish to say the least. They don’t come to watch a game but purely brought for a political purpose. Frankly speaking, Ahmedabad never deserved the important matches of the world cup. The World Cup final should have happened in Kolkata or Mumbai, the two cities with incredible cricketing history but then how do you expect a cricket administration which has not even bothered to invite the two giants of our Cricket history who brought us the World Cup and gave us tremendous joy, Kapil Dev and Mahendra Singh Dhoni to watch the match, to be fair towards other places for the purpose of World Cup Final. Can there be a bigger scandal than this as why was Ahmedabad given preference over Mumbai, Kolkata or Chennai leave aside Delhi? The crowd forgot that they were watching the final of an international event and needed to be polite and appreciate the game.
It was sad to see the crowd behaving in such a filthy street level manner. They had not come to watch a game but wanted to celebrate a victory. Obviously, every Indian would love to have a world cup victory but then at the end of the day it is a game and once the game is over, the opposite team needs to be applauded and acknowledged. The crowd at Ahmedabad left the stadium before the Australian captain could be handed over the World Cup Trophy. This is not merely disgraceful but simply outrageous but then when you convert people into mindless frenzied crowds then such international embarrassment is bound to happen.
The Bania-Brahmin media in India has reduced us to a joke. It needs to educate people that it is a game and gamesmanship is the need of the hour. Respect players and enjoy the game. Winning and losing is not important but the prestige and honor of the country. This world cup, from the beginning had problems and it was looking like a tournament which was meant to make Indian win at all cost. The game was to be played by the players and the boards had a duty to provide space and environment.
The richest board of the world, suffers from megalomania and remain highly biased and prejudiced. Any cricket lover in India would give Kolkata, Bombay, Bangalore, Chennai and Delhi stadiums and crowds far above rating than over pampered Ahmedabad. It is time the administrators of cricket and other sports bodies think beyond their narrow political interest. Remember, Indian cricket team played like a champion team though got defeated in the final but that is the part of the game but the real defeat happened to those who wanted to reap political profit from India’s victory.
A country which ignore and disrespect its sporting icons for the sake of making the political masters happier will never be able to have sporting culture and sports persons of international class. Moreover, in cricket you might have the financial control, the other sports bodies too are watching your arrangements and a badly managed cricketing event might affect India’s chances to host other international events and tournaments. Stop political interference in sports bodies and allow sports persons and professional administrators to play a key role in it. The defeat at Ahmedabad is not of the Indian cricket but that of its political administrators who are lording over the body, minting money and destroying the gentlemen game.
কলকাতা: ফিলিস্তিনে ইসরায়েলের চলমান সহিংসতার প্রতিবাদে একটি শক্তিশালী পদক্ষেপে, ভারতের কলকাতার বাসিন্দারা ইসরায়েলি এবং আমেরিকান পণ্য বয়কট করার জন্য এক সপ্তাহব্যাপী প্রচার শুরু করেছে। ‘7 দিনের 7 পণ্য বয়কট আন্দোলন’ নামে পরিচিত এই আন্দোলনের লক্ষ্য হল ফিলিস্তিনি বেসামরিক নাগরিকদের উপর হামলা বন্ধ করতে এবং যুদ্ধবিরতি আনতে ইসরাইলকে চাপ দেওয়া।
দ্য কনসার্নড সিটিজেনস অফ কোলকাতা, এই ক্যাম্পেইনের পিছনের গোষ্ঠী, সক্রিয়ভাবে বাসিন্দাদের কাছে পৌঁছাচ্ছে, ইসরায়েলি এবং আমেরিকান কোম্পানির পণ্যগুলিকে বিকল্প দিয়ে প্রতিস্থাপন করার জন্য তাদের অনুরোধ করছে। তারা ঘোষণা দিতে, রাস্তার কর্নার মিটিং আয়োজন, হ্যান্ডবিল বিতরণ এবং বার্তা ছড়িয়ে দেওয়ার জন্য রাস্তার পাশে ব্যানার এবং স্টিকার লাগানোর জন্য অটোরিকশা ব্যবহার করছে।
বয়কটের আহ্বান কলকাতার বাসিন্দাদের সাথে জোরালোভাবে অনুরণিত হয়েছে, যারা ফিলিস্তিনিদের বিরুদ্ধে সংঘটিত নৃশংসতার জন্য তাদের গভীর দুঃখ ও ক্ষোভ প্রকাশ করেছে। তারা এই ধরনের সহিংসতা দেখে অসহায় বোধ করে এবং তাদের ভোক্তা শক্তি ব্যবহার করে পার্থক্য তৈরি করতে একত্রিত হয়েছে।
দলের সদস্যরা জোর দেয় যে তারা সহিংসতার পক্ষে নয় বরং ভারতের প্রতিষ্ঠাতা মহাত্মা গান্ধীর অহিংসার নীতির সাথে সঙ্গতি রেখে শান্তিপূর্ণ ও গণতান্ত্রিক প্রতিবাদের পক্ষে। তারা বিশ্বাস করে যে ইসরায়েলি এবং আমেরিকান পণ্য বয়কট করা ইসরায়েলি সরকার এবং তার মিত্রদের নিন্দার বার্তা পাঠানোর একটি শক্তিশালী উপায়।
