Kolkata streets come alive with a festive atmosphere on July 21 as it is marked as Trinamool Congress party’s annual Shahid Diwas, or Martyr’s Day rally. Informing that there are other Shaheed Diwas In India including the January 30 marking the death day of Mahatma Gandhi.
However, unlike other martyr’s day known in India, July 21 is celebrated in Bengal. This event remembers the tragic police shooting of 13 people at a 1993 Youth Congress rally in Kolkata.
Mamata Banerjee On July 21
This year, TMC leader Mamata Banerjee will lead a major rally in the Esplanade area. Thousands of party members have already arrived in the city and are staying in temporary camps at various locations. Extensive traffic arrangements and strict security measures are in place for the event.
The rally is especially significant as it marks the first one after a two-year break due to COVID-19 and celebrates the party’s recent state election victory.
Shahid Diwas holds special importance for the Trinamool Congress and Mamata Banerjee because it commemorates the 1993 Kolkata shooting, where police fired on demonstrators, killing 13 and injuring many more. At that time, Mamata Banerjee was leading the Youth Congress’s protest against the ruling Communist Party’s policies.
The tragic event helped boost Mamata Banerjee’s political career, leading to the formation of her own party, the Trinamool Congress, in 1998. As Chief Minister, she later set up an inquiry that criticized the police’s actions and provided compensation to the victims’ families.
Today, Mamata Banerjee continues to honor the memory of those who lost their lives on July 21, 1993, and acknowledges their families each year during the Shahid Diwas rally.
Also Read: Trinamool Congress To Hold Rally On ‘Martyr’s Day’ Today
