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Anjee Bhatia, 15, is wearing a black band on her wrist these days, in the classroom and at the candlelight vigil. “Some of us friends felt a strong urge to protest the injustice done to Rizwanur. We wore the black band to school; when asked by our teachers, we explained our feelings and they understood,” says Anjee, who spent three hours as a volunteer at the vigil in front of St Xavier’s College, with her father keeping a proud eye on her.
The student of Class XI in GD Birla Centre for Education is not alone. We are the Rang De Basanti Generation reads a hand-written poster hanging outside St Xavier’s College, mirroring the mood of the young three weeks after one of their own was either driven to his death or murdered. The mood has changed dramatically in 24 hours, with the high court ordering a CBI probe and the chief minister taking action against all five tainted cops.
The multi-coloured candles burn bright on a bed of molten wax as youngsters of all hues hover around the sidewalk opposite Park Street police station. For 20 days and nights, they have kept the candle burning for Rizwanur Rahman, the 30-year-old who was found dead within days of being forcibly separated from wife Priyanka Todi, 23.
The voices of protest have probably never been younger in post-Independence Calcutta. Ten-year-old Andre Jiggi forced his mother to take him to the “memorial” on Park Street so that they could light candles. “I’ve been reading the papers and watching the news every day. I feel injustice has been done to Rizwanur. I feel bad for his mother. She looks so frightened. Shouldn’t the police be protecting people?” asks the Class V student.
Madhumita and Pinky, two 11-year-olds, are grappling with the tale of love and loss. “Priyanka’s parents have kidnapped her and locked her up inside the cupboard at home,” Pinky tells Madhumita, who returns home from school, pores over the newspapers and asks her father: “Is this what happens when you fall in love?”
Today, it’s happened to Rizwanur; tomorrow, it could happen to me, unless we act now — that’s the theme of the non-political protest movement for justice that has found over 35,000 signatories of support and close to 500 volunteers. Pranaadhika Sinha, a decade older than Andre or Pinky, is playing an active part in the vigil. “We’re not much younger than Rizwanur or Priyanka. We’re also in relationships and have friends from different religions and backgrounds. Rizwanur seems very close to us,” says the vehement 21-year-old.
The ring of light created by the candles has blurred all lines of campus rivalry. Students from diverse schools and colleges have volunteered for the vigil.
“The support from youngsters is amazing. Students come in all day long. They are very aware of the issue and its implications,” admires Durjoy Guha, 55, a tireless member of the vigil, who has seen Rizwanur’s students from Arena Multimedia reacting to the campaign with the same passion as teenagers who had never heard of him till September 22.
“Rizwanur has become a role model for youngsters. He is someone they can identify with,” feels psycho-analyst Nilanjana Sanyal, adding that “the inter-community and class issues” raised by the death of Rizwanur will remain with them.
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The tragic love story is now a part of classroom discussions. “In one of our Value Education classes, we were divided into teams and asked to act as CID officials and argue whether Rizwanur’s death was a case of murder or suicide,” reveals a Class VIII student of St Xavier’s Collegiate School. One of the ‘zero’ periods at the beginning of classes was also dedicated to the controversy.
Sharmila De, a primary school teacher at Nava Nalanda High School, feels the confusion is most among students of Class IV-V. “I think it is really troubling younger children. They are confused and no one’s really explaining to them why Rizwanur died. Parents and teachers should probably come forward and give them a clearer picture.”
The clear picture emerging at the vigil on Park Street is that the city’s GenX has found a cause they can identify with and in The Shrine they have a popular yet non-political platform to unite.
“Finally, something is happening in the city that I can be proud of. Calcutta, keep the candle burning for justice,” writes Shalini Burman, 15, in the pages of protest next to the picture of a smiling Rizwanur.
But will the fighting spirit among tomorrow’s leaders die down once the candles are put out? No way, assures Anjee Bhatia. “We’re all happy with the CBI order and the action against top cops, but we will continue to wear the black bands — it will be our message to all those who abuse power.”
