Nandigram violence evokes nationwide protest, leaves WB Govt. red–faced

Flouting all human rights norms, policemen in Nandigram unleashed a reign of terror, opening fire at innocent villagers who were protesting against forcible farmland acquisition by the State Government, that left at least 20 dead, scores injured and the State Government red–faced even as the nation decried the atrocities.

Several villagers, including women and children, were reported missing after the police clashed with villagers in India's eastern West Bengal state.

Local villagers have claimed that as many as 400 people could be missing from two pockets of Nandigram near Kolkata, capital of West Bengal, where the police fired on protesting farmers and political activists on Wednesday, March 14.

Some of the injured women have also claimed that they were raped by the police after being beaten senseless.

The incident, which has sent shockwaves through the nation with many political parties condemning the high–handedness of the police force and the lackadaisical attitude taken by the Leftist government, occurred, Wednesday, March 14, as a 5,000–strong police force marched into Nandigram, where villagers were protesting against "land–grabbing" action by the government for the purpose of setting up a chemical hub, and fired on protesting villagers and activists.

Tension had been brewing in Nandigram for the past few months ever since West Bengal Chief Minister (CM) Buddhadeb Bhattacharya had announced that land would be acquired in the region for setting up a low–tax Special Economic Zone (SEZ), which would be promoted as a chemicals hub by Salim Group of Indonesia. However, Wednesday's bloodbath comes as a surprise since in January Chief Minister Bhattacharya had already announced withdrawal of the land acquisition notification and offered to shift the project elsewhere if the villagers of Nandigram did not want it.

According to sources close to the development, as the actual notification has not been withdrawn yet, the villagers were skeptical of the promises made by the government and had blocked off entire areas in Nandigram by digging roads and erecting barricades.

On Wednesday, as thousands of police arrived in Nandigram to apparently restore "law and order," they were met with strong resistance by the villagers with even women and children forming a human shield to fend off the advancing policemen.

At least 2,000 protesters, most of them farmers and opposition activists, also set fire to a government building at Nandigram, witnesses and police said.

In retaliation, the security forces hurled tear gas shells to disperse the crowd. The police action appeared to have worked as the children and woman began fleeing. But just then, an unidentified gunshot was heard and in a spontaneous reaction the police opened fire shooting at everyone in sight.

The latest clash mirrors earlier violence in Nandigram that in January prompted the Central Government to suspend plans to establish scores of SEZs intended to attract overseas investors with generous tax breaks. Most of the zones, including the one that was to be set up in Nandigram, are to be built on farmland.

The latest Nandigram violence has been denounced not only by the opposition political parties in the State and the Center viz. Trinamool Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)–led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) but also has opened up the Bhattacharya–led Communist Party of India (Marxist) CPI(M) to scathing criticism from furious Left Front partners and the coalition United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government at the Center.

Interestingly, some CPM leaders – among them dissident minister Subhas Chakraborty and MP Tarit Topdar – have criticized the police action, and by implication, the government. Left allies, among them CPI, RSP and Forward Bloc, have described the action as "inhuman" and have demanded an emergency meeting of the Left Front to assess the situation.

Trinamul Congress leader Mamata Banerjee and Congress state chief Pradip Bhattacharya meanwhile have asked for the Chief Minister's resignation and the sacking of the State Government. A statewide bandh (public strike) was also observed on Friday, March 16 in protest against the police atrocities.

In New Delhi, parliamentary proceedings were disrupted twice as Opposition BJP created pandemonium in both Houses – Lok Sabha (Lower House) and Rajya Sabha (Upper House) – of Parliament. "Communists are cold–blooded murderers...Communist high–handedness will not be tolerated," BJP–Shiv Sena parliamentarians were heard crying out.

"This is a state–sponsored terrorism...The Chief Minister has unleashed terror in Nandigram to grab land," said Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee. "The Chief Minister has disgraced the chair he is occupying. He is a conspirator and a killer. If any government resorts to state–sponsored terrorism, it must be sacked."

Banerjee said her party would not rest till Bhattacharya has resigned. "We will force him to resign," she said.

The Trinamool will observe March 19 as "Nandigram Day," she said, requesting people to light a lamp or a candle in memory of those killed in the police action.

A protest rally would also be organized from Jorasanko, the birthplace of Rabindra Nath Tagore, to College Square on March 21, she added.

