Situation At Nandigram

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~ REtORT

ON THE SITUATION

PREVAILING

,

AT NANDIGRAM

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proposalfor setting up a mega-chemicalhub and a SpecialEconomic

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Zone (SEZ)over 10,000 acres of land in Nandigram PS and adjoining areas wa_s

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under c;onsiderationof the State Government. However, though preliminary land identification was made, no final decisionhad been 'taken about location of the project. Over this issue,severalpolitical organisationsgot agitated and they organiseda number of meetingsin Novemberand December, 2006with the object of opposing land acquisition. Despite the fact that no specific decision regarding location of the project had been finalised, an informal notice for public information regarding likely location of th~ project was circulated by Haldia DevelopmentAuthority on December 28, 2006 to all concern~dblocks and gram panchayatoffices. After this notice reachedthe block apd gram panchayat offices, there was massive public resentment amongstithe local people who feared that their landswould be acquired. I

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A: number of political Organisations~la-nd parties formed an organisation which ~timately came to be knownas BhJJIDi lJ.c:b~-2ca!tjrodh Com~ee (BUPC),Nandigramto resist land acquisition. Feelings ran very high. On 3.1.2001,an angrymob attacked the KalicharanpurGPoffice under NandigramI PanchayatSamiti and started ransackingthe office. OC, NandigramPSrushed to the spot on receipt of this information but when the police party was returningto the police station, they were'intercepted by a violent mob whoset fire to one police jeep and damagedtwo others. Police fired several roundsih-Ir~"';, the air ctndthe crowd dispersed. On the same day, another police party of"'" ,

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personne!l the

were

evenjng

injured of

the

in same

these day,

two the

events local

and MLA

police Shri

Subhendu

cases

were Adhikari

started.

On and

TMC

leadersattended a coordination meeting with SDO,Haldia and District Police officials at NandigramPS. As decidedin the said meeting, BDO,Nandigram arrangedfor publicity through microphonein the locality on 4.1.2007 to the effect th~t no processfor land acquisitionhad been started and appealingto the local people to maintain peace. A 12 hoursbandh was called by INCand SUCIover this issueon 4.1.2007. The bandhpassedoff peacefully but, in the eveningdf 4.1.2007, several other violent incidents took place and the CPI(M) party office at Rajaramchakwasset on fire. !

Se\l;eralpublic meetings were held by TMC, BJP and PDSleaders on 5.1.2007and 6.1.2007 in the bannerof BhumiUchchhedPratirodh Committee. It appearsthat the local people becamehighly agitated and they dug up some roadsand'damageda few bridgesand culverts. Till the evening of 6.1.2007, the situation remained peaceful but there was considerable tension at Bhangaberiaand Sonachurawhere police did not ge~any access. On the night of 61Th January, 2007 a violent dispute broke out between two groupsof people, one owing allegiance to the BUPCand the other owing allegianceto the ruling' Left Front. In these dashes,four people namely Bharat Mondalof Sonachura!Biswajit Maity of Soudkhali,Sk. Salim of Jadubarichakand Sankar

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?a.m~nta I of Sonachurawere killed and two other persons received bullet In]Unes.; Several cases of arson and violence took place 1n and around, NandigramPSfrom January 7, 2007. Movementof veh1clesbecame totally! imposs1ble after that day becausecommunicationshad been badly damaged. It I; ,

wasreportedthat a large numberof CPI(M)supportershad beendrivenout of

their nonnal places of residence and many others had fled out of panic. A large nur:nberof d1splacedpeople, numbering about 2000, took refuge in severaltEtmporarycampsin Khejuri PS.

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D~, PurbaMedin1poredistrict convenedan all-party peace meet1ngat Tamluk for ma1ntenance of peace and the meeting was attended by representativesof CPI(M), RSP,Forward Bloc, CPI, SU~BJP,. TMC, NCPand Samajwad1Party apart from representativesof District Mm~ation and PoliceAdministration. In the said meeting,it wasfurther clarified that no land acqu1sition-process has yet been started and, before starting any such process,

all politic~l partieswould be consulted. It.wasunanimously resolvedthat all

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t11 parties would cooperate with the administrationto restore peace, damaged ~

roadsand bridgesshould be restoredand police camps set up wherever

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necessary. However,an in 1ncident the nightinofwhich 8.1.2007, several violent Samanta, 1ncidents I ~~ took placEtincluding the house of other one Shankar believed to .be a CPI(M) supporter, was set on fire and the sa1dShankar Samantae,xp1red.

