Nandigram violence defended at left conference

 

COOCH BEHAR, Nov. 17: The Nandigarm violence issue came up at the 15-th Cooch Behar district conference of State Co-ordination Committee today. The leaders defended the CPI-M's role in recapturing of Nandigram. Was capturing the right step if recapturing is considered wrong, they questioned. The two-day district conference started at Cooch Behar Rabindra Bhavan today.

 

Cooch Behar MP (Rajya Sabha) and CITU leader Mr Tarini Roy alleged that BJP is trying to foil the functioning of the Parliament over Nandigram issue. He said a large number of people of Nandigram were rendered homeless for more than eleven months. The administration did nothing to send back them to their abode. At last the CPI-M had to take up the matter in the interest of the people. He recalled that in Cooch Behar too the administration had failed to lift the supporters of The Greater Cooch Behar People's Association (GCPA) who staged a roadblock at Bhetaguri a few years back. The CPI-M had to intervene to clean the road, he claimed. In Nandigram issue the CPI-M is engaged in organising public opinion by highlighting the actual situation, he said.

 

In his inaugural address the assistant secretary of State Co-ordination Committee Mr Manoj Kanti Guha said the Land Acquisition Act was not framed by the Left Front government, it was framed during British rule. Under this Act the government may acquire land if required and no one has any right to lodge any case against the acquisition. One may merely demand for more compensation against the acquired land. If this Act is bad why the Centre or the earlier Congress-led state governments never tried to abolish or amend it, he questioned.

 

Mr Guha claimed that some other state governments already implemented this Act but violence is being occurred here. He opined that if big entrepreneurs come here to set up industrial units the economic situation of this state would turn better. Defending setting up of Tata's low-cost automobile unit Mr Guha said there was no such industry in this state except Hindustan Motors. Other similar companies are spending a lot of money to stop the initiative, he alleged. On setting up of proposed chemical hub he mentioned that seventy-eight percent of such units are in other states but hue and cry started when such an initiative was taken in this state.

 

Referring Nandigram issue Mr Guha alleged that 28 persons were killed since 3 January but no one said anything against that. Now all are blaming the CPI-M for recapturing the area from where they were driven out. Was capturing right if recapturing is considered wrong, he questioned. []