As Kolkata Police cracked down on protesters marching to state secretariat Nabanna over the rape and murder of a 31-year-old doctor in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, visuals of an elderly man dressed in red, holding a national flag and braving water cannons went viral.
Some questioned what an elderly man was doing at a students’ protest, others praised him for standing up to the power of a State for a cause he believed in. Some said he was a monk who hit the protest path to seek justice for the rape-murder victim, others said he was an RSS member and flagged communal remarks he allegedly made in the past. From online posts slamming his ‘wear bangles’ outburst to memes picturing him as a ‘warrior’, the ‘mystery monk’ has taken social media by storm.
So who is this mystery monk? Amid the social media storm, it has emerged that his name is Prabir Bose, but he now calls himself Balaram Bose. He has worked as a photographer in the past, according to the information on his social media profiles. His Facebook profile photo, uploaded in 2013, shows him posing with a camera and a cigarette, clean shaved and candid. He now sports a white beard, wears saffron and has religious markings on his forehead. His profile has several social media posts that point to links with ABVP and slam the Mamata Banerjee government.
Catapulted to overnight fame, he posted a video statement on his Facebook profile yesterday. “I am Balaram Bose. I was participant in this students’ protest. I just want to appeal to you not to stop this movement. Please continue this ‘Justice for RG Kar’ movement.”
He said people had come to know about him after a video went viral. “Some are projecting me as a villain, some as a hero. But I am just an ordinary man, like the thousands of people in this movement. My only message to the people is: persist in this movement for justice, no matter whatever narratives are created.”
Mr Bose wished for the swift recovery of protesters as well as police personnel injured in Tuesday’s clash. “But remember, don’t let this movement fade away. Keep saying, ‘Justice for RG Kar’.”
One of the videos that went viral on the day of Nabanna Abhijaan, the ‘mystery man’ was heard telling the media, “They (police) should wear bangles and sit at home. They also have mothers and sisters. We have come here to protest in demand of women’s safety. We are not carrying weapons, we are only holding the national flag.”
His “wear bangles” prompted a wave of criticism, with many flagging how such gendered expressions can find a place in a movement for women’s safety. Others defended him, saying that he had at least stepped out for the cause and braved water cannons and teargas.
Many asked what he was doing at a students’ protest. Responding to this, Mr Bose told news agency ANI, “The protest was announced by students and they said one person from each home must join. I have women at home, in my family. And I am concerned about their safety. So I felt I must join this protest.”
#WATCH | Kolkata: Balram Bose, who took part in the ‘Nabanna Abhiyan’ march yesterday, says, “The agitation was called by students but it was said that one individual from every household should join it. I too have women in my house. So, we should be concerned for their safety.… https://t.co/25ejt95Dd8 pic.twitter.com/trqbGREtGa
— ANI (@ANI) August 28, 2024
On the video showing him braving the water cannon, he said, “I was determined that our voice should reach Nabanna. I was ready to die for that. I was telling the cops to join us.”
Asked about his saffron attire and whether he has links with any political party, he replied, “I am an Sanatani, if being Sanatani is a crime, I am a criminal. This movement should not be influenced by any political party. We just want justice.”
Chaotic scenes played out on streets leading to the state secretariat during the ‘Nabanna Abhijan’ protest on Tuesday. While the organisers had said the march was planned by student organisations, the Trinamool alleged that it was a BJP-ABVP conspiracy to create unrest.
