KOLKATA: Social activist Medha Patkar has "mixed feelings" about the offer of talks by West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, but ruled out "joining hands" with any in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in her agitation against the alleged forcible acquisition of farmland for setting up a car manufacturing project at Singur in the State's Hooghly district.

Ms. Patkar was referring to the Trinamool Congress, a constituent of the NDA, whose leader, Mamata Banerjee, entered the fourth day of her hunger strike on Thursday in protest against the Singur project and alleged police atrocities on those opposing it.

Leaders of different organisations, also opposed to the Singur project, will be consulted before a decision is taken on the Chief Minister's offer, Ms. Patkar told The Hindu .

Mr. Bhattacharjee had said on Tuesday that he was willing to "discuss any issue you wish to discuss" with Ms. Patkar but would not allow her to visit Singur where prohibitory orders are in force.

"We cannot join hands with those in the NDA but it is unfortunate that my Leftist friends have forgotten [what I stand for]," Ms. Patkar said. Ms. Banerjee had, however, called her and condemned the "horrible" manner in which the authorities had prevented Ms. Patkar from visiting Singur.

"I would still like to go to Singur [even though] they [the administration] are trying to isolate me," Ms. Patkar, who has been here since Saturday and intends to stay on for a while, said. She has already made three unsuccessful attempts to visit Singur where orders under Section 144 Cr.PC are in force, having been turned away by the police each time.

In a veiled warning to the administration she said: "Unnecessarily do not push the non-violent to be violent." She accused the authorities of "occupation of territory and use of force to prevent me" from going to Singur where she intends to talk to the villagers whose land has been acquired for the proposed project.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail