Kolkata: In a bid to take the Left Front Government's agenda for greater industrialisation to the grass-roots, the State leadership of the Communist Party of India [Marxist] has decided to launch an extensive six-week pro-industry campaign across West Bengal from Monday. Pamphlets on the industrial policy will also be distributed in villages and towns in the State.

The campaign is expected to help counter the opposition to the State Government's industrialisation plans from the principal Opposition parties, who have been joined in their protests by certain Naxalite groups and whose leaders were recently felicitated by the Trinamool Congress for closing ranks with the party in its movement against the acquisition of farmland for industry in the State.

It has been felt that there is a need to win over the confidence of the people for the Government's industrialisation plans — a need made imperative in the wake of a sustained campaign spearheaded by the Trinamool Congress against the proposed car manufacturing project at Singur in Hooghly district and the Special Economic Zone being planned by the Indonesian conglomerate Salim Group at Nandigram in Purbo Mednipur district.

There are already signs that those opposed to the Left Front's industrialisation plans intend to take their movement to fresh areas in south Bengal like Bhangur in South 24 Parganas where the Salim Group proposes to construct an expressway.

The CPI (M) has also decided to observe `Nandigram Divas' on January 27, when meetings will be organised across the State.Six people were killed in group clashes in Nandigram on January 6 and 7 — the first casualties in the State over the issue of land acquisition for industry. The violence erupted following rumours of imminent land acquisition to set up a Special Economic Zone in the area after the local Haldia Development Authority issued a notification for site selection. Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee later said that issuing the notification was wrong.

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