A Brief Report on Tapan Duttas Assassination and Thereafter

Since 2007 a portion of the 750 acre wetland namely Jaipur Bill near Bali Jagacha in Howrah District was being filled up illegally by some corporate houses like Anmol, DLF, Frank Ross etc., with the connivance of local authorities and district administration. At a later stage, filling up activities started in another portion of the wetland for the proposed Railway Coach Factory. Jaipur Bill is a part of the vast wetland spread in the districts of Howrah and Hoogly. It possesses all the features of wetland with its bio-diversity, vegetation, water catchment etc. Jaipur Bill provides passage of several canals and holds several large and small water bodies where fisher people earn their livelihood. As per West Bengal Inland Fisheries Act 1993 no person will fill up any water area including embankment or naturally or artificially depressed land holding measuring 5 cottahs or .035 hectre or more, with a view to converting it into solid land for the purpose of construction of any building thereon or for any other purpose. [Chapter III, Rule 17(b)]. But filling up activities were carried on. Most of the canals have been blocked with fly ash, drains got choked. The whole residential area of Bali Jagacha adjacent to this bill started getting inundated in monsoons. Former Howrah District Youth Trinamul Congress President Tapan Dutta was very much concerned with the civic nuisance caused by water logging in the adjacent areas. He started fighting to save the wetland. He with his friends and associates formed "Bally Jagacha Jala Bhumi Bachao Committee"

and made series of appeals, organised deputations. At a later stage they filed a case at the Calcutta High Court. Accepting their demand partially, the High Court Bench constituted by Justice Aniruddha Bose and Justice Sanjib Banerjee passed an interim order on 30th October 2009 prohibiting filling up of any water body in that area. But the filling up activities continued in a massive way. Bally Jagacha Jalabhumi Bachao Committee demanded implementation of the High Court order and the West Bengal Inland Fisheries Act. They developed active resistance against filling up, organised demonstrations and road block. All these were affecting the vested interest of promoter-land mafia group. Tapan Dutta and his associates were both threatened and offered bribe. But Tapan Dutta with very few associates continued the struggle relentlessly. Tapan Dutta was also the founder of Bally Jagach Citizens Rights and Protection Forum. On 6th May 2011 he went to Bally Police Station on behalf of the Forum to seek permission for holding a public meeting at Sasthitala, Bally on 11th May 2011 against political violence and for maintaining peace in the environment of state election result. While returning, he was brutally assassinated at 9.40 PM at Bally Ghoshpara Railway crossing gate. Several bullets pierced him from point blank range. For three weeks, due to police inaction, no one was arrested. There are worries whether the case will be investigated properly, whether the real culprits behind the scene will be brought to book, whether the wetland activists of the locality including Tapan Duttas family members will be secured, whether the illegal filling up activities will be stopped.

Series of programmes are being organised by individuals and organisations demanding institution of a proper inquiry of the assassination, punishment of the real culprits, immediate action against filling up of the wetland and implementation of law and High Court order. 11.5.11 A public meeting, permission of which was sought by Tapan Dutta was organised by Bally Jagacha Citizens Rights and Protection Forum, Bally Jagacha Jala Bhumi Bachao Committee, APDR Bally and Gana Udyog. Among the speakers there were Kunal Thakur, Dilip Bhattacharya, Rupam Chatterjee, Kunal Guha Roy, Sasanka Dev etc. 21.5.11 A fact finding team including noted human rights activist Sujato Bhadra, scientist Abhee Dutta Mazumdar, Advocate Kunal Guha Roy and activists of Gana Udyog and APDR Bally visited Tapan Duttas house and locality. The team collected information regarding Tapan Duttas involvement in the movement for protection of the wetland and the threats he was having from the syndicate engaged in filling up of the wetland supported by the promoter-land mafia group. 28.5.11 A massive protest meeting was held at Students Hall, College Square, Kolkata by Nagarik Mancha, Gana Udyog, Friends of Democracy, Akhon Bisongbad, MASUM, FAMA, TASAM, Forum for Civil Liberties, Paribesh 2009, Janaswastha Swadhikar Mancha, Basundhara, Purba Kolkata Paribesh Samikhsan and DISHA and some others. Ms Pratima Dutta, widow of Tapan Dutta and an activist of the movement addressed the meeting and demanded protection of the Jaipur Bill. Other speakers were Scientist Abhee Dutta Mazumdar, wetland expert Dr. Dhruba Jyoti Ghosh, environmental engineer Mohit Roy, Advocate Kunal Guha Roy. Tapan Duttas close associate Dilip Bhattacharya and other environmental activists like Kunal Thakur, Achyut Sengupta, Arun Pal, Basudeb Ghatak etc. The meeting was conducted by Sasanka Dev and participated by Naba Dutta of Nagarik Mancha, Kirity Roy of MASUM, Advocate Sadhan Roy Chowdhuury, scientist Rabin Majumdar and many other civil society members.

5.6.11 To commemorate the World Environment Day, Bally Jagacha Citizens Rights and Protection Forum, APDR Bally and Gana Udyog organised a rally in the morning from Bally Railway Station to Jaipur Bill. Around 200 activists including family members of Tapan Dutta took part in the rally. In spite of prevailing threats in the locality, close associates of Tapan Dutta took part in the rally. The rally was participated by noted human rights activist Sujato Bhadra, scientist Abhee Dutta Mazumdar, Dr. Debapriya Mullick of Janaswastha Swadhikar Mancha, poet Prasun Bhowmik, environmentalist Sasanka Dev, Arun Pal, Kunal Thakur and many others. The rally stopped at Ghoshpara Railway Crossing Gate where Tapan Dutta was assassinated one month ago. In a short meeting Abhee Duta Mazumdar stated Tapan Duttas contribution towards protecting civic rights of the citizens of the locality and saving the wetland. He made appeal to the residents to provide whole hearted support in favour of investigation of the murder case. Thereafter the rally passed Sasthitala, Sapuipara, Ananda Nagar and then crossing the Mumbai Highway reached Jaipur Bill. A short meeting was held at the end point on a filled up space of a South City project. The rally noticed that the large wetland is still being filled up with fly ash at many points violating the latest High Court Order. The rally demanded immediate implementation of the High Court order and restoration of the wetland by digging up all filled up places.