গোষ্ঠীটি ইস্রায়েলের সাথে সরাসরি যুক্ত পণ্যগুলির বাইরেও কলটি প্রসারিত করে, যার মধ্যে অ্যামাজনের মতো সংস্থাগুলিও রয়েছে যা দেশটিকে আর্থিকভাবে সহায়তা করার অভিযোগ রয়েছে। প্রচারণা গতি লাভ করার সাথে সাথে, কর্মীরা আশাবাদ ব্যক্ত করে যে এটি একটি বৃহত্তর আন্দোলনে পরিণত হবে, যা পৃথক ভোক্তা এবং ভারতে পরিচালিত বড় কর্পোরেশন উভয়কেই প্রভাবিত করবে।
‘7 দিনের 7 পণ্য বয়কট আন্দোলন’ কলকাতার বাসিন্দাদের কাছ থেকে একটি অপ্রতিরোধ্য প্রতিক্রিয়া পেয়েছে, এবং গ্রুপটি প্রাথমিকভাবে পরিকল্পিত 15 দিনের বাইরে প্রচারণা বাড়ানোর পরিকল্পনা করেছে। তারা ফিলিস্তিনিদের জন্য ন্যায়বিচারের আহ্বানকে প্রশস্ত করে ভারত ও বিশ্বের অন্যান্য শহরে অনুরূপ আন্দোলনকে অনুপ্রাণিত করবে বলে আশা করছে।
Kolkata: In a powerful act of protest against Israel’s ongoing violence in Palestine, residents of Kolkata, India, have launched a week-long campaign to boycott Israeli and American products. The movement, known as the ‘7 Days 7 Products Boycott Movement,‘ aims to pressure Israel to end its attacks on Palestinian civilians and bring about a ceasefire.
The Concerned Citizens of Kolkata, the group behind the campaign, has been actively reaching out to residents, urging them to replace products from Israeli and American companies with alternatives. They have also been using auto-rickshaws to make announcements, organizing street corner meetings, distributing handbills, and putting up roadside banners and stickers to spread the message.
The boycott call has resonated strongly with Kolkata’s residents, who have expressed their deep sadness and anger over the atrocities committed against Palestinians. They feel helpless witnessing such violence and have come together to use their consumer power to make a difference.
The group members emphasize that they are not advocating for violence but rather for a peaceful and democratic form of protest, in line with the principles of non-violence espoused by India’s founding father, Mahatma Gandhi. They believe that boycotting Israeli and American products is a powerful way to send a message of condemnation to the Israeli government and its allies.
The group extends the call beyond products directly linked to Israel, including companies like Amazon that allegedly support the nation financially. As the campaign gains momentum, the activists express optimism that it will evolve into a larger movement, influencing both individual consumers and major corporations operating in India.
The ‘7 Days 7 Products Boycott Movement’ has received an overwhelming response from Kolkata residents, and the group plans to extend the campaign beyond the initially planned 15 days. They hope to inspire similar movements in other cities across India and the world, amplifying the call for justice for Palestinians.
Kolkata: There is an old age proverb that what Bengal thinks today, India thinks tomorrow, has been proven right once again. As in against the barbarism of Israel in Palestine, the call for a complete boycott of Israeli and American products has got an overwhelming response from Kolkata residents.
The Concerned Citizens of Kolkata, has initiated a week-long campaign called ‘7 Days 7 Products Boycott Movement’ starting from November 17 across the city. While there were protest rallies in many parts of the country against Israel’s atrocities, no city has run a campaign of fully boycotting Israeli-American products and do their part in pressing for ceasefire in Palestine.
“Within two days of the campaign’s launch, we have successfully reached a broad audience, including elders, children, and women. Additionally, shopkeepers are replacing products from Israeli and American companies,” reacted one of the group members.
Malay Tiwari, a social activist, claimed, “The boycott of Zionist companies’ products is already there, but what this call has done, is that it reminded the consumers that 100 % boycott of its products is the only way they can impact the ongoing genocide and play a role to bring ceasefire in it.” Malay was part of the team that had conducted a press conference on the eve of the beginning of the campaign.
During the press meeting, the group issued a statement too. It reads:
For 40 days, Israel’s barbaric actions have resulted in the deaths of more than 15,000 Palestinians, including 6,405 children. After the 7th October attack by Hamas, in a speech by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said in the UN general meeting, “Hamas attack did not happen in a vacuum. The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation.”
Watch the boycott call video
However, the attacks by Israel, purportedly in self-defence, targeted schools, hospitals, ambulances, refugee camps, mosques, churches, and civilians both inside homes and on roads.
Nearly all countries around the world are protesting against these war crimes committed by Israel and its allies, primarily the United States.
