According to our sources, on December 10, 2019, MASUMorganised an event,on the occasion of the International Human Rights Day at the Ranu Chhaya Mancha, in front of Academy of Fine Arts, Cathedral Road, Maidan in Kolkata.This place falls under the jurisdiction of Hastings Police Station. MASUM has been celebrating the International Human Rights Day by organising a human rights fair for the past 22 years. Various dignitaries, lawyers, human rights activists, academics, cultural performers and CSOs actively participated inthe said fair this year.The cultural programme was initiated at around 12 noon with an inaugural song,followed by a speech by Mr. Dipyaman Adhikary, the Assistant Secretary of MASUM. At around 12.45 PM, a few policemen in plain clothes arrived at the venue and stated that they are from Hastings Police Station. They however produced no identity of who exactly they were. They asked Mr.Roy to stop using the microphone in the event as no prior permission to use plugged sound hadbeen taken. The HRDsinformedthemthat an email seeking permission to organise the event was sent to the Commissioner, Joint Commissioner, Deputy Commissioners and Hastings Police Station of Kolkata on November 28, 2019. However, no response was received from any of the officers. The policemen (who were without their uniform) who had not produced their identity cards then said that they will not allow the HRDsto continue with the event by using microphone without the written permissionof the police. However,they allowed the use of megaphone provided the members visit the Hastings Police Station immediately and submit a written application regarding the usage. The members of MASUM refused to go to the police station.As according to requirements of Section 160 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, there should be a registration of FIR and a proper notice should be served if a police officer requires attendance ofwitnesses in the police station. The police personnel then backed off a little andaskedthe HRDsto write an application there itself, which they wouldtake to the police station andpermission to use microphone wouldbe granted subsequently.As a token of protestand given that MASUM had already communicated on November 28, 2019,members of MASUMrefused to submit the application and decided to continue the event without plugged sound. The event was initiated again with a megaphone and continued till 6:30 PM. HRDA would like to mention that at the same time two other events were also going on where loud sound was played; one just across the road at 'Mohor Kunja' and another behind the arena of victims at'Nandan' premise.The Human Rights Fair organised by MASUM is a prestigious event organised every year with an aimto bring together various civil society organisations, dignitaries and professionals to display their publications. Justice (retd.) Asok Ganguly, former judge of the Supreme Court of India,also inaugurated two of his books during the event. Under the present circumstances,we strongly protest the autocratic and tyrannical actions of the police in order to suppress a human rights eventon exactly the International Human Rights Day. It is anirony that a peaceful human rights event was hampered on the auspicious occasion of Human Rights Day by the state forces. The action of the police is violative of fundamental right of freedom of speech and expression and freedom of peaceful assembly as provided by Article 19 of the Indian Constitutionand upheld in all the recent standards developed by the United Nation’s Special Rapporteur on freedom of peaceful assembly and association.