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This was followed by another meet1ngconvened by the 500, Haldia on

~.1.20074t Nandigram-1 block off1cewh1ch,",asattendedall major politjcal

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parti~

the BUPC. A follow-up meetingwas convenedby the SOOtHaldia om::-~-that very Iday and that all-party peace committees would be set up at 16 (sixteen)Pilacesof the affected area. Unfortunately,even after thjs injtiative, the tensionin the locality continued to mountand no poljtical party submitted names of 1their representatives to the peace committees. The peace committees, therefore, could not becomefunct10nal. As a result, a large part of Nandigram PS covering Sonachura, Kalicharanpur, Mohammadpur and Kendamari-:Jalpaj GPs in full and Vekutia GP in part became fully d1sturbed, covering an area of about 60-65 sq. KM and a population of about 60,000. Police and block authorities could not enter these areas and all development works virtu~lly came to a standstill. Anotherpeacemeeting was convenedby the SOO,,Haldia on 19.1.2007 but this meeting was not attended by representa~ives of BUPC,INCor TMC. Tensionbetween the two rival groupskept on mounting and there were a seriesof violent incidents in NandigramPS,as also adjoin1ngareas of Khejuri

PS, MahisaQal PSand BhabanipurPSbetween16.1.2007and 6.2.2007.On

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7.2.2~07, alpo~ic.e.party led by OC, B~abanipur PS was assaulted by a. violent mob ln an adJolnlng area of Bhabampur PS and SI, Sadhu ChatterJee was

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draggedaw~y,assaultedand kjlled by the unrulymob. On 1142.2007, the Chjef Ministeraddressed a publ1cmeetingat Heria,KhejuriPSlocatedquite closeto

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the affected areasof Nandigram PS. In the said meeting, CM made a publ1c statement to the effect that land for the SEZ will not be acquired at

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... Nandigram,

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if the people of Nandigram did not want project be located Alnother all-party meeting was convened by thethe OM, Purba toMedinipur on

there.

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19.2.200Jand,

in

that

meeting,

it

was

resolved

that

all

poljtical

parties

and

the

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administrration would cooperate so that the ensuing Madhyamik Examination could bellheld peacefully. It was further resolved that roads and bridges would: be resto~ed, people displaced from their normal places of residence would be assisted

to

return

to

their

villages

and

police

camps

would

be

set

up

wherever

,

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required~: Following this meeting, violence in the affected areas abated and the Madhyamlik Examinations could be held peacefully. II

M~ldhyamik immediately.

Examinations hostilities

incidentslltook but

the

galice

convene9:

by'

up

and

no

INC,

dissolved

:~e

the

TMC,

that

cases

and

in the

BUPC

the

did

not

affected

areas of

all

violent started

they

were

meeting but

was

again

In this

restored,

the

meeting,

police

normalised.

political

of

because

attend.

be

almost

were

peace

10.3.2007

would

cooperation

Cases

properly

on

and,

A number

2007.

Another

Medinipore

SUCI

groups. 13,

areas.

communications

situation sought

these

Purba

two

March

affected

5.3.2007

on

the

6 and

investigate

OM,

of

w~s

Administrlation was

not

the

represen~atives it

March

entering

over

between

between

could

from

too,

resumed

place

obstructed

were

camps The

set

District.

organisations,

but

there

effect. II II was

It

then

police

moved to

in

and

w~re

the

throwing.

and

lar~e

police

was

also

at

total

of

third

party

fire of

able

policellfiring,

camp

party

to

sQnachura

)7

and

rounds

from

but

to

for

with

the

disperse

police

fire

to

enter

Gokulnagar.

It

fired

in

was

the

to

by the

and

and

spot.

able

police

at

and

policemen

the

was

After

to

set

party

up

that

Bhangaberia

a

and

.

Gokulnagat.

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It

was

subsequently

from

Jank~

from

Nand~gram

total

death

repor~

PHC,

deaths

from

investigatiqln than

300

Hospital.

to

the

stab

a1d

---

one

of

police

firing

the

SSKM

were

brought died

It

death

and/or

could

Hospital.

by

dead

As regards Janka

Currently,

District

injured

The CID

people,

Nandigram

BPHC,

12(twelve)

patients

.

Hospital

.

..

the

post-mortem

5(fi'Le~persons after

w~;-

exact

bomb

number

completes a total

of

Tamluk

are

tf1eir

still

"'1

more

District

, .. mrJ"""

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bringing

and

weapon.

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transferred

hospital,

inquest

only the

PHC.

were

Tamluk

the

least

blunt

be established

at

to in

from

of at

heavy

bodies

dead later

appears

in respect injury

incidents. treated

4(four)

person

14(fourteen).

