Police massacred villagers who where protesting against proposed
Tanveer Kazi
Police massacred villagers who where protesting against proposed
land acquisition in Nandigram
National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights (NCDHR) expresses its deep anguish and condemns the brutal killings of Farmers and the genuine agitators in Nandigram, in West Bengal. According to the reports of various News papers and News channels, around 14 people were reportedly shot dead by police and at least 150 persons were injured in the shooting. It was disturbing to learn that the police used excessive force and also shot the Agitators even when they were fleeing panicly.
We are equally shocked to learn from other sources who visited the spot where the shooting took place that large battalions of WB state police supported with the cadres of CPI(M) Marxists cordoned the area of Bhangabehara and the surrounding parts of Nandigram in East Midnapore district and physically forced the agitators to run away from the agitation site. They confirm that even now Police continue to raid the homes of innocent people and detain them. More than 700 agitators are said to be missing. Above all the Police and the cadres of CPI (M) prevent Journalists, Human Right Activists, Leaders of
Civil Society Organisations and Social Movements from entering into the site of agitation and shooting site. Also it is reported that already two local journalists of news channel "Tara News" Mr. Gouranga Hazra and Mr. Bholanath Bijali, who were covering the incident are reportedly missing.
National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights (NCDHR) strongly condemns the Government of West Bengal for this indiscriminate killing on the Agitating people who try to protect their life and livelihood and also face displacement and migration owing to the Government backed SEZ which is in the offing, in their lands which fed them for generations.
Besides condemning this mass scale state violence on the citizens who struggle for their basic and constitutional rights, NCDHR urges the following demands:
Order a prompt, impartial and independent inquiry to the circumstances leading to the killing of Agitators by Police in the area of
Nandigram
- Suspend all state officials both District Administration and Police Who violated all Human Rights Norms, Acts and Administrative Procedures and resorted to Shooting to kill the Legitimate Agitators who have a right to struggle in a Democratic Country.
- Initiate Measures to Protect the People who live in Nandigram who still remain panic stricken.
- Initiate Action to identify the persons who said to have been flown away or found missing and see that they return home and give them proper protection.
- Release all unconditionally, who have been detained by police, prior, during and after the shooting.
- Provide a compensation of Rs. 10,00,000/- who were killed by the Police firing
- Ensure proper medical assistance who were injured by the beating and firing of Police
National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights (NCDHR) is taking this case very seriously and organizing a high-level fact finding team. This team will visit the incident village and will find the facts. NCDHR will get back with a Fact Finding report shortly.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Since 3 January 2007, Nandigram has witnessed protests by local farmers, fanned by the opposition political parties in West Bengal after a notification was issued by authorities at the neighbouring Haldia port identifying their lands as sites to be acquired for the new chemical production project. This notification has since been withdrawn by the
West Bengal government which has stated it would "exercise caution" while going ahead with the project.
The project reportedly requires at least 4,000 hectares of land for setting up a Special Economic Zone which would be jointly developed as a chemical hub by the state-owned Industrial Development Corporation and the Indonesia-based Salim group of companies. Another zone promoted by the same group is also reportedly planned in the Haldia area.
The protests at Nandigram followed unrest in Singur (West Bengal) in December 2006, when opposition parties and a number of farmers threatened
with displacement by a state government move to acquire farm land for a Tata Motors automobile manufacturing project prompted demonstrations.
However, Singur's 997-acre acquisition was nothing compared with what the government plans at Haldia. The area involved here is 14,500 acres and the
plans are the establishing of a Special Economic Zone including a mega chemical and petrochemical hub, and a shipyard. The
West Bengal state government plans to set up at least six other major industrial projects, including Special Economic Zones, in the state, necessitating the acquisition of at least 10,000 hectares of land. In a bid to boost national economic growth,
India has been promoting Special Economic Zones across the country. The policy of acquiring land for such industrial projects has sparked protests from local communities fearing land displacement and threats to their sustainable livelihood.
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Mr. Tanveer Kazi
National Advocacy Secretary
National Campaign On Dalit Human Rights
8/1,2nd Floor, South Patel Nagar
NEW DELHI-110008 ( INDIA)
Ph/ Fax:- 91-11-25842249/ 25842250
Mobile:- 09350183804 09818933034
Email:- tan...@ncdhr.org
tan...@gmail.com
Website:- www.dalits.org