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Shahi Imam meets Buddhadeb

Special Correspondent

West Bengal taking steps to facilitate the return of Nandigram residents

Kolkata: The West Bengal Government is taking necessary administrative steps for the return of those forced out of their homes in the Nandigram area and it has been decided that no farmland will be acquired there. This assurance was reportedly given to the Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid, Delhi, Maulana Syed Ahmed Bukhari, by Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee here on Monday.

The Imam, who had a meeting with Mr. Bhattacharjee, later said the latter had expressed regret over the violence at Nandigram on March 14, which claimed 14 lives.

The Imam said he had confidence in the West Bengal Government and its secular credentials. He will be visiting Nandigram on Tuesday to assure the people there that the State Government had no intention to acquire farmland and hence there was no need for further agitations.

The West Bengal State Jamait-e-Ulama-Hind has been actively involved in the campaign against the acquisition of farmland for a proposed chemical hub in the area, which the State Government subsequently decided against.

As people were returning in batches to their homes in the Nandigram-Khejuri area there have been reports of sporadic violence "but this should not affect the on-going process [toward normality]," State Home Secretary Prasad Ranjan Roy said.

There have, however, been reports of some people being forced out of their villages after having returned there.

There was tension in some areas and police deployment was being increased, he said.

The local administration has resumed development work in some of the affected areas of Nandigram where all such work remained stalled owing to the violence of the past few months.

"Protests will spread"

Meanwhile Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee plans to take her protest against the alleged forcible acquisition of farmland in West Bengal, to cities like Delhi, Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram.

Under the auspices of the Trinamool Congress-led Krishi Jami Raksha (Save Farmland) Committee, peasants carrying begging bowls will hold sit-in demonstrations in these cities, the party's All-India general secretary Mukul Roy told The Hindu here on Monday.

Thiruvananthapuram has been chosen as one of the venues as the CPI(M) - led Left Democratic Front is in power in Kerala. Ms. Banerjee, who refused to hold talks with the State Government over her demand that land acquired from peasants without their consent in Singur be returned, also announced a month-long State-wide campaign starting June 22.

The party leadership has decided to intensify its stir against the Tata Motors project unless its demand is met. Ms. Banerjee said her stand would not change despite Jyoti Basu's remarks that the State Government was working on an alternative package for the peasants affected by land acquisition.

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