Sarkar said “Uber should help the driver and give him counseling and therapy and send him for rehabilitation. Driver’s career should not be spoilt,”.
Mumbai: A poet and Activist on Friday were taken to the police station by Uber driver as he was talking about anti- CAA protest. The Activist said that the driver’s aggressive behavior and violent language reflected the atmosphere prevailing in India.
Bappadittya Sarkar,23, also said that despite the ordeal he faced due to the Uber driver’s act, he will not lodge a complaint against him as it may ruin his career and life.
Sarkar, a resident of Jaipur, who had arrived in Mumbai on February 3 for a poetry reading session at the Kala Ghoda Festival, had taken part in the ongoing anti-CAA-NRC protest at Nagpada in Mumbai. He took the Uber cab from Juhu to Kurla around 10.30 pm on Wednesday.
While traveling, Sarkar was discussing with his friend on mobile phone people’s discomfort with ‘Laal Salaam’ slogan at Shaheen Bagh protest in Delhi. The driver was listening, to the conversation, he suddenly stopped the cab and told Sarkar he wanted to withdraw money from ATM. But he returned with two policemen, who allegedly asked Sarkar why he was carrying a ‘dafli’ (a percussion instrument), and also questioned him his address.
The driver allegedly questioned the police to take Sarkar in custody for “he was saying he was a Communist and was talking to burn India”.
According to the comments tweeted by her, the police advised Sarkar not to carry the daily or wear a red scarf, “as the atmosphere is not good and anything can happen”.
Sarkar said, “The behavior of the driver was aggressive and his language was violent.
This type of violent language symbolizes whatever is going on in the country.”
“The driver threatened me that he could have taken me somewhere else, but took me to a police station. I was scared due to his threat. But the driver must have some foundation for giving threat,” he said.
Sarkar said he was staying at a friend’s place in Kurla, but shifted to Andheri after the incident.
“Our fight is only of thoughts, then we have to understand from where violence stems and how,” he said.
“I am a student and love to write poems and create a slogan. I could have stayed at my residence when protests are going on across the country. But I have a responsibility to come out of the home for our people and our country,” he added.
Before coming to Mumbai, Sarkar had also participated in the protests in Shaheen Bagh in Delhi and Jaipur.
When questioned whether he plans to take any action against the driver, Sarkar said that he does not want to ruin anybody’s life.
Sarkar said “Uber should help the driver and give him counseling and therapy and send him for rehabilitation. Driver’s career should not be spoilt,”.
“There can be differences of views and people like my work for the whole society,” he said.
Sarkar, who was at the ‘Mumbai Bagh’ protest in Nagpada on Friday morning, said he will return to his hometown, Jaipur, in the afternoon, where he will take part in similar protests.
“I will go to Jaipur and first meet my family members as they may also be worried after the incident. After that I will participate in the agitation,” he said.
Sarkar also said he had got a call from Uber and the company condemned the incident saying whatever their driver did was not right and they are taking action.
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