Hundreds of rallies have taken place in major cities worldwide to stop the war. Despite multiple appeals from the UN, Israel has not been deterred from bombing Gaza, the West Bank, and other areas of Palestine.
Right-thinking people are feeling helpless.
So to make people’s appeal more impactful, we the concerned citizens of Kolkata have decided to fully (100%) boycott Israeli and American products. We also include companies like Amazon, which are funding Israel.
The group members do not believe in violence, and as we are citizens of a country whose Founding Father Mahatma Gandhi believed in non-violence and protesting democratically, we have given a boycott call.
Boycotting Israeli-American products- The Campaign
The campaigning is being done using auto-rickshaws to make announcements, initiating street corner meetings, releasing videos of boycott calls made by prominent people of the society, distributing handbills, and putting roadside banners and stickers.
“People were already saddened and aggrieved by the large-scale war crimes committed by Israel and its allies against Palestinians. Feeling helpless about what to do, we reached out to them and reminded them to fully boycott Israeli-American products,” said Athar Firdausi, who also campaigned in many parts of the city.
Kolkata, the 3rd largest city in India, has an estimated population of 1.53 crore, while Bengal population is more than 10 crores.
“This is just the beginning, and in the next five days, we hope it will evolve into a movement. As large corporations see India as a market and its population as consumers, we aim to inform consumers that their money becomes blood money when they use these company’s products,” pointed out Tamal Chakraborty.
The group members also informed that, given the overwhelming response, they would launch another phase of the campaign in 21 days. The call will be given to boycott twenty-one products in the coming three weeks, extending the originally planned 15-day campaign.
কলকাতা: প্রথমবারের মতো, একটি ভাইস-চ্যান্সেলর স্তরের কর্তৃপক্ষ উদ্বেগ প্রকাশ করেছে যে ইন্ডিয়ান ইনস্টিটিউট অফ টেকনোলজি (আইআইটি) খড়গপুর কর্তৃপক্ষ নির্মমভাবে খুন হওয়া ছাত্র ফাইজান আহমেদ এর পরিবারের পাশে দাঁড়ায়নি।
কলকাতার সেন্ট জেভিয়ার ইউনিভার্সিটির ভাইস-চ্যান্সেলর ফেলিক্স রাজ 25 নভেম্বর বিশ্ববিদ্যালয় ক্যাম্পাসে গণতন্ত্রের ভবিষ্যত বিষয়ে ভারতীয় সংসদের উচ্চকক্ষের সদস্য পি চিদাম্বরমের আসন্ন বক্তৃতা সম্পর্কে সাংবাদিকদের ব্রিফিং করছিলেন। ভারতের প্রাক্তন স্বরাষ্ট্র ও অর্থমন্ত্রী, চিদাম্বরম, “উন্নয়ন, বিকেন্দ্রীকরণ এবং গণতন্ত্র” শীর্ষক একটি বইও প্রকাশ করবেন, যা ভিসি নিজে এবং অধ্যাপক প্রভাত কুমার দত্ত লিখেছেন৷
আইআইটি খড়গপুর ফাইজান আহমেদ হত্যা
যখন eNewsroom একজন উপাচার্য হিসাবে একটি প্রশ্ন উত্থাপন করেছিলেন, যখন তিনি জিজ্ঞাসা করেছিলেন যে তিনি পশ্চিমবঙ্গে দুটি র্যাগিং-সম্পর্কিত ঘটনাকে কীভাবে দেখেছেন, তখন ফেলিক্স রাজ উত্তর দিয়েছিলেন, “এই দুটি মামলার মোড় নেওয়া হয়েছে, একটি, আপনি যেমন বলেছেন, এর পক্ষে ভুক্তভোগী; অন্যজন ভুক্তভোগীর প্রতি উদাসীন। কিন্তু আমি মনে করি, একজন উপাচার্য বা বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ের কর্তৃপক্ষ হিসেবে, আমাদের অবশ্যই মামলাটি খুঁজে বের করতে হবে, একটি সমীক্ষা করতে হবে এবং তারপর দেখতে হবে কোথায় ন্যায়বিচার রয়েছে।”
তিনি যোগ করেন, “কারণ ভুক্তভোগীদের শুধু উপেক্ষা করা যায় না। ভুক্তভোগীদের গুরুত্ব সহকারে নিতে হবে। আমাদের খুব সহানুভূতিশীল হওয়া উচিত এবং ভবিষ্যতে যাতে এমন ঘটনা না ঘটে তা নিশ্চিত করার চেষ্টা করা উচিত। আমাদের সকলকে সম্ভাব্য সব ব্যবস্থা নিতে হবে যাতে এমন ঘটনা ঘটে। আমাদের শিক্ষা প্রতিষ্ঠানে হয় না।”
