Red Battlefields of Bengal! - Page 3

Originally posted by: lighthouse

Hey Sangita.. nice to see you in DM... your writings are great..!!!
cheers.

Wow dear, you are here 😛. I am triply lucky today morning.

😊

Cop warns, boss turns deaf ear
PRONAB MONDAL

CPM supporters march in Tekhali. Around 3,000 workers and supporters took part in two processions — the second one was from Bhangabera — to Sonachura on Thursday. A CPM zonal committee leader said supporters were being informed that they could now return home. Picture by Amit Datta



Tamluk, March 15: Before police began firing at the wall of protesters in Nandigram yesterday, a senior officer had second thoughts. But his superior turned down his request to backtrack and ordered the force to open fire, according to an official who was part of the mission.

The official today said a team of 350 policemen had landed in Sonachura to clean Nandigram of suspected Maoist weapons.

The policemen, however, knew they would face stiff resistance from the villagers. "We anticipated it. When we reached near Bhangabera bridge and faced heavy brickbatting and bombing from villagers, we realised the operation would claim several lives. An officer of the rank of superintendent of police wanted to backtrack," the official said.

But his superior refused, saying Sonachura had to be "captured" because the higher secondary examinations were scheduled to start from Friday and the police would not be able to enter the area in the next one month.

Giving a blow-by-blow description of yesterday's operation, the official said: "Anticipating heavy resistance, every policeman was told to wear a bullet-proof jacket and helmet. Before heading to Sonachura, two teams were sent to Maheshpur and Adhikarypara to stop people of these areas from reaching could not reach Bhangabera bridge to help the villagers."

The team of 350 policemen then set off for Sonachura.

"As soon as we approached the bridge, we started announcing to the villagers they should not resist the police. But they started throwing stones and hurling bombs. So we lobbed tear gas shells," said an officer. "The situation worsened because of the wind condition. The tear gas blew back towards us. We were not prepared for it and most of the policemen did not know what to do. The officer then told his superior 'Sir, we should not proceed because it will lead to firing'. But he ignored him and ordered the force to open fire."

A Maoist threat to stockpile arms in Nandigram apparently drove the long arm of the law to action, just two days ahead of the higher secondary examinations. The police, however, are not officially willing to make any comment.

"There was no time to lose," said a senior police official. "We had information that Maoists were up to something that could have dangerous consequences for not only the area but also for the state and we had to act fast. There was no time to waste and we had to strike fast," he added.

"The raid was conducted on the basis of a report submitted by the intelligence branch of the state police which mentioned that armed activists of the CPI (Maoist) and their sympathisers are entering the remote pockets of Nandigram and setting up a strong base. So we had a specific instruction from Writers' Buildings to clean out the area from the clutches of Maoists," the official said.

"The government was told by the agency that everyday, members of the action squad were reaching Nandigram from West Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia. So we were told to carry out the clean-out operation before the higher secondary examinations start.Edited by sangitadas - 17 years ago

Originally posted by: mythili_Kiran

@ Souro:Sangitha Das writes very well and when I was in kasam se forum,I used to wait eagerly for her daily posts.She used to analyse Jaiwalia😳 well!!

That's what I said. I felt it's so well written that it's comparable to writings of professional journalists.

'Model' governor deals blow without parallel
OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT



Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi at the Tamluk hospital on Thursday. Telegraph picture

Calcutta, March 15: Not fire-breathing Mamata Banerjee, but quiet and constitutionally correct governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi may have hit Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee the hardest for the Nandigram tragedy.

Without "blame-fixing", as he put it in his statement, Gandhi put the government in the dock in no uncertain terms.

In doing so, Gandhi became the first governor of Bengal in 30 years of the Left Front's rule to indict the government within constitutional norms.

Not taking notice of the events in Nandigram would have been constitutionally improper and politically incorrect for any governor. But Gandhi went one step further when he questioned the wisdom of the government's action, sticking to constitutional protocol.

Usually a governor would seek reports from the state government before sending his own to the Union home ministry. This time, Gandhi issued a statement on his own even before he formally heard the chief minister's version. Nor did he wait for the statement that Bhattacharjee was to make on the Nandigram incident in the Assembly.

Gandhi's action was, however, different from earlier cases when Bengal governors were critical of the state government on various issues.

The worst case of the governor-government row happened during A.P. Sharma's tenure at Raj Bhavan in 1983-84. The difference came out in the open over Sharma's choice of Santosh Bhattacharya as vice-chancellor of Calcutta University, overruling two Front nominees.

But Sharma, a former leader of Congress trade arm Intuc, did not quite forget his political post when he joined issue with the then Jyoti Basu government.

The other governor, who rubbed Basu the wrong way, especially on the issue of illegal migration of Bangladeshis into the state, was T.V. Rajeswar, currently the governor of Uttar Pradesh. Basu once dismissively referred to Rajeswar's "police" background — he belonged to the IPS.

