HC sets terms for Maidan rally

KOLKATA: Calcutta High Court on Wednesday handed down a strong message to political parties against taking the city's environment for granted. Organizers of rallies and meetings on Brigade Parade Ground, including political parties, will now have to give a written undertaking to Kolkata Police that Calcutta High Court's directives against open ovens and parking vehicles within a 3-km radius of the Victoria Memorial will be strictly adhered to. Should any organizer defy these guidelines, police will not only take action but will also prohibit them from holding any programme on the Brigade Parade Ground. Police have also been directed to ensure the HC guidelines are followed even when programmes are on. These directions were passed by a high court division Bench of Justice Bhaskar Bhattacharya and Justice R N Banerjee. On September 28, 2007, the same Bench had passed a number of directions to protect the environment around Victoria Memorial, banning open fires and parking around the heritage structure. On January 13, 2008, CPM organized a rally at Brigade Parade Ground, which left the area in a mess. Environmental activist Subhas Datta — who had filed the original PIL seeking to protect Victoria from environmental degradation — filed a supplementary affidavit before the court, complaining that there was “flagrant violation” of the court's orders by the CPM rally. To substantiate his claim, Datta produced photographs revealing open ovens on the Maidan and indiscriminate parking around Victoria Memorial. Kolkata Police filed an affidavit in which the deputy commissioner, headquarters, agreed that the ruling party had violated the court's directives. He claimed police were unable — outnumbered as they were — to prevent the violations. Datta argued before the court that enforcers of the law cannot take such a plea. “Police are vigilant when a common man violates a court order. However, when the party in power does the same, police remain mute spectators. This sends out a wrong message to society,” he pointed out.
8 May 2008, 0414 hrs IST , TNN
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