Throughout India, lawyers protests are generally associated with ruffian-type lawyers representing political parties. Senior Advocates, even if politically aligned, stay away. But we are now witnessing an incredible scene where top Senior Advocates and barristers of the Calcutta High Court are marching on the streets, outside the High Court. Perhaps the only lawyers not marching today are those who are members of the TMC and the state government standing counsels. Every other HC lawyer —- young, old, elite, non-elite, apolitical, pro-Left, pro-BJP, pro-Congress —- seems to be marching on the streets!

This video shows the huge size of the protest: thousands and thousands of black robes marching. I don’t think we have ever seen such a lawyers protest in India, let alone in the 150+ years of the Calcutta High Court. I’m not sure we even saw such protests during British rule, given that most of the lawyers at the Cal HC were then British.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GaVqI2LjNG0&pp=ygUYQ2FvY3V0dGEgbGF3eWVyIHByb3Rlc3Qg

The videos below shows former AG Jayanta Mitra and former AG SN Mookherjee as part of the protest and speaking to the media. You can spot some other seniors as well.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EmTm5JJYV4Y

https://m.youtube.com/shorts/mZq5GFSIlNw

Mr Anindya Mitra another former Advocate General also marched. He is in his late 80s. Below is the video. In the same video, you can also see Mr Bilwadal Bhattacharya, former Deputy Solicitor General of India; Mr Gopal Mookherjee, former AG; and Mr Bikash Bhattacharya, MP and former AG of Tripura. A few more Senior Advocates as well, such as Mr Ashok Bandopadhyay.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsiaKVJ-6fI

It's obvious that the number of lawyers protesting will be large, because the TMC is probably the only party in India simultaneously opposed by the BJP, CPI(M) and INC. The last two are in alliance with the TMC at the centre, but not at the state level. So you basically have the right and left sections of the High Court Bar uniting, hence obviously a large crowd (NOTE: TMC is neither right nor left, they have no ideology).

Sadly, the bulk of Bengal BJP are also ex-TMC, who have only shifted ship because they weren't being given a chance to get a big enough pie of corruption proceedings. Hence they can't be relied upon to bring in any change either. Both the major parties in the state lack decent leaders.

Why use this forum to perpetuate the binary between TMC and BJP? The incident came to light because Meenakshi Mukherjee from the LEFT stopped the hearse of the victim. Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya (CPIM, Rajya Sabha MP) is representing the victim's parents before the HC. Of course, the BJP has more social media presence due to its financial resources. Don't be fooled by that to say BJP is the only alternative.

The reason for the large turnout is quite simple. The class that opposes Mamata the most is the educated urban middle class. They may form merely 10 to 15 percent of the overall population of Bengal, but they easily form over 95% of the Calcutta High Court bar, if not 100%. This class was quiet when TMC goons were killing and raping Dalit and tribal women in villages, but the rape and murder of a middle-class girl who was a doctor has stirred them because they relate to the victim more. Then add to the fact that the BJP, Left and Congress joined hands, so lawyers supporting them also tagged along. Thus, you pretty much had the entire bar on the streets.

Mamata doesn’t give a damn because they know that this class can never vote her out of power. Much like how Lalu ruled Bihar for many years, despite inflicting a jungle raj.