[Reader-list] Nandigram is free from terror after 11 months..

[prakash ray]

Nandigram at last is free from blockades after 11 months of terror and a
status of 'liberated zone'. A 4 KM squad of people has reached the sky with
Red flags at Sonachura and Garchakraberia. People from all over the place
are rejoicing their free status after a 11-month-old reign of terror,
extortions, and gunpowder. It is almost like a freedom for the masses from
the shackles of brutal force, Maoist schools of arms, Trinamul extortion
racket and the communal rumours.

All blockades have been removed, wherever they were, and people are moving
freely. It can never be forgotten that when the TMC chief last moved in to
Nandigram, the Zonal Committee office of CPIM was set ablaze. The people of
the place understand and can figure out who is the messenger of trouble and
terror. They tried to find their own way to find out how the messenger of
trouble and terror can be shown the door, all these at the local level
without any sort of central intervention from any political parties. Of
course a few unwarranted events happened, which is unfortunate, and should
not have happened.

CRPF was requested by the Chief Minister, and there was a lot of dilly
dallying by the center. Probably a nexus was working to provide space for
the armed Maoists and Trinamul goons to flee the place. The CRPF have come
and will not be politically controlled by any of the political parties. They
are free to do what they feel best to bring peace at the place, and remove
the terror from the minds of the people.

A local Bengali news channel started to create a big fuss yesterday on the
two Tapan Ghosh and Suker Ali, and falsely alleged that they have
connections with Choto Angaria. Nandigram and Choto Angaria are two separate
things altogether, and the electronic media is trying to juxtapose the two.
An ambulance was transporting a few patients to the Kamardaha hospital and
these two people were returning from Digha, they showed conclusive evidence
of their stay and vacation at Digha, and the Trinamul with the help of
electronic media tried to create a big fuss around these two unrelated
events.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist), being a bigger partner, takes a lot
of responsibilities on their shoulders, and it is happening since the
semi-fascist rule of Congress of 1971-72. Left Front is an expanding
coalition. Left Front is based on the slogan of unity-struggle-unity. Each
of the constituents of the Left Front has their own identity. But it is
important to see that none of the constituents should do something that
encourages the opportunist opposition. If any of these constituents do not
find any role of the Trinamul in this whole Nandigram episode, sadly it
seems ultimately to be a tragi-comic farce! Even today there were landmine
blasts near the Jellingham factory, those were planted by the Maoists on the
run to injure and kill the innocent people returning to their respective
homes.

Almost 100 CPI(M) workers and sympathisers died during the Keshpur Line of
terror by the opposition party, but after Keshpur was freed from the
clutches of this force, Gurudas Dasgupta of CPI was again elected from the
place. At least 28 CPI(M) activists were killed at Nandigram during the last
few months, but again it will be Md. Iliyas who will contest and win
assembly election from Nandigram.

A few electronic and print media has suddenly after 11 long months woken up
to the civil rights, which is always encouraging to see. But their disease
is not still leaving them. Yesterday 417 people in the marching people of
Nandigram crossed the Tekhali bridge to flee from the clutches of the
Trinamul Maoists. The march was obviously to create more trouble in the area
with armed Maoists behind the squad and innocent people in the front acting
as a shield. The people were no longer ready to act as shields of the armed
Maoists, and a few people were shot from behind, two died. After a complaint
by the BUPC, a large contingent of police went there to get those 417 out,
407 of them chose to stay back as they were tired of the terror and were not
feeling safe in the hands of Maoist-Trinamul violence.

It is to be reiterated that the Communist Party of India (Marxist) does not
want any kind of retaliation. CPI(M) wants the government to start the
economic reconstruction of Nandigram from tomorrow itself if possible.

A few intellectuals and artists wanted to create a bad name for the
International Kolkata Film Festival to the whole world. There was a very
high chance that using these intellectuals and artists as shield a few
vandals could have done anything at the place where the festival was going
on, and we are extremely pained to see this. But it is important to note
that these few are not the monopoly repository of the intellect of Bengal.

Peace has returned to Nandigram, perhaps for ever. The people of Nandigram
learnt a lesson, who are their friends and who are their enemy. It will be
easier for them to identify and isolate friends and enemy in the future.
When the whole cause is irrelevant, the bandh called tomorrow will again be
a grand fiasco!