cause

were

that

bodies and

injury

into people

found

9(nine) BPHC

toll

th~~

explosion, of

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-

police

incidents

from

inCidents

then

bullets

the

party

reported

from

two

52

in

bombs

police

two

first

assembly. injured

police

brick-batting rubber

and

and

the

the party and

the heavy

unlawful

arms

and

one

Maheshpur

to

were

and

14

-

resistance,

teargas

public

some

to

no

the

March

routes

resorted

used

of

of

three

who

dispersed

were

rr10rning

Nandigram

met

members

crowd

the

party

recover

the

in

mobs

police

opened

number I

alternative

following

third

The

also

a

no

columns

by violent

resisted

thereaftertl

the

the

While

Sonachura~

bomb

was

started

separate

Sonac~~ra,

parties

there

movement

three

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that

areas and the police force was mobilised on March 12.2001~-~

the affected Ultimately,

felt

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treatment! and the balance have been discharged. In terms of the orders of the Hon'ble H h Court, a number of NGOswith medical teams were allowed access into the a fected areas and all the patients in Government hospitals were also treated fr e of cost. Evel after the incident of police firing, there were some violent incidents n March 15, 2007 when violent mobs attacked and set on fire the CPI(M)pa office at Nandigram and the BDO's office at Nandigram-1block but

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the situa on could be broughtundercontrol with great difficulty. Again,

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between he 16th March and 29th March, there were a number of violent incidents volving clashes between supporters of BUPCand the CPI(M). After 29.3.2007 the situation was somewhat quiet, though there were some minor inciden~ f scuffles between BUPCsupporters and CPI(M) supporters on April 4, 5 &. 7. Again from 7.4.2007 till 28.4.2007, the situation was quiet, though ;.' there was; orne tension in the area. On 29.4.2007, a large number of people, f-:~7 apparentl supporters of CPI(M), entered Takapura, Satangabari and adjoining i,c..-:-~"; areas of N ndigram PS and immediately supporters of BUPCalso rushed to the spot and t ere was a violent clash. In this incident, one Dilip Kumar Mondal of Gokulnaga died and another pe~on was reportedly missing. There were two other ind ents on 30.4.2007 and 1.5.2007 when vehicles of TMC leader Shri Mukul Roy and the Forum of Artistes, Cultural Activists and Intellectuals were stopped a d damaged, apparently by supporters of CPI(M). Again, on 2.5.2007, about 200:supporters of BUPCwent in a procession with deadly weapons from,

Satangaba . towardsTakapuraand ransackedsome housesand dismantleda~"'"

tempora~ I relief camp. OC, Nandigram PS rushed to the spot and restored

order. -~.,=-~--=- -., En were resumedon havingall-party peacetalks. 500, Haldfahad convenedI a peace meeting on the 3rd April, 2007 but, again, the

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represen ives of SUCI,TMC and INCdid not attend that meeting. On April 16, 2007, DIG,!Midnapore Rangehad a formal meeting with Shri SubhenduAdhikari, I TMC MLA nd he agreed entirely with SP and DIG on the need to restore normalcy y rehabilitation of the displaced people, formation of GP-wise peace committe, repair of roads and bridges, free movement of police and dvil administra ion and impartial investigation of cases. However, ultimately when the meeti g was convened on the ZZndApril, 2007, it was noted that INC, TMC, sua and JP did not attend. The meeting proceeded with representatives of other poli 'cal parties and it was resolved that the peace process should be taken fo rd. A status report of the position prevailing on the 2ndMay, 2007 was submi ted to the Hon'ble High Court. The Hon'ble High Court directed that polfc and the district administration should protect the lives and liberty of the peo le, the ferry service should be resumed forthwith, people in need of medical a istance should be provided with medical assistance free of charge and free r tion should be provided to th~ affected people. Between 2.5.2007 and 16.5. 07, the situation remained quiet, probably as a result of the High Court dire tive to maintain peace. ",: In c nsequence of the directives of the Hon'ble High Court, police has resumed ovements in some of the affected areas, though they have been

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asked to exercise restraint. Currently, there are police camps at Tekhalf, Kamalpur, Takapura, Giridh Bazar, Baharganj and Pankhai, apart from .

Nandigram PSandKhejuriPS. Medicaltreatmentof the affectedpeopleis also continuing free of charge. Reports have been collected by the District Administration on the number of people on both sides affected by the violence and displaced from their normal places of residence. Relief materials and contingency have been sanctioned by the Disaster Management Department and

relief materialsare expectedto be distributedwithin this week. Therehave

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also been meetings with both parties separately, though no all-party meeting has been convened after 17.4.2007. However, though the situation has remained largely quiet after 2.5.2007, there have been two inddents recently (on May 17 and May 18) when some persons owing allegiance to BUPC have attacked houses of CPI(M) supporters at Kudibarhchar, PS Khejuri and Garhchakraberia, PS Nandigram.

Therehavebeena numberof processions andmeetingsby BUPC andthe CP/.(M) . .C

at various places and they ended peacefully under proper police coverage. In terms of regulation 157 of PRB, it is necessa enquiry into any incident of police firing. The State Shri Balbir Ram, Commissioner, Burdwan Division to hol Shri Ram has completed the hearing, examining over 5 required further time beyond 45 days for examinin witnesses in detail, one month's additional time has finalisation of the report and it is expected that the ~ ~

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