Kolkata: That political parties and groupings opposed to the acquisition of farmland for setting up industry in West Bengal have begun enlisting the support of religious-social organisations was made clear here on Thursday when their leaders shared the dais with those of the Jamiat-e-Ulama-i-Hind and called for "people to rise above their political and religious differences" to take the movement forward.

The rally organised by the Jamiat-e-Ulama-i-Hind turned out to be a show of strength for the disparate groups agitating against the acquisition of farmland in which a letter from Trinamool Congress leader, Mamata Banerjee, underlining the need to bury political and religious differences and join the campaign was read out to the congregation.

It came a week after a delegation of leaders of some Muslim organizations (not the Jamiat-e-Ulama-i-Hind) had called on Chief Minister, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and suggested that the authorities consult with committees set up at the local level comprising representatives from a cross-section of the people. They had, however, pointed out that they had no objection to the State Government's plans for greater industrialisation.

In her note to the organisers of the day's rally Ms. Banerjee who was discharged from a nursing home on Wednesday and is presently convalescing in her home said that the future of the farmers of the State was in peril because of the State Government's plans to acquire farmland for industry.

She was admitted to the nursing home after breaking her 25-day hunger-strike in protest against alleged forcible acquisition of land for the Singur project on December 28-29th 2006.

Urging the State Government not to acquire land forcibly Ms. Banerjee reiterated her demand that all notifications so far issued for land acquisition "anywhere in the State" be withdrawn immediately.

Those protesting the acquisition of farmland for setting up industry both at Singur in Hooghly district and Nandigram in Purbo Medinipur have already started planning to take their campaign to certain other areas in the State being earmarked for industrial and infrastructure projects.

Leaders of the Jamiat-e-Ulama-i-Hind, which has a base in Nandigram warned the State Government that "the protest which was one for survival" would continue. Leader of the Opposition and Trinamool Congress MLA, Partha Chatterjee, said that it was because of the "faulty" policies of the Left Front Government that diverse forces were joining ranks in the campaign against farmland acquisition for industry.

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