"I am appealing to the Prime Minister to visit Nandigram to see the police atrocities and talk to the injured and their families," Banerjee said.

"I am outraged by the developments in Nandigram and blame the government of the day headed by Buddhadeb Bhattacharya and CPI(M) cadres. The problem is the party and its mindset. Buddhadeb, despite his best intentions, cannot get out of it," BJP leader L.K. Advani said of the Chief Minister, generally believed to be the one Left leader with whom he shares a good equation.

According to Advani, the developments in Nandigram were reminiscent of "the terror unleashed on his own people by the CPI(M)'s idol, Joseph Stalin."

"Earlier, people used to raise slogans against the British. But it seems that in spite of the British rule coming to an end, some places in India are still being governed by Marxists who treat people the way the British treated us years ago. Whatever happened in Nandigram cannot be forgotten or forgiven," the veteran political leader said. "I am shocked by what I have seen. What the Chief Minister has done is hard to comprehend."

"By looking at the incident that took place on March 14, it seems that the State Government is following policy of Jallianwala Bagh massacre, in which the police was ordered by the British to shoot the people. In Sonachura village (in Nandigram) the police is asked to hit the people on chest and abdomen like Jallianwalla Bagh. History will never forget the incident and forgive those who committed the brutality," the BJP leader said.

"I am aware of the brutalities committed by the British, now I find CPI(M) is behaving as brutally as the British," Advani said, adding that "The Government of India should invoke Article 355 to direct the State Government to immediately stop the spiral of violence in Nandigram, rein in the CPI(M) cadre and police and take all steps necessary to restore law and order and constitutional governance."

"People are talking about industrialization. NDA is also not opposed to industrialization. Lots of industries were set in Gujarat from where I have been elected to Lok Sabha, but there land is not acquired forcibly by the state government," Advani noted.

"Industrialists had to pay the market price to buy land in Gujarat. The State Government had not interfered with it. But the method adopted in West Bengal is wrong," he explained.

"Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya is now isolated not only from the left front partners, but even the person, who is his inspiration, Jyoti Basu has also turned against him," he warned.

"Following the Nandigram incident, the Central Government should issue directions to the State Government under powers enshrined in Article 355," he said.

Article 355 mandates the Union or Central Government to protect states against external aggression and internal disturbance to ensure that the governance of every state is carried on in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.

The demand for a resolution and invoking Article 355 for restoration of law and order, unlike the Congress party that wants imposition of President's Rule in the state, was made along with the demand for sending Central Paramilitary Forces (CPF) to Nandigram, compensation to those killed in the violence, security to Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee and unrestricted access to the media to the affected areas. The BJP also wants a categorical assurance that the state government would withdraw its proposal for setting up a SEZ in Nandigram.

"We will rake up the Nandigram issue continuously in the Lok Sabha till people get justice," BJP MP Sushma Swaraj said.

CPI(M) would have to go from West Bengal following Wednesday's police firing, she said.

"When the King tortures his own people then it is the end of his rule," she said, raising slogans against the CPI(M) and Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya.

Swaraj and Janata Dal–United JD(U) leader George Fernandes said criminal charges against the policemen should be brought and they should also be punished for raping women during the carnage.

BJP leader S.S. Ahluwalia said the CPI(M) proved to be "worse than Hitler's group."

The BJP–led NDA has also demanded a judicial inquiry as they believe the West Bengal government is trying to forcibly suppress protests.

"The CPI(M) has brutally lathicharged and fired upon farmers in West Bengal," said BJP president Rajnath Singh. "We demand a probe."

CPI(M)'s Left allies also did not mince words as the violence has been an embarrassment for the communists in West Bengal, who have annoyed grassroots supporters by pressing for SEZs as part of their reform program.

The "unprecedented" police firing in Nandigram has created a deep crisis within West Bengal's ruling Left Front, CPI general secretary A.B. Bardhan said.

Describing Wednesday's police action as the "most tragic and unprecedented" incident during the 30–year rule of the Left Front in the state, Bardhan, who rushed to Kolkata, West Bengal, to assess the situation and attend CPI's state secretariat meeting, said there should be transparency and consultations with partners in the coalition on government action.

"The kind of police action at Nandigram is unheard of in Left rule, which I condemn severely," Bardhan said.

"It is a deep crisis because of the way the people have been killed. The brutal police action is unprecedented under Left Front rule," the veteran Leftist leader said.

