The All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA) strongly condemns the brutal attack by the police in Kolkata on a peaceful dharna of AIDWA and other left and democratic women's organisations on February 9. Taking example from Amit Shah, Mamata Banerjee's police put up iron barricades on all sides of the dharna venue so that the women could not move in any direction. When after the meeting more than 4000 women moved in a disciplined and peaceful rally towards the main road from the gate of the Calcutta municipal corporation office, the police beat them up with lathis, kicked them in the abdomen, dragged them by the hair to the buses waiting to arrest them. The women police were kept inactive and male policemen attacked the women in a most violent manner. About 150 women received injuries among whom were Soma, Monalisa, Bilkis, Dipu,Samita and others. Many of them had to be hospitalised. About 200 women were arrested including state president Anju Kar, state secretary Kaninika Ghosh, CEC member Swapna and others. Many of them were taken to Lalbazar police lock-up. However women refused to leave the site of protest until the injured were taken care of and those arrested had been released. Eventually the police were obliged to do so and slogans were raised from the gathering shaming police atrocity and promising to carry on the struggle for food, work and freedom from violence. Malini Bhattacharya, AIDWA president addressed the rally. AIDWA calls upon all it's units to protest this brutal attack but the West Bengal police on the peaceful women dharna.