আসামের তিনসুকিয়ার বাসিন্দা 23 বছর বয়সী ফাইজান আহমেদের আংশিক পচনশীল দেহটি 14 অক্টোবর, 2022-এ আইআইটি-কেজিপির একটি হোস্টেলে পাওয়া গিয়েছিল। ফাইজান, যিনি জয়েন্ট এন্ট্রান্স পরীক্ষা (জেইই), 2020-এ 11 তম সর্বভারতীয় র্যাঙ্ক (এআইআর) অর্জন করেছিলেন, তিনি সেলিম এবং রেহানা আহমেদের একমাত্র সন্তান ছিলেন এবং তিনি ছিলেন একজন প্রতিভা, দুটি এরিয়াল রোবোটিক্স গবেষণা দলে নির্বাচিত। ফাইজানের মৃতদেহ উদ্ধারের পরপরই খড়্গপুর পুলিশ এবং আইআইটি কর্তৃপক্ষ এটিকে আত্মহত্যার ঘটনা বলে অভিহিত করেছে। তবে তাকে হত্যা করা হয়েছে বলে পরিবারের দাবি। ময়নাতদন্তের পরেও যখন পুলিশ বা আইআইটি কর্তৃপক্ষ দুঃখিত পরিবারকে সন্তুষ্ট করতে পারেনি, তখন তারা কলকাতা হাইকোর্টে যান। আদালত একজন ফরেনসিক বিশেষজ্ঞ নিয়োগ করেছেন যিনি নতুন করে ময়নাতদন্তের অনুরোধ করেছিলেন। দ্বিতীয় পোস্টমর্টেমের পরে, প্রথমে, একক এবং পরে ডিভিশন বেঞ্চ নিশ্চিত করে যে ফাইজানকে খুন করা হয়েছে এবং একটি বিশেষ তদন্ত দল (SIT) গঠন করা হয়েছে।
আইআইটি খড়গপুর ফাইজান আহমেদ হত্যা, এক বছর ধরে, আইআইটি কর্তৃপক্ষ মামলার প্রতিটি কার্যক্রমের বিরোধিতা করেছে।
মা রেহানা আহমেদের দাবি, আইআইটি কর্তৃপক্ষ কোনো সহযোগিতা করেনি। তিনি দুঃখ প্রকাশ করেছিলেন, “যখন আমরা কর্তৃপক্ষের সাথে দেখা করি, তারা আমাদের কথা শুনতে প্রস্তুত ছিল না। এমনকি তারা ছাত্রদের নিয়ে মজা করেছে, তাদের 10 টাকার সাথে তুলনা করেছে, যখন তাদের মূল্য 100 টাকা।”
আইআইটি খড়গপুর ফাইজান আহমেদ হত্যা, তার ব্রিফিংয়ের সময়, ভিসি আরও জানিয়েছিলেন যে তাদের একটি ইভেন্টে একটি গুরুত্বপূর্ণ বিষয় নিয়ে আলোচনা করা হবে- কেন কলকাতা এবং বাংলার শিক্ষার্থীরা প্লাস টু এবং স্নাতক শেষ করার পরে রাজ্য ছেড়ে যায়? একজন প্রতিবেদক ভিসিকে জিজ্ঞাসা করেছিলেন যে এটি র্যাগিং মামলার কারণে (স্বপ্নদীপ হত্যা), যাদবপুরে যা ঘটেছিল তার মতো। ফেলিক্স রাজ উত্তর দিয়েছিলেন এবং তার উত্তরে ফাইজান কেস সম্পর্কে উল্লেখ করেছিলেন, “এটি কয়েক বছর ধরে ঘটে যাওয়া কোনও বিচ্ছিন্ন ঘটনা নয়; এটি ঘটেছে অনেকগুলি ঘটনার মধ্যে একটি। আমি মনে করি না কারণ আইআইটি খড়গপুরে কিছু ঘটেছে; ছাত্ররা সেখানে যাব না। আমার মনে হয় না এর এত বড় প্রভাব পড়বে যে ছাত্ররা বাংলায় আসা বন্ধ করে দেবে। তবে আমরা অবশ্যই র্যাগিং ইস্যুটির সমাধান করব, কারণ আমরা র্যাগিংয়ের বিরুদ্ধে। ছাত্ররা ছাত্র, শিক্ষাকেন্দ্র হল জ্ঞানের মন্দির এবং বুদ্ধি। মাঝে মাঝে এটা ঘটে, কিন্তু আমাদের এটা বন্ধ করতে হবে।”
মিডিয়া কথোপকথনে, ভিসি আরও জানান যে জাতিসংঘের প্রাক্তন আন্ডার সেক্রেটারি-জেনারেল কান্দেহ কোলেহ ইউমকেল্লা 10 ফেব্রুয়ারি, 2024 তারিখে নির্ধারিত সেন্ট জেভিয়ারের 5তম সমাবর্তনে ভাষণ দেবেন। তিনি আরও জানান যে এই অনুষ্ঠানে ফাদার ইগনাসিমুথু, একজন বিজ্ঞানী, এবং আরএন ঝুনঝুনওয়ালা, আইনের একজন অ্যাটর্নি, যথাক্রমে ডক্টর অফ সায়েন্স এবং ডক্টর অফ ল দিয়ে সম্মানিত হবেন৷
ভিসি সেন্ট জেভিয়ার্স ইউনিভার্সিটির কলকাতা ভিশন 2030 পরিকল্পনাও শেয়ার করেছেন এবং উল্লেখ করেছেন যে শুধুমাত্র মেয়েদের জন্য 600 শয্যার একটি হোস্টেল প্রায় প্রস্তুতই নয়, প্রতিষ্ঠানটি আশেপাশে 10.7 একর জমি কেনার জন্য পশ্চিমবঙ্গ সরকারের সাথেও আলোচনা করছে বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ে।
ফাদার ফেলিক্স রাজ সেন্ট জেভিয়ার ইউনিভার্সিটির কোর্সে যোগ করা দুটি ক্রেডিট সিস্টেমের কথাও তুলে ধরেন, যার অধীনে প্রতিটি শিক্ষার্থীকে জেভিয়ার প্রতিষ্ঠানের আশেপাশের স্থানীয়দের মধ্যে 60 ঘন্টা কাটাতে হয়। “এটি এক ধরনের ব্যবস্থা এবং এতে পাঠ্যসূচি অন্তর্ভুক্ত কারণ আমরা বিশ্বাস করি যে শুধুমাত্র শিক্ষার্থীদের শিক্ষা দেওয়াই আমাদের দায়িত্ব নয়, যেখানে প্রতিষ্ঠানগুলি কাজ করে সেখানকার স্থানীয়দের জীবনকে উন্নত করাও।”
Kolkata: For the first time, a vice-chancellor level authority has expressed concern that Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur authorities did not stand with the family of its brutally murdered student, Faizan Ahmed.
Felix Raj, the Vice-Chancellor of St Xavier University, Kolkata, was briefing media persons about the forthcoming lecture of P. Chidambaram, Member of the Upper House of the Indian Parliament, on the Future of Democracy on November 25 in the university campus. The former home and finance minister of India, Chidambaram, will also release a book titled “Development, Decentralisation, and Democracy,” authored by the VC himself and Professor Prabhat Kumar Dutta.
