Violence still echoing in Nandigram

Oct 29: Nandigram has again clutched the nation’s attention, with new set of violence sparked killing four people.

In an out of an ordinary situation, the fleet carrying Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamta Banerjee was fired upon at Gokulnagar near Tekhali bridge, during her visit to Nandigram, after which the party workers blocked rail and road traffic across the state.

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The Trinamool backed Bhumi Uchhed Pratirodh Committee (BUPC) alleged that four people killed while making bomb but CPM articulated that they were killed by BUPC, who threw bomb at them at a relief camp.

A few bullets landed near Banerjee’s vehicle and as a result her convoy could not cross the bridge. As she failed to proceed further, she came back to Contai at around 6 pm

The death of four CPM supporters has once again tensed the situation there.

After the incident Banerjee said, “They fired from Khejuri, a place nearby Tekhli Bridge, targeting my car and the local youth came out of their houses to save my life.”

She also said that Dinesh Trivedi, a Rajya Sabha member of TMC, talked to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the Union Home Ministry about the incident. She demanded Central intervention to restore normalcy at Nandigram.

On her reaction CPI (M) state secretariat member Shyamal Chakraborty stated, “What Banerjee is claiming is obviously false. The cartridge she is displaying is actually a shell. It is common knowledge that the shell drops at the very point from where it is fired and not where it is aimed at.”

He also said that there was no question of firing from the CPI (M) side and the incident was a "pre-planned drama" to fuel trouble at a time when the TMC backed Bhoomi Uchhed Pratirodh Committee is facing resistance from the CPI(M) for the first time.

Raj Kanojia, IG, Law and Order, said the police had registered a case for the attack on Mamta’s convoy. He also said that the pilot car had left midway as BUPC supporter’s manhandled policemen of the van. A case will be registered for that also, Kanojia said. But he claimed that her personal security was with her.

In another incident nine persons, including a 6-year-old school student, were killed in fresh incidents of violence in Nandigram and adjoining areas during the past 24 hours. The casualties were because of the clashes between the activists of the Krishi Bachaoo Committee and the CPM.

After the incident BUPC supporters set the zonal committee office of CPM at Nandigram on fire. They also laid blockade to the Nandigram Police Station, as a result of which police could not come outside, and blocked the road, which obstructed the movement of police.

The violence in Nandigram was sparked off when the present West Bengal government decided to set up a chemical hub with Salim group under the SEZ policy. The villagers took over the administration of the area and all the road were cut off. The state agency was directed to break the protest led by BUPC, and a massive operation was launched which killed many people and reported large-scale sexual crimes on the women and children.

Later after this barbaric incident the state government decided to relocate the SEZ to Nayachar, since then spilling of blood at Nandigram have not been stopped.