The decision to send the police to Nandigram was taken "unilaterally" and not discussed with allies, nor at the meeting of the core committee of Left Front ministers, Bardhan said, speaking to the media after holding a close door meeting with West Bengal party leaders.

Bardhan also expressed displeasure that a chemical hub was proposed to be set up in Nandigram. He said that, in a way, the chemical industry was being exported from developed countries like Japan and Germany to third world nations. "Why should they pollute our state?" he asked.

"Although we are working within a bourgeois set–up, but as leftists we should put up some model for others," he said.

"No industry can be developed on the basis of corpses of peasants" Bardhan said, taking a rare dig at his longtime ally.

Even Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Lalu Prasad Yadav, who is close to the Leftist alliance, has criticized the biggest Left party, and has sent a team to the site of violence to investigate into the matter.

"The government should not buy land for private companies, instead private companies should buy land directly from farmers," Lalu Prasad Yadav, Union Railway Minister, said, adding that UPA chairperson Ms. Sonia Gandhi would call a meeting of all the allies to discuss these pressing issues at an upcoming UPA meeting on March 23.

"The RJD told the chairperson that there should be a discussion on the SEZ policy to avoid Nandigram–type violence in other parts of the country," Lalu Prasad said.

Pointing out that he was not against industrialization, the minister said he would support a SEZ being set up on wasteland, but not on fertile land.

"We should think about the future also. We cannot turn all the fertile land to industry. Then what will happen to our food security?" he asked.

"What can we say when our own government doesn't listen to its allies," said Abani Roy, RSP MP.

"The CPI(M) has lost all moral rights to be called a Left movement under a red flag, after the recent repressive act, the Buddhadeb Government in West Bengal needs to resign owning responsibility of the incident," CPI(ML) general secretary Deepanker Bhattacharya demanded.

"The way the government has tackled the issue is anti–people," said Asok Ghosh, state chief of the pro–communist All India Forward Bloc in West Bengal. "We have been repeatedly saying that we are being kept in the dark. If this goes on, we will have to pull out our ministers from the cabinet. We did not join this government to become ministers."

"It would have a cascading effect politically. It is clear that the action was well planned," Debabrata Biswas, general secretary of the All–India Forward Bloc, said.

West Bengal PWD (Public Welfare Department) Minister Kshiti Goswami, who represents the Left Front constituent Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), described the violence as "a black day in the 30–year rule of the Left in West Bengal."

"It is unfortunate and harrowing," he added.

The violence has even attracted the attention of octogenarian CPI(M) leader and former Chief Minister of West Bengal, Jyoti Basu.

"What they (CPI, RSP and Forward Bloc) are saying is right. I also feel that the CPI(M) is running a one–party rule in this state. It doesn't look like a coalition government at all," Basu said. "The ministers of our allies are not given proper respect. The Left Front, the cabinet and even the core committee of the cabinet are being kept in the dark. This simply can't go on," he observed.

"Who ordered the firing? Who decided to send in the police? You must own up the responsibility of what has happened," Basu questioned Chief Minister Bhattacharya during the CPI's state secretariat meeting. "I have also heard that you are running this government in an arrogant manner," he said, warning, "This will not be tolerated any more."

Besides warning the present Chief Minister, the CPI(M) patriarch also cautioned Left Front chairman Biman Bose not to indulge in any act that might harm the unity of the Left Front. "From my long political experience I can tell you that the CPI(M) can't run this government alone. It must be a coalition government and we can't ignore our allies. Front's unity must be maintained," he said.

The secular Congress party which is leading the coalition UPA government at the Center and depends heavily on its formidable Leftist ally, is not mum either. Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh who had himself earlier praised West Bengal's efforts on industrialization, has now demanded a report from the state police.

The Congress, in fact, has stepped up pressure on the Left even though the two parties are allies at the Center.

Sources said that the Center was in touch with the state and has assured it of all assistance needed to defuse the tension.

The Center has asked the West Bengal Government to speed up relief to the next of kin of the deceased and adequate care to the injured.

The State Government has also been asked to talk to all concerned so that peace and normalcy was restored in the area.

According to government sources, Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil has been briefed by West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya over phone on the situation in Nandigram.

Expressing anguish at the death of several persons in police firing at Nandigram in West Bengal, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday said the incident was "very unfortunate."