It is generally agreed in political circles that Gandhi has strictly adhered to his constitutional role. Coming from such a governor, his censure of the government is unprecedented in the Left's long rule.

The chief minister said he has "high regards" for the governor and claimed that he had a correspondence with Gandhi on the Nandigram issue. He added that the copy of the report, which is being despatched to the Centre, was sent to him. Gandhi also spoke to him before he visited the Tamluk hospital.

Several front leaders also appreciated Gandhi for taking a "bold stand" vis-a-vis the Nandigram issue.

"The governor has done his bit by condemning yesterday's massacre in Nandigram through a public statement," said senior RSP leader and PWD minister Kshiti Goswami.

Forward Bloc leader and agriculture minister Naren De echoed Goswami and said Gandhi had acted in accordance with constitutional norms.

The Opposition parties spoke highly about the governor. "Gandhi has rightly censured the Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee government for the genocide in Nandigram," said former Bengal Congress chief Somen Mitra.

Partha Chatterjee, Trinamul Congress MLA and leader of the Opposition, too, praised the governor. He recounted that Gandhi had thrice visited Mamata Banerjee's camp at Esplanade where she was on fast for 26 days in December.

The only discordant note was sounded by state transport minister Subhas Chakraborty. "I have doubts if the governor has the constitutional authority to issue a public statement on the working of the government," he said.

Gandhi today paid a visit to the Tamluk district hospital to enquire about the condition of the injured undergoing treatment there. He assured them of proper medical care and assistance.Edited by sangitadas - 17 years ago

Bullet-hit recall horror
A STAFF REPORTER

Calcutta, March 15: Rash Behari Khara of Sonachura village, Nandigram, is writhing in pain on his SSKM hospital bed. He is hardly able to speak. Even after surgery, the bullet inside his abdomen could not be taken out.

Haimabati Haldar of Nandigram village took a bullet in her abdomen. Her surgery is over and she's fighting for her life.

They are among the 14 villagers from Nandigram who suffered bullet injuries and were brought from a Tamluk hospital to the city.

"The condition of four patients is critical while others are stable," said an official at the hospital.

Five of the injured were shifted to SSKM hospital yesterday while nine were brought today — three of them late in the evening. Hospital officials said Khara and Haldar were brought late yesterday and were operated upon between 2 am and 6 am.

"I was hit by a bullet on my right shoulder, which pierced it and went out. Somehow, I managed to hide behind a house but policemen dragged me out and beat me up," said Swapan Giri of Sonachura, admitted in Woodburn Ward.

Kanchan Mal, a mother of three sons, saw a youth getting hit by a bullet. "I sat beside him and tried to make him drink water when another bullet hit me and I became unconscious," she said.



Mamata yields to pain, not to CPM
SIMI KAMBOJ


Mamata with Nandigram villagers in Tamluk on Thursday. Picture by Pradip Sanyal

Nandigram, March 15: Shut out of Nandigram yesterday, but not out of centre stage today.

Scaling CPM barricades, Mamata Banerjee today consoled the injured and their families in Nandigram town, lambasted the government for the "genocide" and then collapsed with chest pain.

In the course of a three-hour stay restricted to the Nandigram hospital premises, she was also administered oxygen and saline and then driven back to Calcutta in an ambulance.

Mamata could not visit any of the hot spots because of failing health, but her dramatic presence in the area was a shot in the arm for the local party leaders, who showed their enthusiasm by inciting violence among the crowd gathered on the hospital premises.

While Mamata was inside the hospital speaking to the injured, Trinamul Congress and Bhoomi Uchchhed Pratirodh Committee supporters ransacked and tried to torch the BDO office, about 100 metres away.

Mamata would have liked to address the crowd, but by the time she was ready with a microphone in hand, the situation outside was spinning out of control.

Panic prevailed both inside and outside the hospital with police firing two rounds in the air to disperse the crowd. The police also lobbed tear gas shells and rushed in to douse the fire in the BDO office.

After some time, Mamata complained of chest pain and was put on oxygen support, the sudden sickness throwing the already overworked doctors into a tizzy.

"She has complained of chest pain. Her blood pressure is also lower than normal. We've given her saline and oxygen. There's nothing more we can do here. We're recommending her removal to SSKM Hospital," Nandigram block medical officer Subhabrata Maity said.

Around 3 pm, an ambulance was summoned and she was taken to Calcutta.

Before her departure, she told the crowd: "What kind of democracy is this? They've killed innocent women and children. On top of that, the administration attempted a cover-up by trying to stop me from coming here."

Trinamul leader Mukul Roy clarified that though Mamata has been advised "admission to SSKM Hospital, she has refused to be hospitalised since the Nandigram andolan is on".

Last night, Mamata had waited till 12.30 am to enter Nandigram, but was held up at Chandipur by a large group of CPM supporters who refused to let her through because journalists were accompanying her. She then proceeded to Tamluk, vowing to reach Nandigram today.

