[Reader-list] WB CPI (M) Deputation meets Governor on Nandigramdevelopments

[TaraPrakash]

In other words, the government has lost control and must be replaced.
It was an interesting thing to add in the memo that the alliance that 
included ultra left destroyed red flags. The governor should be infuriated 
by this revelation. So, the president's rule in West Bengal? Marshal law?

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "prakash ray" <pkray11 at gmail.com>
To: <reader-list at sarai.net>
Sent: Saturday, November 10, 2007 2:21 AM
Subject: [Reader-list] WB CPI (M) Deputation meets Governor on 
Nandigramdevelopments


>A delegation of four WB CPI (M) MPs and one MLA met the Hon. Governor on 
>the
> late morning of 9 November. The delegation in a detailed memorandum 
> apprised
> him of the train of events that took place in Nandigram. Earlier, the WB
> Governor in a statement called for the establishment of peace at Nandigram
> and exhorted the state administration and the representatives of the 
> people
> to intervene. The delegation consisted of Taritbaran Topdar (who led the
> delegation), Prasanta Pradhan, Sudhangsu Sil, Mainul Hasan, all MPs, and
> Rupa Bagchi, MLA.  Hon. Governor assured the delegation that he would have
> the issue looked into towards amelioration.  The full text of the 
> memorandum
> that the delegation presented to the Governor is this:
>
>
> "The Hon'ble Governor
>
> West Bengal
>
> Raj Bhavan
>
> Kolkata 700001
>
> Respected Sir,
>
> We would like to draw your attention to the developments that have taken
> place at Nandigram and its surrounding areas over the past eleven months,
> and the consequences thereof.
>
> 1.. From the beginning of 2007, a large number of people have been put to 
> a
> great deal of distress.  The train of events started on 3 January when a
> meeting in progress at the Kalicharanpur Gram Panchayat, for declaration 
> of
> a Nirmal Gram, was misconstrued deliberately by the Trinamul Congress
> leadership as a plan to take over land for a proposed chemical hub.  An
> attacking gang of the Trinamul Congress and the Naxalites, the Panchayat
> broke up the meeting and chased away government officials, set on fire
> police vehicles, and ransacked houses of CPI (M) supporters nearby.  This
> set the pattern of things to develop over the next ten months.
>
> 2.. From the evening of 3 January, houses of CPI (M) supporters were
> attacked by an organisation called the Bhumi Ucchhed Pratirodh Samity 
> (BUPS)
> or the so-called 'committee to prevent eviction from land' that was set up
> and run by the Trinamul Congress and its allies the Naxalites, and the 
> SUCI
> with outside support declared by the local units of the Congress and the
> BJP.
>
> 3.. Since the night of the 3 January, the entire area of Nandigram, and 
> its
> surrounding localities were forcefully taken over by the armed gangs of 
> the
> BUPS and the Trinamul Congress and they allowed only their writ to run, 
> they
> would not allow either the police or the civil administration any
> entry.  This was the time when they aligned themselves with the armed
> Maoists from Jharkhand and Orissa to enter the area.
>
> 4.. Bridges were destroyed, culverts were broken up, all roads leading 
> onto
> and out of Nandigram were slashed up, and Nandigram was declared a
> 'liberated zone' where the state government would not be allowed entry.
>
> 5.. A large amount of explosives and a large number of guns by then had 
> been
> sneaked into Nandigram and they were distributed to a large number goons 
> and
> anti-socials who swore allegiance to the Trinamul Congress, the Naxalites,
> and the SUCI under the garb and guise of the BUPS.  Ostensibly, the 
> violent
> 'movement' was to 'prevent the LF government from acquiring land for a
> chemical hub project,' which was a lie.
>
> 6.. Bengal chief minister declared in a huge CPI (M) rally at Khejuri in
> February that the LF government had not issued any notice at all for any
> such acquisition of land for any such project that would include Nandigram
> and its surrounds.  However, the violence was continued with by the 
> Trinamul
> Congress and its allies.
>
> 7.. On the morning of 14 March, a police firing had to be resorted to when
> violence was let loose by the Trinamul Congress and its allies.  Bengal 
> Left
> Front chairman and Bengal chief minister both expressed regret at the
> incident and called for peace.
>
> 8.. Specific targets have been made of the CPI (M) workers, and supporters
> and their houses were looted and then set on fire, forcing them to leave
> hearth-and-home and take refuge in the miserable conditions of relief 
> camps
> that were set up on an emergency basis.  Even the relief camps have since
> then been routinely attacked, and the refugees prevented form going back 
> to
> their villages.
>
> 9.. The Trinamul Congress now joined by cadres of the Maoists ejected at
> gunpoint hundreds of people every day from Nandigram villages and from
> surrounding areas.  At present more than 3,500 people are rendered 
> refugees
> in their own homeland.  1, 500 live in the inadequacies of relief camps 
> and
> the rest have found shelter in houses of relatives away from
> Nandigram.  Men, women, and children are not able to lead a normal life 
> and
> are terror-struck.
>
> 10.. What is criminal in intent are the acts of commission by the Trinamul
> Congress and its allies even after the Bengal chief minister again clearly
> declared subsequently in September that there was no plan to set up a
> chemical hub at Nandigram and that the desolate sandhead at the mouth of 
> the
> River Ganges called Nayachar has been selected for the chemical hub
> extending from Haldia.
>
> 11.. In the meanwhile, more and more attacks have been organised on the 
> CPI
> (M) workers and CPI (M) supporters.  Until date, 13 more CPI (M) 
> supporters
> have been done to death.  Women have been raped and killed.  Cattle,
> poultry, and fishes poisoned.  Stocks of cereals, vegetables, food stuff
> looted.  A business is run by the Trinamul Congress and the Maoists (under