"It is very, very unfortunate. A number of lives have been lost. Violence is not the way to resolve the issue (Protests against the acquisition of land for industries)," he said, adding, "The issue has to be resolved through dialogue."

Union Information and Broadcasting Minister, Priyaranjan Dasmunshi, has also condemned the violence alleging that a "civil war–like situation" has been created in the area with the help of security personnel.

After inspecting the site of violence, Dasmunshi bluntly accused the police of acting in tandem with CPI(M) activists to attack people and create such a situation.

"It is now clear that with the direct support of police, a civil war–like situation was created to liquidate people," he said. He also alleged that "police provided arms to CPI(M) activists which they had snatched from anti–socials to create such a situation."

Refusing to remain silent, Congress party president and UPA chairperson Ms. Sonia Gandhi has also expressed deep concern over the recurrence of violence in Nandigram where the State Government's decision to set up a SEZ has led to repeated clashes between the administration and locals.

On Wednesday, Sonia directed West Bengal Congress leaders to send her a report about the casualties and the situation in the area and to help those who were injured.

Concerned about the breakdown of law and order in Nandigram, West Bengal Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi has also asked for a report from the government on the firing. "The thought uppermost on my mind, and that of all sensitive people is, 'Was this spilling of human blood not avoidable?'" said Governor Gandhi, a grandson of Indian independence leader and pacifist Mahatma Gandhi.

Noted social activist Medha Patkar has termed the Nandigram violence as a "pre–planned" and "deliberate" attempt of the West Bengal Government to foil the genuine people's movement against land acquisition for building SEZs.

"From the kind of force deployment and the earlier statements of the government, it is clear that the recent attack on the villagers was pre–determined and deliberate. It shows that the West Bengal Government has turned violent," she said.

Gadar, a revolutionary poet and a former Naxal leader has denounced the West Bengal Government, saying that it has betrayed the faith of common people.

"They have been ruling for over 20 years, though they claim that they are anti–US, they favor policies that are very much American. They are exposed. The color of the communist parties is clearly exposed in Nandigram," he said.

Corporate honchos have also expressed their concerns about the police excesses in Nandigram.

"We are extremely upset about Wednesday's incident which is very unfortunate. I think the government should have solved the matter with more collaborative steps discussing the problems with the local villagers and opposition parties," Ravi Poddar, former chairman of industry lobby Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) said, adding, "We know police as the savior of common people. I don't know what provoked them (police) to resort to firing at innocent villagers. I hope things will be resolved shortly."

Harsh Vardhan Neotia, chairman of Ambuja Realty Development and an industrialist who is known to be close to the CPI(M) government, said the Nandigram blood war was definitely not good for the business community.

"It's totally a humane issue and no businessman would want to set up industry at the cost of innocent lives of farmers," Neotia said.

He said industry could cause some displacement but the government should deal the issue through a dialogue, care and proper rehabilitation packages.

"It was true that a deadlock was continuing in Nandigram for the past two and a half months but the state government should have solved it in a peaceful manner, not by sending police contingent," he said.

Hemant Kanoria, vice–chairman and managing director of SREI Infrastructure Finance Ltd, which is involved in developing infrastructure in the state, echoed similar sentiments.

"At the cost of life, nothing is good, especially industry. This brutal firing and police's role in Nandigram is not good for the state as well as for the corporate world," Kanoria said, reacting strongly against administrative decisions of unleashing forces to tame the villagers.

"The entire episode is very unfortunate and there was a serious miscommunication between the State Government and local villagers. Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya had already announced that land would not be taken by force in Nandigram for the special economic zone (SEZ) but the information was not disseminated to the villagers, leading to the deaths Wednesday," Biswadip Gupta, deputy chairman, CII Kolkata branch, said.

"We cannot stay at a place by disturbing the peace of local people," industrialist Sajjan Jindal, whose Jindal Group is going to set up a huge 10 million ton capacity iron and steel plant at Salboni in West Midnapore, said, adding that in case of any local agitation they were ready to relocate their plant.

Meanwhile, though red–faced, the Leftist government has vehemently maintained that it was caught off–guard by the large–scale "organized resistance" by villagers at Nandigram and claimed that police opened fire after being attacked with stones, bombs and pipeguns.

"We had intelligence reports that police will face resistance, but we had no idea that the resistance would be so organized," Home Secretary Prasad Ranjan Roy said.

Police were attacked with stones, bombs and pipeguns by the villagers, he said.

