[Reader-list] News from Nandigram - please ignore first Interim Report

[Sujata & Samantak]

Dear All,
I had sent you the following Interim Report, prepared by a team that went to
Nandigram on 24 November, yesterday. I am now told by those who drafted it
that the report is incomplete in several crucial respects. The definitive
interim report (can one call it a "Final Interim Report"?!) will be prepared
in a couple of days and I'll send it to all of you then.
Apologies.
Samantak

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Sujata & Samantak <kokopeli at gmail.com>
Date: 29 Nov 2007 00:31
Subject: News from Nandigram
To: SARAI Reader List <reader-list at sarai.net>

Dear All,
This is my first post and I'm not sure this hasn't reached you already from
other members of this list. If so, my apologies, but I thought this
important enough to take the risk of cross-posting.
Thanks.
Samantak Das

*Interim Report  of an Independent Citizens' Team from Kolkata *

*on the Current State of Affairs in Nandigram*

*28 November 2007*

On November 24, 2007,  an eleven member women's team of concerned citizens
from Kolkata comprising teachers, social activists, researchers and students
visited Nandigram. Concerned about the repeated disruption of peace in the
region, the members decided to visit the affected areas and talk to the
local people, with the objectives of showing solidarity with the survivors
of violence, documenting people's needs in the current circumstances, and
drawing up recommendations based on our understanding of the situation.

The people who constituted this team were Kavita Panjabi, Anuradha Kapur,
Rajashri Dasgupta, Saswati Ghosh, Shyamoli Das, Swapna Banerjee, Trina
Nileena Banerjee, Shuktara Lal, Sushmita Sinha and Shubhasree Bhattacharya.

On arrival in Nandigram at the Relief Camp at Brij Mohan Tiwari Shiksha
Niketan, the team split into two groups.  One talked to the people in the
relief camps, the other to a woman who had been sexually assaulted, and the
injured in Nandigram Hospital.  One group then proceeded to the villages of
Sonachura and Garchakraberia, also stopping at the Bhangaberia Bridge where
the CRPF is stationed; the other half of the team went to the village of
Daudpur.

This interim report comprises the general findings and recommendations of
all the members of the team that visited Nandigram on the 24th of November.
The specific testimonies and individual stories will be included in the
final report.

*PRIMARY FINDINGS:*

1)       Overall there is a reign of terror; the people are marked by deep
fear, disillusionment and depression. They are helplessly trapped in the
crossfire between the forces of political parties, specially the CPM and the
TMC. Criminals who have killed, sexually assaulted and injured people
continue to threaten the population of  the villages. Many who had tried to
return to their villages but had to come back to the relief camp spoke of
bombs and firing that they heard even on the 23rd night when they had tried
to return to their homes. And the night-time threats, specially against
women, also continue. Across all the villages, people testified to the
complete loss of political freedom -  they are being forced to pledge their
allegiance to one particular party or the other, and they  talked
angrily  about
their right to decide which party they wanted to support.  The people in the
camp, as well as  the majority in the villages, have lost all confidence in
the government, administration and police.

2)       At the relief camp, at Brij Mohan Tiwari Shiksha Niketan in
Nandigram town, villagers testified to rampant firing, brutal killing and
large-scale threats by the cadres of CPM, the ruling party, across the
villages of Gokulnagar, Kalicharanpur, Adhikaripara, Simulkunda and
Satengabari. Many carried scars of deep bullet injuries on their faces,
stomachs and legs. The People's Health doctors working in the relief camp
said they had not received any complaints of sexual or physical assault, but
mainly children's health related complains, like cough, fever, diarrhoea.
About 20-25 thousand people have left their homes. Of them 3,000 to 3,5000
people had been living in this camp, approximately 1,500 of whom were still
there on 24th November. Extensive physical abuse and sexual abuse of women,
ranging from rape and forcing of rods into women's vaginas, to rampant
sexual harassment, as well as abduction of girls has been reported since
March this year, but not much has been done to provide relief to the women,
or to initiate investigation against and punish the perpetrators. Such
violence against women continues, accompanied by terrifying threats, and
there is no evidence of any steps having been taken to curb either.

3)       Hundreds of women who had fled Kalicharanpur, Adhikaripara,
Simulkunda and Satengabari in fear of sexual assault were still in the
Nandigram camp. They testified that not only had their homes been looted and
burnt down, in villages like Satengabari they had also been severely
threatened by CPM cadres, who came around saying "We'll come back at night –
light your lamps and wait for us with open doors. Send your men away, we'll
come back to you at night."  "How can we stay in a place under such
threats?" the women asked. They told us about one Akhreja Bibi who had been
gang-raped in Satengabari by 6-7 men is now in Tamluk hospital. Both her
daughters, one about 17, one younger, were abducted. They are still missing.
Women of these villages are still living in fear of being sexually abused,
and young girls have been sent to relatives' homes elsewhere. The fear and
insecurity of the villagers and specially the women at the Nandigram
camp has been so high that they have refused to go back to their villages
till the* *CRPF is posted their to ensure their safety and protect them from
the violent vengeance of  the "Harmad Bahini" comprising CPM cadres.

4)       Some of the people who had participated in the unarmed march to
Maheshpur on 10th November were arrested and locked up for three days in the
school building. The women were subject to repeated sexual harassment
by male CPM cadres who claimed the women were were Maoists.

5)       In villages such as Garchakraberia where the CRPF has already been
posted, normal life and activity seem to have returned; however there is
simmering tension and fear under the facade of peace. At night, when CRPF
personnel go off vigil, assailants begin their attacks again; so people have
been forced to flee their homes at night and take shelter elsewhere from
fear of reprisal. Villagers claim this is a forced calm and are terrified of
what may happen when the CRPF is withdrawn.