> the cover of the BUPS) where funds are extracted from the villagers before
> allowing them to till the land and harvest crops, or to run shops.
>
> 12.. Every kind of developmental work was brought to a standstill.  15,000
> children could not take doses of pulse polio.  Rs two crore worth of 
> health
> infrastructural work had to be abandoned.  The health centres and the
> subsidiary health centres virtually could not function.  Rs two crore 
> worth
> of electrification could not be done.  With no developmental work allowed 
> by
> the Trinamul Congress-Maoists, the future of development even next year
> looks bleak with the inability of the district administration to produce
> utilisation certificates for funds allocated and not used.
>
> 13.. The CPI (Maoist) has added a violent dimension to the imbroglio at
> Nandigram.  They have brought in groups of armed and trained action forces
> from outside of Nandigram, even outside of the two Midnapores, east, and
> west from Jharkhand and Orissa.  They have coordinated efforts with the
> Trinamul Congress setting up joint commands at Nandigram and surrounding
> areas.  The action is coordinated by Ranjit Pal of the Maoists (the
> self-declared killer of JMM MP Sunil Mahato), and Subhendu Adhikari of the
> Trinamul Congress.  Three landmine bursts have occurred recently killing 
> two
> CPI (M) supporters and it is apprehended that many more landmines have 
> been
> planted in and around Nandigram.  The Maoists control a large tract of 
> land
> from Garchakraberia to Sonachura.  The DNA of Mumbai and the national 
> daily
> Economic Times (copies enclosed*) have carried the details of the Maoist
> plans of action very recently.
>
> 14.. To fund the armed activities the Trinamul Congress and the Maoists 
> have
> stolen a huge quantity of products from the Burn Standard factory at
> Jellingham and sold them in localities of south 24 Parganas.  They also 
> cut
> down and illegally sold a large number of prime and valuable trees.  In 
> both
> instances, the criminal were caught and they confessed to the crimes.
>
> 15.. The need of the hour is peace and development.  The Bengal chief
> minister has already briefed the media about the outcome of a meeting
> between the district administration and the BUPS led by the Trinamul
> Congress where it was agreed that the remaining concerned police officers
> would be transferred, cases lodged withdrawn, and payment compensation to
> victims fixed.  In return, refugees living in the unhealthy conditions of
> the relief camps would be allowed a safe return.  To this, the Trinamul
> Congress, and the BUPS agreed but later did not allow the refugees to go
> back to their villages.
>
> 16.. The Trinamul Congress leadership has recently declared publicly at a
> rally at Riyapara that anyone willing to live at Nandigram shall have to
> become a member of the Trinamul Congress or else will be either killed or
> ousted.  In attacking the CPI (M) office there, the miscreants also tore
> down and burnt two Red Flags.
>
> 17.. A violent turn of events occurred soon after.  Following the attack 
> on
> the Riyapara office of the CPI (M), the combined forces of the Trinamul
> Congress, the BUPS, and the Maoists crossed a canal on 5 November, entered
> into newer areas, a process they have started during the festival season,
> and threatened to do away with relief camps.  People in the relief camps
> have had a very miserable time for the past eleven months.
>
> 18.. You may kindly recall that the destitute people of Nandigram who were
> driven out from home-and-hearth had met you earlier in deputation (copy
> enclosed*) communicating to you the misery they faced at the relief camps.
>
> 19.. They could take it no longer.  In utter desperation and braving 
> bullets
> and bombs, they with the help of the people in the nearby areas came out 
> of
> the camps and marched peacefully towards their home villages.
>
> 20.. Bengal Left Front has issued a specific appeal for peace and for the
> safe and secure return to villages of all people living outside of them,
> irrespective of political affiliation.  The men, women, and children are 
> to
> be ensured a safe rehabilitation.  The Left Front has also called upon the
> people of Nandigram to cooperate with the police and the civil
> administration to help establish peace and ensure a new beginning for the
> stalled works of development.  There should not be allowed any instance of
> retaliation.
>
> 21.. The state administration has recently iterated what the chief 
> minister
> told the media earlier.  The package announced include compensation for 
> the
> victims, shifting of the remaining police officers, punishment for the
> guilty, withdrawal of cases, and providing relief to the distressed
> people.  The police will with permission of the concerned political 
> parties
> enter the Nandigram zone and set up police camps to begin the peace 
> process.
>
>
> 22.. Out of fear, some villagers have very recently left their places, and
> have taken shelter in the Nandigram police station and a nearby school.  A
> section of them has already gone back to their villages after assurance of
> safety and security by the erstwhile and returned refugees.
>
> 23.. Currently, peace talks have been initiated at the lower level and the
> concerned political parties have agreed that they want to restore normalcy
> and allow to the setting up of police camps.  If there is no interference
> from above, everything will be normal very soon.
>
> 24.. Peace negotiations have commenced at the level of the district
> administration with participation of political parties.  Negotiations can 
> be
> continued with the BUPS and the Trinamul Congress but cannot be organised
> with the CPI (Maoist) for the latter has been the propagators of an 
> intense
> violence taking the shelter of the Trinamul Congress and the BUPS.
>
> With best regards,
> Yours sincerely,
> 1.       Prasanta Pradhan
> 2.       Taritbaran Topdar
> 3.       Mainul Hasan
> 4.       Sudhangsu Sil
> 5.       Rupa Bagchi"
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