This morning, Mamata was up early and was bound for Nandigram before 9 am.

The usual 90-minute drive from Tamluk to Nandigram took over three hours as her convoy was stopped at several places due to the numerous blockades put up by the CPM.

At Chandipur, around 17 km from Nandigram, she ran into over 200 CPM supporters who asked her to go back. In another place, a 500-strong mob hurled abuses at her and the journalists accompanying her.Edited by sangitadas - 17 years ago

Originally posted by: souro

That's what I said. I felt it's so well written that it's comparable to writings of professional journalists.

Thank you all. Its indeed my pleasure to be here. 😉

Today I read in DNA & HT that the violence in Nandigram took place even after the CM Budhadeb Bhattacharjee said that there will be no SEZ in Nandigram. Now I'm confused, why were the villagers protesting then??😕 What's happening there??😕

Edited by souro - 17 years ago

Originally posted by: souro

Today I read in DNA & HT that the violence in Nandigram took place even after the CM Budhadeb Bhattacharjee said that there will be no SEZ in Nandigram. Now I'm confused, why were the villagers protesting then??😕 What's happening there??😕

The CM had been stating this for the lst few weeks but apparently the message hasnt percolated down to the ranks (its clear if you read the words written n bengali on the posters that have been set up) and the intention hasnt been there too.
Cos before that day, the Chief Secretary of the Government had said on TV that they were going to Nandigram the next day to take control. Obviously, recapturing this base was much more important to the Government and later it could be worked out to the their advantage.

Originally posted by: souro

That's what I said. I felt it's so well written that it's comparable to writings of professional journalists.

I know. 👏 Sangita, Hope to see you around more.

 

Originally posted by: sangitadas

Thanks Myth and congrats on becoming a Viewbie .Thankyou

See this article.Whatever I've to say are said by those people:

Lessons from Nandigram

A gang-up of mainstream and extremist political elements on a matter that was considered troublesome but not explosive; political slowness in responding to the issues at stake and to the risks; and administrative mishandling of a volatile situation combined to produce an avoidable tragedy in Nandigram in West Bengal's East Midnapore district. Fourteen persons were killed and scores of people injured as the police — encountering brickbats, country bombs, and pipe guns — opened fire on protesters who had apparently declared five gram panchayats in the troubled area out of bounds for the administration. The anti-Left Front alliance spearheaded by the Trinamool Congress, in which naxalites, the Jamiat ulema-e-Hind, and other extremist elements have made common cause, was protesting the proposal to create a Special Economic Zone in the area, although Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has repeatedly declared there would be no forced land acquisition in Nandigram. The militant protesters, who over the last three months dug up roads and bridges, cut off communication facilities, and drove hundreds of Left Front supporters out of the area, were clearly spoiling for a confrontation with the State administration. What needs explaining is why the State government allowed the situation to reach this pass. As in a bad movie plot, the police, called in to end the lawlessness, were provoked into firing at the agitators. The CBI inquiry ordered by the Calcutta High Court should reveal what actually happened.

Land acquisition may not have been the real cause of the ugly situation that developed in Nandigram. But what the tragedy highlights is a set of contentious issues that can flare up whenever the acquisition of farmland for industry and infrastructure, with the state exercising its eminent domain, comes on the agenda. The Left Front Government in West Bengal promised that it would not acquire any farmland without the consent of the land owners but this message does not appear to have percolated down. A greater commitment to transparency might also have helped. As an editorial page article published in The Hindu on February 1, 2007 pointed out, the acquisition of farmland for industry tends to come up against "a coalition of anti-development crusaders, groups concerned over the dislocation of farm families, those worried about the impact on agricultural, particularly food, production, protectors of farmers' interests, assorted do-gooders, and plain political opportunists." What came together — unsuccessfully at Singur but explosively at Nandigram — was an extreme variant of such a coalition. What makes land acquisition a prescription for trouble is, first, the element of compulsion that comes with the exercise of eminent domain by the state, and, secondly, the flawed system of paying compensation for farmland. Clearly government policies relating to land acquisition for special economic zones and other industrial and infrastructural projects need an urgent overhaul not only in West Bengal but across the country. Nobody takes seriously the call of the Trinamool Congress for the dismissal of the Left Front Government. More disconcertingly, a usually sagacious Governor, Gopalkrishna Gandhi, stepped out of line in publicly airing his philosophical and tactical differences with the State government while expressing high-minded anguish over the Nandigram deaths. Under the Indian Constitution, it is surely not the job of a Governor to offer public judgments on how an elected government should have handled a tricky situation. What Chief Minister Bhattacharjee needs to do is not to get provoked by the opposition — he must take a cool, objective, and just stand on all matters arising out of Nandigram and learn lessons from a mishandled crisis.

http://www.hindu.com/2007/03/16/stories/2007031604021200.htm