A group of intellectuals met Justice (retd.) Asok Kumar Ganguly at his residence here on Tuesday and handed over a letter to him appreciating his role as former chairperson of the West Bengal Human Rights Commission and expressing regret about his resignation from the post.
“We have been deeply pained at the turn of events leading to your decision of stepping down as the chairperson of the West Bengal Human Rights Commission,” the letter written on behalf of the Democratic Citizens Forum of West Bengal said.
The letter that was handed over Justice Ganguly by chief adviser of the forum, octogenarian academician Sunanda Sanyal and convener Amitabha Majumdar said that he was always on the radar of the State government for taking tough decisions and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had vilified his decisions.
Jadavpur University professor Ambikesh Mahapatra, who was arrested for forwarding an email containing graphics of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, and Pradip Mukherjee, primary school teacher at Kamduni village, who spearheaded a movement against rape and murder of a student there, were also part of the seven-member team that met him.
The letter said that the recommendations made by Justice Ganguly as chairperson of WBHRC in cases like the arrest of Prof. Mahaptara were a pleasant surprise and it was depressing that his recommendations were either rejected outright or left to roost in the State Secretariat.
he development comes when the State government has appointed former head of State police Naparajit Mukherjee acting chairperson of the WBHRC amid reservations from certain civil rights groups.
