At
Least 20 People Killed In
Police Firing In Nandigram
By NAPM
14 March, 2007
Countercurrents.org
It
is shocking and shaking news from the people of Nandigram, the state
of west Bengal, India has waged a war against them with an intention
of occupying their farm land, fish ponds, homes and hearths. In spite
of the rhetorical statements by the Chief Minister of WB that he would
consult and convince the people, the State government claiming to be
leftist by ideology, has resorted to brutal and barbaric way of using
police force and party cadres to attack the unarmed, non violent farmers,
fish workers, labourers and artisans in the district of East Midnapore
for grabbing their land. The people from generations old communities
who have a golden history of freedom movement and martyrdom are being
not only forced but killed by the "free Indian state" which
is shameful for the Indian democracy and its people.
As per the latest information,
thousands of Police on entering the area, this morning, started firing,
and 20 at least are found killed while hundreds are wounded lying on
the street. Police are forcibly taking away the dead bodies. Women are
at the forefront and have faced the attack the most. Children and men
along with women are on the streets coming out of homes and villages
to stop the brutal State and Party forces who are trying to take the
territory under siege for SEZ with MNCs. We are also informed that media
persons were stopped from witnessing the brutal atrocities while two
media persons from TARA
News are said to be missing.
This is obviously a planed
action since even last month when 4 meetings attended by over 20000
people was held, there was news that the CPM would launch its attack
soon after the school exams were over.
Women and men who continued
to keep watch day and night were most worried expecting the armed attack
and asked whether their non violent approach would work. Since yesterday,
there was a fear and a threat of an action using thousands of Police
and CPM Cadres, armed and prepared to forcibly occupy their land and
the territory. The public statement to this effect was made by none
else but Shri P.R.Roy Secretary, Home Affairs and Raj Kanojia IG- Law
and Order, state of West Bengal. The opposition in WB, during assembly
session, had demanded a dialogue to start immediately and not to resort
to State violence.
The news is that the firing
and violence is still on and the people also have not given up. The
intellectuals in west Bengal have come out in support of the struggling
farmers and others and there is a need that the same happens in all
the states. Imposition of industrialization, with or without SEZ, as
also real estate development is to kill farm land and farming as a way
of life. But Nandigram and Singur show that the corporotised stae does
not mind even mind killing people to make way for the Multi National
Corporations.
This brutal attack must be
immediately condemned and CPM must be compelled to stop murdering farmers
immediately. Such state fascism and corporate war against people can't
and must not be tolerated.
What happens in Nandigram
and West Bengal is to decide the fate of lakhs of farmers, fish workers,
labourers, artisans who voted for left front but now are in unprecedented
battle for survival.
· We demand that the
Union of India and UPA through the PM, Sonia Gandhi and others must
immediately intervene and use various restraining measures in their
hands to compel the CPM government to stop the murderous attack.
· Legal action must be taken against all responsible for the
killings including the CM, West Bengal
· We expect that the National Human Rights Commission will send
a team for urgent enquiry and take action. We assert that SEZ Act should
be repealed and projects with conflict between the state and
the people should be put
on immediate hold across the country. An enactment on Development Planning,
based on the draft submitted to the National Advisory Council under
the Chairmanship of Smt. Sonia Gandhi should be taken for consultation
with people's movements and approved.
· WE appeal to the eminent and concerned citizens and people's
organizations to condemn and protest against the inhuman imposition
of projects in the name of development.
For National Alliance Of
People's Movements
Medha Patkar- 9869446684,
Rajendra Ravi- 9868200316, Mukta Srivastava, Sukhendu Bhattacharya,
Pranav Bannerje, Murad Hussain