The closest race of this West Bengal election ended, as expected, on an explosive note on Thursday. However, Nandigram tremors can be felt well beyond the day of the result. Mamata Banerjee and Suvendu Adhikari, former Nandigram comrades turned Nandigram rivals, exchanged charges during the course of the campaign that shed new light on the police shootings that left 14 dead during the movement against Trinamool land acquisition in Nandigram in 2007.
The dismissal of March 2007
Having scorched their hands in Singur, where a Mamata-led upheaval had stalled a Tata Nano plant, the CPM-led government of Buddhadeb Bhattacharya in late 2006 announced the establishment of West Bengal’s largest SEZ. The site chosen was Nandigram, a stronghold of the left. Soon after, the TMC began protests against the SEZ. On January 2, 2007, farmers and TMC men clashed with CPM cadres, leaving six dead.
Farmers subsequently sealed off the area and, until March 2007, no outsiders were allowed into Nandigram. On March 12, 2007, Suvendu Adhikari, then Mamata’s right-hand man in the area and leader of the Bhumi Uchchhed Protirodh Committee that led the protests, wrote a letter to the DGP requesting that no police operations be carried out in Nandigram as the examinations Class 12 were available. on.
On March 14, the police tried to enter Nandigram and were met with protests. When the mafia could not be controlled by lathicharge and tear gas bombings, the police opened fire and left 14 dead.
Mamata ran to Nandigram upon hearing the news. When he stopped, even in the course of a night raid, he called out for a bandh. He also met the families of the dead and wounded.
The blame game
The head of the TMC stated that the police force that had opened fire was accompanied by CPM cadres, who were wearing police uniforms and chappals (“police from choti pora”). He later wrote a book called Nandi Ma where he praised Adhikari’s role in the Nandigram movement.
After Mamata came to power in 2011, she announced 2 rupees per kg of rice for all Nandigram families. He also announced jobs for the families of victims of police firing.
14 years later
Towards the end of his campaign for the Nandigram Assembly seat, Mamata alleged that Adhikari had been in regular contact with the then CM Bhattacharya in 2007. He also accused Adhikari of a conspiracy to allow the police to enter Nandigram on 14th of March 2007.
Adhikari replied that the head of TMC should read his own book. They also noted that the police officers charged in Nandigram’s firing had obtained lucrative promotions and positions during the Mamata government. While IPS officer Arun Gupta served as director general, prisons, after his retirement Nitish Kumar Das, who was Haldia’s SDO and ordered the dismissal, became the private secretary of a minister.
The answer from the left
The Singur and Nandigram agitations had cost the CPM dearly, with the impression that the party was anti-farmer. Since he lost power in 2011, the left has been steadily declining in the state.
Days after Mamata’s comment on the 2007 firing, the CPM issued a statement from Bhattacharya, who noted that Singur and Nandigram were witnessing the “cemetery silence” due to Mamata’s actions and criticizing “the conspirators in that cunning drama. “.
CPM General Secretary Sitaram Yechury told PTI: “From the right-wing RSS to the far-left and the Maoists, all in gangs, brought illegal weapons to create this unrest in 2007. Now, everything is exposed … There are reports that Suvendu Adhikari has claimed that Mamata knew the value of each bullet that was fired and the names of those who were shot … We had said it then and it was correct ”.
Since the lack of jobs is a major problem, the left hopes to use this to describe how the TMC had blocked industrialization.
Case status
The IWC investigated the Nandigram shooting at the direction of the Kolkata High Court. He requested the prosecution of the police officers involved in the operation and the adoption of disciplinary measures against IPS officers Arun Gupta and G Anil Srinivasan. However, the Mamata government did not give permission. Instead, all officers got promotions. The trial in the case is underway.
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