6)       Residents of Sonachura also expressed their anger and frustration
at the BUPC leadership for keeping their own women safe at home, while
forcing other women in the villages to join the marches and threatening to
beat and burn down the homes of all who refused.

7)       The situation in Daudpur is still very tense and the administration
should take immediate measures to address this. There is resentment and
anger brewing among the villagers. People openly accuse each other of
violence while questioning the authority and corruption of particular CPM
leaders. BUPC has forced people to volunteer to stand as night guards
against the armed attacks from the CPM's Harmad Bahini.

8)       Villagers testified that the police are playing a partisan role.
BUPC members returning to their villages were being arrested, some on false
charges. Others are being levied exorbitant "fines" to "compensate for the
damages done to the CPM families in the last 11 months". Complaints about
the atrocities of the CPM followers were either not registered, or the
accused were released after being arrested, without any of the legal
procedures being followed.

9)       The senior police officer at the Relief Camp refused to comment on
most of our questions. He (i) hinted at pressure from some political
parties, (ii) implied that work was being made 'difficult' due to
'interference', (iii) said peace is returning to the villages, but the
situation is 'still difficult'.

10)    While language is proving to be a barrier to the CRPF in dealing with
the volatile situation here, there are apparent efforts to restore peace,
including red-flag processions etc. But the atmosphere outside the temporary
'protection' of the relief camp is of extreme terror. In spite of all
apparent efforts and assurance on the part of the authorities, this terror
is persistent.

11)   There is a tremendous breakdown of trust. The villages of Nandigram
are zones of pregnant silence today - they are zones of seething fear,
terror, suspicion and threat.. (i) The police is still playing a partisan
role. (ii) Vicious cycles of vengeance are in operation across the CPM and
the TMC led BUPC. (iii) The political parties are set on a continued use of
violence to mark territory and consolidate their forces. There is no
evidence of any of them being ready or prepared for peace. Given the
situation, people expect more violence and further exploitation.



*RECOMMENDATIONS:*

1.       *Non-partisan, just and effective action on the part of the State* is
the most basic and critical factor for restoring peace in Nandigram. The
government must strengthen administrative structures and ensure impartial
and immediate action on the part of the administration to instill confidence
in the people and normalize the situation in Nandigram. Conditions must be
created for people to renew their daily social and economic activities
without fear and apprehension of reprisal.

2.       The *violence* *in Nandigram must be stopped.* (i.) All arms in the
possession of the entire population of all the villages of Nandigram must be
confiscated  (ii.) The area must be rid of all outside cadres. (iii.) All
criminals, irrespective of political affiliation, must be arrested
immediately and tried. (iv.) Effective vigilance should be set in place
against all those* *indulging in retaliatory and revengeful acts that will
derail the peace process.

3.       We demand *responsible action now from all the political
parties*too. They
must stop exploiting the situation, abstain from violence, and play a
constructive role in bringing peace back to Nandigram. .

4.       *Rape and sexual assault* have clearly become dominant weapons of
war in the crossfire between vested political interests in Nandigram.

(i)                   Urgent *measures must be taken by the administration
and the police* to* *stop this immediately.

(ii)                 Perpetrators have been resorting to sexual assault on
women to intimidate, humiliate and subjugate the opposition, while the
opposition has been using incidents of rape to discredit the perpetrators,
not to seek justice for the women affected. We also demand that *every
political party involved puts a complete and immediate stop to such
practices,* and to all threats of sexual violence too.

5.       The administration should also ensure that* all rape cases are
registered,  thoroughly investigated, and followed up*. Cases where women
have been brutally assaulted should also receive the attention they merit
and should not be brushed aside merely because the case was not one of rape.
Sexual assault is a serious offence and must be dealt with as such.
*All* *victims
of sexual assault must be provided immediate medical treatment and their
privacy respected and dignity upheld.*

6.       Both men, and large numbers of women, specially those subject to
sexual assault and/or rape are now severely traumatized and have sunk into
visibly deep depression or shock. The government should set up a counselling
cell in Nandigram or authorize an NGO to do so for the purpose of *trauma
alleviation*.

7.       Those who are suffering from the latest violence, as well as those
who have been* *injured* *earlier in the year, cannot afford the *medication
* required. Many cannot work as they could earlier. On both counts, their *
livelihood* is adversely affected. *Compensation* to the injured and raped,
and to the families of the dead should be made available on an urgent
footing. *Women and children* have been the worst sufferers of the violence;
attention should be paid to  their *special needs*, and efforts made to
restore their dignity and confidence in the process of  rehabilitation. The
*grant promised to repair houses must be distributed without any partisan
preference*. The SDO/BDO must ensure that the grant promised to repair
houses is distributed without any partisan preference.

8.       The presence of the CRPF can ensure only a temporary and forced
calm. This is no solution to the reign of terror. The state must  *set in
place peacemaking efforts, and involve all political parties and people's
organisations in the region* to renew  the democratic process and enable
citizens to reclaim the lost democratic space for a lasting and just peace
in the area. Peoples'* political rights* must be ensured. Democracy does not
mean rule of the majority, but ensuring the rights and respect of the
minority and those holding opposing political opinions and beliefs too.
Concerted efforts have to be made, across all political differences, to
control the spate of vengeance, and  rebuild the confidence of the people
of Nandigram who are living with violence as well as the fear of violence on
a day to day basis.

9.       The *government must be held* *accountable *for the breakdown of
law and order in Nandigram. Given the current lack of accountability, a
Public Interest Litigation maybe filed so that a Supreme Court probe can
take place or a CBI enquiry may serve this purpose.

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