CPM Youth Wing's 'Mega' Rally Stalled as Army Withholds Permission for Brigade Parade Grounds

The planned January 7, 2024, rally by the CPM youth wing DYFI has encountered a roadblock due to procedural issues. It seems that the army is still reluctant to approve the use of the Brigade Parade Grounds, and the Marxists are unwilling to accept an other location.

A new proposal was submitted earlier this week for the Brigade location, which is in the custody of the army. According to CPM state secretary Md. Salim, there would be no other venue for the "mega" protest.

He has claimed that the army was refusing permission at the government of Mamata Banerjee's request.

"Authorization was easily granted for a Sangh parivar function on December 24 at the same location. We are facilitating that event even though we are well aware that its primary goal is to interfere with our Christmas Eve celebrations. Salim said that one of the numerous things that the supporters of Hindi, Hindu, and Hindustan cannot tolerate is Christmas.

He said, "The Trinamul Congress-led state government here is giving the army clues about why it is doing this."

While Salim and other members of the CPM have said that the army cannot approve anything until the police administration gives its permission, Trinamul state general secretary Kunal Ghosh has refuted the claim, stating that the army does not report to the state government. According to Alimuddin Street, Mamata, the state's home minister, ordered the withholding of that police clearance.

When asked what would happen if permission was not given at the last minute, Salim said, "We will proceed with it anyhow."

"There is no question of standing down; we are demanding employment opportunities and a secure future for the younger generations of the state and the country," he said.

The Brigade ceremony will mark the end of the DYFI's two-month march across Bengal, which began last month.

DYFI state secretary Minakshi Mukherjee is leading the Insaaf Yatra (March for Justice), which is a protest against both the state administration headed by Trinamul and the Narendra Modi government at the federal level.

"There are no youth jobs or funds available from the 100-day employment guarantee program." The number of school dropouts has increased. These are serious problems that need immediate attention, yet they are often ignored, according to Mukherjee.