"Police were provoked by the villagers to open fire," he maintained, adding that 115 people – 73 villagers and 42 policemen – were injured in the incident.

However, according to Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, over 20 villagers perished in the firing in Nandigram. She also claimed that 300 persons had sustained bullet injuries and the state government was doing everything to suppress the enormity of the police brutality.

Defending the police excesses in Nandigram, police Director General of Police (DGP) Anup Bhusan Vohra claimed police tried to reason with the protesting villagers.

"We went there only to restore law and order. For the past two months, no government employee was allowed to enter there. We have been patient, and even today we did not initiate violence," he said.

"We did not expect such a stiff resistance because we did not have an information network for last two and a half months. But from now onwards police will remain there but our forward march will be with patience," said Chief Minister Bhattacharya, fumbling for explanations.

CPI(M) politburo member and Left front chairman Biman Bose has also justified police action. "For two and half months rule of law did not exist in Nandigram. The roads were cut and bridges were destroyed. This can’t be allowed to go on. The administration had to act," he said.

About 950 police were now deployed in the Nandigram area and trying to restore order, State Home Secretary, Roy, said.

Meanwhile, acting on a petition filed by the National Alliance of People's Movement and some lawyers, the Calcutta High Court has ordered India's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to investigate the shootings.

The court in its order directed a CBI team to immediately visit Nandigram and collect all evidence of firing by the security forces which resulted in deaths of so many people.

It also directed the Buddhadeb Bhattacharya government to file an affidavit detailing the circumstances under which the firing was ordered.

The court also directed that under no circumstances any evidence should be destroyed by any person and instructed the CBI to collect all evidence including the post–mortem conducted on the victims of the firing.

In response, the CPI(M) said its government in West Bengal was "absolutely open" for any transparent probe including by the CBI to bring out the "truth."

Senior party leader Brinda Karat said the West Bengal Government was planning to order a judicial probe into the incident, but since the Calcutta High Court has directed a CBI investigation "we have no problem at all."

"The facts should be brought out before the people. We are also interested in that...We are not afraid. Let the truth come out," Karat, a politburo member of the party, said.

However, a recovery of a huge cache of arms, by the CBI, including rifles and country–made guns from a brick kiln at Khejuri village, a CPI(M) stronghold, and arrest of 10 men who are suspected to be CPI(M) activists near Nandigram on Saturday, March 17, may have the CPI(M) leaders scrambling for cover as it could give ballast to the opposition political parties that have alleged that "operation flushout" at Nandigram was carried out jointly by the police and CPI(M) cadres.

According to media reports, helmets, binoculars and CPM flags are also recovered from the brick kiln.

The investigating team also visited Sonachura, Bhangabera and Adhikaripara where police excesses were alleged.

Taking suo motu cognizance of police firing in Nandigram, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has also directed the West Bengal Government to submit a report in the matter within two weeks.

Drawing attention of the State Chief Secretary and the DGP to the news reports that the West Bengal Government's decision to send a force to Nandigram led to the killings, the NHRC said, "if found true, it raises a serious issue of violation of human rights of the citizens."

The Commission also took note of the State Governor's statement that the "use of force in Nandigram could have been avoided."

Trouble in Nandigram erupted as early as January 7 after the leak of the government plan to acquire 22,000 acres of land in the area, and to build a petrochemical plant and shipyard.

The hastily formed Bhumi Ucched Pratirodh (Land Acquisition Resistance Committee) organized protests that quickly degenerated into violent clashes. Other organizations like Krishijami Raksha Committee (Committee for Protecting Farmlands) soon came into existence and joined hands in the protests.

The farmers are in opposition to the government's plan as, they have claimed, that the land feeds their children, while public compensation would soon dry up. The communist party which has been in power for over 30 years has its power base in rural farming communities, in favor of whom it carried out a series of agricultural reforms. Now these same communities will not accept the government "taking over" their land. In the January protest, 6 farmers and a policeman were killed. Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya had then declared that the government had no intention of setting up any industry in the area without consulting people. But this time the police intervened and took vigorous action.

Nandigram is fast becoming a lightning rod for criticism of the government's economic reforms, with some evidence that it has emboldened other protesters in India.

Major industrial projects in Orissa have also been stalled by farmers unwilling to give up land. Among them is a high–profile US$ 12 billion plant by South Korean steelmaker POSCO Co. Ltd., which would be India's largest foreign investment.