When eNewsroom posed a question as a Vice-Chancellor, asking how he saw the two ragging-related incidents in West Bengal, Felix Raj responded, “This is the turn the two cases have taken, one, as you said, in favour of the victim; the other is indifferent to the victim. But I suppose, as a vice-chancellor or the authority of the university, we must find out the case, make a study, and then see where justice lies.”
He added, “Because victims cannot be just ignored. Victims have to be taken seriously. We should be very sympathetic and try to ensure that such things do not happen in the future. We all have to take all possible measures so that such a thing does not happen in our educational institutions.”
The partially decomposed body of 23-year-old Faizan Ahmed, a resident of Tinsukia, Assam, was found on October 14, 2022, in a hostel of IIT-KGP. Faizan, who had secured the 11th All India Rank (AIR) in the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE), 2020, was the only child of Salim and Rehana Ahmed and was a genius, selected in two Aerial Robotics Research teams. Soon after the recovery of Faizan’s body, Kharagpur police as well as IIT authorities termed it a case of suicide. However, the family claimed he was murdered. When, even after the postmortem, neither the police nor IIT authorities could satisfy the aggrieved family, they moved to Calcutta High Court. The court appointed a forensic expert who requested a fresh autopsy. After the second postmortem, first, single and later the division bench confirmed that Faizan was murdered and also constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT).
Mother Rehana Ahmed claimed that IIT authorities did not extend any support. She had rued, “When we met the authorities, they were not ready to listen to us. They even made fun of the students, comparing them with Rs 10, while their worth is Rs 100.”
Earlier, during his briefing, the VC had also informed that in one of their events, an important topic will be discussed- Why do students of Kolkata and Bengal leave the state after plus two and graduation? A reporter asked the VC if it was because of the ragging case (Swapnadip murder), similar to what happened in Jadavpur. Felix Raj answered and mentioned about the Faizan case in his reply, “It is not an isolated incident that has happened over the years; it is one of the many incidents that has happened. I do not think because something happened in IIT Kharagpur; students will not go there. I do not think it will have such a huge impact that students stop coming to Bengal. But we will surely address the ragging issue, as we are against ragging. Students are students, and education centres are temples of knowledge and wisdom. Sometimes this happens, but we have to stop this.”
In the media interaction, the VC also informed that Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella, former United Nations Under-Secretary-General, will address the 5th convocation of St Xavier https://www.meridianpint.com/touchless-menu/ scheduled on February 10, 2024. He also informed that on the occasion, Father Ignacimuthu, a scientist, and RN Jhunjhunwala, an Attorney of Law, will be honoured with a Doctor of Science and Doctor of Law, respectively.
The VC also shared the Kolkata Vision 2030 plan of St Xavier’s University and mentioned that not only is a 600-bed hostel almost ready for girls, but the institution is also in negotiation with the West Bengal government to buy 10.7 acres of land in the neighbourhood of the university.
