The Hindu : National : People continue to flee homes in Nandigram amid renewed violence

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Friday, Oct 26, 2007
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People continue to flee homes in Nandigram amid renewed violence

Special Correspondent

Over 250 have left in the last three days following threats

Houses looted and extortion is rampant
Government considering paying compensation

KOLKATA: Parts of the Nandigram area in West Bengal’s Purbo Medinipur district continued to remain disturbed with fresh reports on Thursday of more people having fled their homes in the wake of renewed attempts, allegedly by the Trinamool Congress-backed Bhumi Ucched Pratirodh (Resistance to Land Eviction) Committee (BUPC) over the past three days, to extend its sphere of influence in areas considered to be strongholds of the Communist Party of India (Marxist).

Reports reaching here said that more than 250 persons had to abandon their homes over the past three days in the Ranichak and Kamalpur areas of Nandigram after being threatened with dire consequences if they did not shift allegiance to the BUPC and participate in processions taken out by it.

Intermittent violence

There are already nearly 3,000 people sheltered in camps after being forced to flee from their villages in the face of the intermittent violence that had rocked Nandigram over the past months.

Several houses have been looted and extortion is rampant in areas that have become inaccessible to the police because of the fresh digging up of roads leading to them, Ashok Guria, member of the CPI(M)’s district secretariat, told The Hindu.

As these areas have now become inaccessible in the wake of the renewed political turf-war the local authorities are often unaware of the goings-on there, Mr. Guria said.

The State administration was keeping a close watch on the situation and if need arose additional police would be deployed in the area, the State’s Inspector General of Police (Law and Order), Raj Kanojia, said.

The BUPC that had been formed with the single-point agenda of opposing the setting up of a chemical hub in Nandigram continues to remain active, months after the State Government called off its move to set up the project there in the face of violent protests by a section of the local people.

Meanwhile, the State government is considering paying compensation to the families of those killed in the police firing in the area on March 14, according to the State’s Home Secretary, Prasad Ranjan Ray.

Sceptical

Eight people were killed in the firing and another six in subsequent violence on that day.

The move is being construed in political circles as an effort to prevent further violence in the area but local CPI(M) leaders are sceptical whether the payment of compensation will facilitate the restoration of peace in the area.

Details of the compensation package are yet to be worked out.

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