Kolkata: Kolkata Police on Friday morning cancelled the third edition of the Reclaim the Night programme by Reclaim the Night (Women-Trans-Queer) United, citing possible “disturbances in law and order.”After the order, the group’s convener, Satabdi Das, said on social media that they would cancel the film screenings and cultural programmes but continue to occupy the road. More than 100 protesters gathered at the Jadavpur 8B bus stand around 8.30 pm and held a silent protest.Earlier, Das had emailed Kolkata Police seeking permission for the event, a process the organisers said they have followed since 2024. In response, joint CP (HQ) Sudeep Sarkar denied permission.“With reference to your email dated Aug 8, this is to inform you that you are not allowed to hold your proposed programme. Information reveals that during the proposed event, screening of two controversial documentary films namely ‘Hey Ram’ and ‘Ram Ke Naam’ along with street play, song and speech will take place which may create disturbance of public order in the area and could lead the situation to various, possible law and order issues… any violation of this direction shall be viewed seriously and invite stringent legal action under relevant provisions of law, without any further notice,” Sarkar wrote.Calls to Sarkar on Friday evening went unanswered.Das said cops had asked her to go to the police station to “explain” the programmes. “For the past two days, Jadavpur Police Station has been relentlessly harassing me. Yesterday, I was told that I should come to Jadavpur PS. I said I would not be able to, because I work outside Kolkata and was occupied with work. Then today this letter was delivered. Just look at the language in it. Honestly, it now feels like if I had gone to the PS yesterday, they might have handcuffed me and locked me up right there,” she claimed.“We will still be in Jadavpur. Not for the program. But since our freedom of speech has been taken away, we will go to court to determine whether even screening a film is to be prohibited. Let us stand together today, mouths covered, staring helplessly at one another…”Rimjhim Sinha, who first gave the “Reclaim the Night” call, said: “Feminism is inseparably bound up with resisting fascism. One cannot exist meaningfully without the other. ‘Ratdokhol Oikyomoncho’ understands this. All feminists should understand it too. The documentaries that were supposed to be screened aren’t new. No public peace has been harmed on earlier screenings, other than the chaos created by people who support the current party in office. It is therefore important to question if this forbiddance is in favour of the people or the state?”Sinha said.