Father Felix Raj also pointed out the two credit systems added in the courses of St Xavier University, under which every student has to spend 60 hours among the locals around the Xavier institutions. “It is a one-of-a-kind system and includes the syllabus because we believe that it is not just our responsibility to impart education to students but also to improve the lives of the locals where the institutions function.”
Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): As the electoral drumbeats have silenced in Madhya Pradesh, eyes are set on central figures from both the Congress and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. After Shivraj Singh Chouhan serving as the longest Chief Minister, the BJP this time has decided to contest elections without disclosing the CM’s face creating controversy around whether the BJP has sidelined Chouhan. Meanwhile, the grand old party is once again betting on former chief minister and leader of opposition Kamal Nath, a seasoned politician known for his sharp political methods. With the elections scheduled for November 17 in the state, Kamal Nath’s strategic moves are under question by many speculating he is diverging against the party line for electoral victory or accusing him of using soft Hindutva.
eNewsroom spoke to a group of men indulged in political discussions after the massive road show of Rahul Gandhi on November 13 where he predicted that the party would win 150 seats in Madhya Pradesh. From the same stage, former chief minister also hailed about constructing 1000 gau-shalas during their government. A man in his late 50s, Mohammad Khan, seemed unconcerned with Kamal Nath playing soft Hindutva cards.
Kamal Nath’s Soft Hindutva
He said that the BJP has falsely painted Congress as a Muslim party which is not true. “BJP has not succeeded in polarizing the electorates this time because Congress under the leadership of Kamal Nath is well countering the narrative with soft-Hindutva which seems beneficial for the victory. They are proving themselves as inclusive Hindus. Besides, BJP leaders are struggling to respond to the Congress’s questions on corruption. They are giving baffling statements tarnishing the image of the party. Interestingly, the Congress party does not seem to feel the need to react to those ill-humored statements. Even the prime minister called Rahul Gandhi moorkhon ke sardar (leader of stupids) does not befit a leader of such stature. It has impacted negatively,” expressed Khan.
Without mentioning, the PM on Tuesday attacked Gandhi and called him “Moorkhon ke sardar” in a rally in Betul district for his claims over the dominance of “Made in China” mobile phones in India.
Khan added that it is after two decades that I see people talking about the Congress party which is in a strong position compared to 2018. The leader of oppsotion is leading elections almost single-handedly. The consecutive release of corruption-related videos that went viral has caught the public eye. People can’t be fooled anymore.
An alleged video of Devendra Tomar went viral on social media where he was heard discussing transactions of hundreds of crore rupees. Devendra is the son of union minister and BJP candidate from Dimni, Narendra Singh Tomar. However, the BJP has dismissed the video claiming it is fake. The Congress party has attacked the state government for not using investigative agencies yet.
United Congress
Veteran journalist LS Herdenia in conversation with eNewsroom said that there is a shift in Congress politics where only Kamal Nath cannot be held accountable as the party has adopted this difference where Rahul Gandhi visits temples. It seems they are changing the character of the party. “Politicians adopt various tactics during elections. Keeping a 2018-like victory in mind, Kamal Nath has included different policies in the election manifesto. He has full command over the party as the fractions have reduced to zero under his leadership. This unity was missing in the elections of 2008, 2013, and 2018. The response received by Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi proves that there are no fractions,” claimed Herdenia.
He continued that occasionally Congress seems to follow the footsteps of the BJP. Kamal Nath honored a man and organized his sermon who compared women with open plots. He also began religious activities in Congress office which is contradictory to what the Congress party stands for.
Kamal Nath in a Congress rally on November 15 | Twitter/ @INCMP
Kamal Nath and his son Nakul Nath had organized a 3-day religious event in Samariya of Chhindwara hosting controversial godman Dhirendra Shastri, a head priest of Bageshwar Dham. Shastri is the open supporter of one Hindu nation. He faced condemnation from all quarters for making derogatory comments against Hindu women in which Shastri compared women who don’t wear sindoor and mangalsutra with available plots for men. Both the Congress and BJP have attempted to woo voters using Shastri for his fanbase.
“What is the point of making a Hindu nation, 82% are Hindus here. In a country where there is such a huge percentage, is it a matter of debate? What is the need to say Hindu nation, these figures state,” Nath emphasizing on secularism had said to reporters in Bhopal.
Love-hate relation with Godi Media
It stirred debates when Congress’s CM candidate gave an interview to a journalist boycotted by the INDIA alliance with presumptions that Nath is breaking rules. However, local politicians believe that the decision was taken not to send their representatives on the shows and events of the said anchors.
Sharing his experience as a journalist Herdenia said that there is no space for boycotting journalists in a democracy. It is an inappropriate thing because journalists work under the pressure of media house owners.
Herdenia mentioned that Kamal Nath has included different policies in the election manifesto. However, there are limitations in not adding policies to fight against communalism and provisions for the safety of minorities, for instance.
