Another atrocity in West Bengal

Another atrocity in West Bengal

Our correspondent reports from Calcutta (15 March 2007):

In SINGUR a farmer has committed suicide on being convinced that he has lost the battle to regain the possession of his small piece of farm land forcibly grabbed by the Government of West Bengal and fenced off for TATAs dream project of small car. .

Meanwhile, another horror story has broken in the India press, of severely violent incidents at NANDIGRAM, where the West Bengal government is pushing ahead to grab farm land for a Special Economic Zone.

On Tuesday t he 14th March, at Bhagabera village in Nandigram, police fired live bullets on agitating farmers, most of whom were women. According to information, police fired live rounds on the unarmed women killing more than 12 of them on the spot and seriously injuring many. The hospital report suggests that they have fifty persons with serious injuries.

Obeying the orders of the state government, a heavy contigent of armed police entered Bagbera and Khajuri villages of the Nandigram area. The moment police reached SONACHUDA where villagers tried to stop them and started brickbatting them. The police then resorted to a lathi (stave) charge and fired live rounds. Eye witnesses stated that four of the dead bodies had bullets fired into their abdomens.page.

[Ironically] the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) which is pushing its agenda to grab farm land by force at Bastar in Chhattisgarh is supporting Trinamul Congress in West Bengal which is protesting against the forceful acquistion of farm land. Where else one can find double standard by a major political party of India? It is now or never for the farmers of the Nation.