Protest Against SEZ in Nandigram

8/14/2019 Protest Against SEZ in Nandigram

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Protest against SEZ

in Nandigram

Kratika Rathi


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Incident

DATE: March 14, 2007

The Nandigram violence was an incident in

Nandigram, West Bengal where, on the orders

of the Left Front government, more than 4,000

heavily armed police stormed the Nandigram

area with the aim of stamping out protests

against the West Bengal governments plans toexpropriate 10,000 acres (40 km2) of land for a

Special Economic Zone (SEZ) to be developed

by the Indonesian-based Salim Group.


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The Salim Group was founded by Sudono Salimclosely associated with Indonesian ex-president

Suharto.

The group kept a proposal of developing a

chemical hub in front of the WB government.

The Government chose the Nandigram area

under the SEZ policy.

This chemical hub required the acquisition ofover 14,000 acres (57 km) of land. The SEZ was

to be spread over 29 villages of which 27 are in

Nandigram.

Background


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Causes

Most of the land to be acquired was multi crop and

would have affected over 40,000 people.

The prospect of losing land and thereby livelihood,

raised concerns among the predominantly

agricultural populace. The villagers, which included supporters of the

party in power, CPI(M), joined hands with other

opposition supporters, organized a resistance

movement under the banner of the newly formedBhumi Uchhed Pratirodh Committee or BUPC (Land

Liberation Committee).


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In defense of the project, the state government

stated that Nandigram being in the vicinity of

Haldia Petrochemicals & IOC refinery, which, theCPI (M) claimed, had earlier led to 100,000 jobs

being created through downstream projects, this is

the best place to build a hub from the point of view

of supply-chain integration.

Apart from the SEZ the Salim Group was also

assigned the construction of the 100 km long 100 m

wide Eastern Link Expressway and construction of a

four-lane road bridge over the Haldi River, from

Haldia to Nandigram.


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The land acquisition notice was put up on

January 3, 2007 by the Haldia DevelopmentAuthority.

Although the chief minister later verbally

dissociated himself from the notice, it was never

annulled by another government notification.

For more than two and a half months, Nandigram

was a ticking time bomb, isolated from the rest

of the State as the BUPC dug up roads and

damaged bridges leading to the place. It finally

exploded on March 14.


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On March 14, 2007

The administration was directed to break the

BUPC's resistance at Nandigram and a massive

operation with 4,000 policemen was launched.

A group of armed and trained CPI (M) cadres

wore police uniforms and joined the forces.

BUPC amassed a crowd of 2,000 villagers at theentry points into Nandigram with women and

children forming the front ranks.


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http://images.google.co.in/imgres?imgurl=http://www.tehelka.com/home/20080524/images/cover_nandigram.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.tehelka.com/home/20080524/&usg=__l68NXA2LvA0XXuE3Uo7azJeGS8E=&h=240&w=310&sz=25&hl=en&start=54&tbnid=CPknEE3eYuQB0M:&tbnh=91&tbnw=117&prev=/images?q=nandigram&gbv=2&ndsp=18&hl=en&sa=N&start=36


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CPI (M) members, supporters and their families weredriven out of the area; the houses burnt.

Estimate: 3500 persons displaced as a result of threatsfrom BUPC.

Governor condemned attack

High Court terms March 14th firing as

unconstitutional.

Human rights activists reach Nandigram

Mass graves are unearthed

Intellectuals protest in Kolkata

CM justifies attack They have been paid back intheir own coin


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WB people

Dependant on agriculture Emotional attachment to land

Unawareness of Industry job opportunities

Distrust Industry-exposure to left propaganda

Post Land reforms - the Left has taken no developmentalinitiative

Agricultural growth rate has tapered off

Rampant trade unions had driven out Industry

No new private investment in Industry

Government lacks funds for public sector


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Suggestions

Cultivable land should be left alone as far as possible

Acquisition of land should be transparent and with

consent of those who would be affected

Explain the importance of the projects

Ensuring generation of employment

Free training and imparting of skills

Due compensation and a rehabilitation policy

Not Political gains but interest of common man


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THANK

YOU

Protest Against SEZ in Nandigram

Documents

Transcript of Protest Against SEZ in Nandigram