Neglecting minorities
“Neglecting minorities is a dangerous move in a democracy. With a 7-8% minority population in Madhya Pradesh, the lack of representation raises questions about political inclusion. There was a time when Congress saw Muslim MLAs winning seats and holding ministerial positions even in areas without an influential Muslim population, like Gufran from Betul, Gulsher, and Aziz Qureshi from Satna. However, it appears that Congress has moved away from this practice. Concerns arise that if incumbent MLA Arif Masood loses and Atif Aqueel does not win, Madhya Pradesh may not have any Muslim MLAs,” he expressed concerns.
The highest number of Muslims in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly was in 1962 when seven MLAs were elected. In 1993, despite no Muslim representative being elected, then Chief Minister Digvijay Singh nominated Ibraheem Qureshi as a cabinet minister in his council of ministers. However, Qureshi had to resign after six months.
In the 2023 Madhya Pradesh elections, the Congress party has fielded only two Muslim candidates. They are contesting from the Bhopal Madhya and Uttar constituencies. The incumbent MLA Arif Masood is seeking re-election from Madhya, while Atif Aqueel is replacing his father, Arif Aqueel from Uttar.
Herdenia condemned the usage of Lord Ram by the parties to gain power. “Of course, the Congress party laid the foundation of Ram Mandir. Lord Ram was the symbol of abandoning power and the throne on the instructions of his father. It is unfortunate what the politicians do these days,” he stated.
Abdullah, an activist from Bhopal who is actively promoting political awareness within the society speaking with eNewsroom said that Madhya Pradesh is the land of the Janata Party from where leaders like Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Vijayraje Scindia, and Kusha Bhau Thakre came. Congress has always patronized Hindutva leaders like Dwarka Prasad Mishra in the state. However, if electorates want to vote for Hindutva why will they choose soft Hindutva in comparison to hardcore Hindutva? This strategy might fail as the BJP has still not lost their stronghold and the Congress party gets votes that are against communalism.
“There is no doubt that Kamal Nath is in a good position in his region. He has developed Chhindwara in a remarkable manner. Muslim votes have always been loyal https://amandanaorphotography.com/portfolio/ to the Congress party. There is a precedent when the now prominent Congress MLA Arif Masood contested elections from the Samajwadi Party but he only got a few votes,” said Abdullah.
Arif Masood joined the Samajwadi Party in 2003 and contested elections, however, despite a fanbase he failed to win elections.
As Madhya Pradesh gears up for the elections, the contrasting strategies of the Congress led by Kamal Nath, and the BJP opting for suspense over its CM candidate set the stage for a closely watched political contest.
কলকাতা: ইসরায়েলে হামাস আক্রমণের 37 দিন হয়ে গেছে। হামলায় প্রায় দুই শতাধিক ইসরায়েলি সৈন্য নিহত হয় এবং একই সংখ্যক বেসামরিক মানুষকে জিম্মি করে প্রতিরোধ গোষ্ঠী। এরপর শুরু হয় ইসরায়েলের বর্বরতা এবং এ পর্যন্ত ৫ হাজার শিশুসহ প্রায় ১২ হাজার ফিলিস্তিনি নিহত হয়েছে।
ইসরায়েলের বর্বরতাকে সমর্থন করছে মূলত মার্কিন যুক্তরাষ্ট্র (ইউএসএ), যুক্তরাজ্য (যুক্তরাজ্য) এবং ফ্রান্স। তবে, শুধু বাকি বিশ্বের নয়, এই দেশগুলির নাগরিকরাও তাদের সরকার ফিলিস্তিনে যে যুদ্ধাপরাধ সংঘটিত করছে তার প্রতি তাদের সরকারের সমর্থনের প্রতিবাদে রাস্তায় নেমে আসছে।
ইসরায়েলি-আমেরিকান পণ্য বয়কট আন্দোলন
“কিন্তু আমরা নাগরিক হিসেবে গণহত্যা বন্ধে যথেষ্ট কিছু করতে না পেরে অসহায় বোধ করছি। তাই এখন আমরা ভারতে ইসরায়েলি-আমেরিকান পণ্য বয়কট আন্দোলন ব্র্যান্ডের পণ্য ‘সম্পূর্ণভাবে বয়কট’ করার সিদ্ধান্ত নিয়েছি। ইতিমধ্যে বিশ্বব্যাপী ইসরায়েলি-আমেরিকান পণ্য বয়কট আন্দোলন চলছে। তবে আমরা মনে করি যে এটি একটি আন্দোলনের আকার ধারণ করা উচিত এবং যুদ্ধাপরাধের সাথে জড়িত এই ধরনের কোম্পানিগুলির উপর আরও বেশি প্রভাব ফেলবে। এবং এর সাথে শুরু করতে আমরা 17 নভেম্বর থেকে এই আন্দোলন শুরু করব। এটি একটি সপ্তাহব্যাপী হবে প্রথম- 17 থেকে 23 নভেম্বর। এটিকে 7 দিন 7 পণ্য বয়কট আন্দোলন বলা হবে, ডাঃ সরফরাজ আহমেদ জানান।
তিনি আরও বলেন, “প্রচারণাটি জনসচেতনতার মাধ্যমে পরিচালিত হবে, গণমাধ্যম ব্যবহার করে, রাস্তার কর্নার মিটিং এবং সোশ্যাল মিডিয়া প্রভাবশালীদের ব্যবহার করে সঠিক চিন্তাশীল লোকদের যুক্তি দিয়ে এটিকে 100 শতাংশ সফল করার জন্য।
“আমাদের প্রচারকারীরা বয়কট ইসরায়েলি এবং আমেরিকান টি-শার্ট পরা ভোক্তাদের জানানোর জন্য মল এবং দোকানে যাবে। পরে, আমরা এই কাপড়গুলি বিক্রি করব, যুবকদের সেগুলি পরতে এবং বার্তা নিয়ে চলাফেরা করার অনুমতি দেবে। সাধারণ মানুষের কল্পনাকে ধরার জন্য আমাদের বাইকে স্টিকারও থাকবে,” আতহার ফিরদৌসি উল্লেখ করেছেন।
যে সাতটি পণ্য বয়কটের আবেদন করা হয়েছে সেগুলো হলো- অ্যামাজন, এরিয়েল, কোকা-কোলা। লেস, ম্যাকডোনাল্ড, ম্যাগি, প্যাম্পার্স।
প্রচারের আবেদন দেখুন
সামাজিক কর্মী ইমতিয়াজ মোল্লা জোর দিয়ে বলেন, “এটি একটি উল্লেখযোগ্য আন্দোলনের মাত্র শুরু, যা কয়েক মাস ধরে চলতে পারে। প্রাথমিকভাবে একটি সাপ্তাহিক ভিত্তিতে পরিকল্পনা করা হয়েছিল, অতিরিক্ত দিন, আইটেম এবং ভবিষ্যতে প্রচারের নতুন শৈলী চালু করা হবে।”
তিনি আরও বলেন, “এটি মানবতার আহ্বান, এবং প্রতিটি মানুষ যারা নিষ্পাপ শিশু, নারী ও মানুষের জীবন বাঁচাতে বিশ্বাসী তারা এই আন্দোলনের অংশ হবে।”
এই গ্রুপে ডাক্তার, প্রকৌশলী, চার্টার্ড অ্যাকাউন্ট্যান্ট, শিক্ষক এবং সমাজকর্মীরা রয়েছে, দাবি করে যে এটি তাদের অর্থায়নে একটি অরাজনৈতিক কার্যকলাপ। এটি একটি মানবিক প্রচেষ্টার সূচনাকে চিহ্নিত করে যা আগামী কয়েক মাস পর্যন্ত প্রসারিত হতে পারে।
Kolkata: It has been 37 days since Hamas attacked Israel. In the attack, around two hundred Israeli soldiers were killed and the same number of civilians were made hostages by the resistance group. Thereafter the barbarism of Israel began and so far around 12000 Palestinians have been killed including 5000 children.
The brutality of Israel is being supported mainly by the United States of America (the USA), the United Kingdom (the UK) and France. However, not only the rest of the world, but the citizens of these countries are also hitting the streets in large numbers to protest their governments’ support of the war crime Israel is committing in Palestine.
Israeli-American Products Boycott Movement
“But we are feeling helpless that we as a citizen, not being able to do enough to stop the Genocide. So now we have decided to ‘completely boycott’ Israeli and American brand’s products in India. Boycott of Israeli and American products are already going on globally. But we feel that it should take shape of a movement and impact more to such companies who are complicit in the war crimes. And to begin with we will begin this movement from November 17. It will be a week-long first– from November 17 to 23. It will be called 7 Days 7 Products Boycott Movement, informed Dr Sarfaraz Ahmed.
He further said, “The campaign will run through public awareness, using mass media, street corner meetings and using social media influencers to argue right-thinking people to make it 100 percent successful.
“Our campaigners wearing boycott Israeli and American t-shirts will visit malls and shops to inform consumers. Later, we will sell these clothes, allowing the youth to wear them and move with the message. We will also have stickers on our bikes to catch the imagination of common people,” mentioned Athar Firdausi.
The Seven products which have been appealed to boycott are— Amazon, Ariel, Coca-Cola. Lays, Macdonald, Maggi, Pampers.
Watch the campaign appeal
Social activist Imtiaz Mollah emphasized, “This is just the beginning of a significant movement, which may continue for months. Initially planned on a weekly basis, additional days, items, and new campaign styles will be introduced in the future.”
He added, “It is a call of humanity, and every person who believes in saving the lives of innocent children, women, and people will become part of this movement.”
The group comprises doctors, engineers, chartered accountants, teachers, and social activists, asserting that it is a non-political activity funded by themselves. This marks the commencement of a humanitarian effort that may extend for months to come.
