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Statescan
Truth of Nandigram and Singur
Justice on Trial submits report to President
Truth of Nandigram and Singur
A high level committee comprising retired judges and top police officials recently visited Nandigram and Singur to find the truth of the farmers? agitation. It found that there was no rule of law in Nandigram and Singur area. ?Media reports indicate that the situation is not much different even today. The committee met different NGOs and organisations, which lent support to the information,? the committee said in its report. The committee under the banner of Justice On Trial, an Ahmedabad based NGO, presented the report to President Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam on July 5 in New Delhi to promote, protect, defend human rights and freedom, establish supremacy of law and to implement vigorously the concept of justice to all.
?The committee strongly feels that the government should take immediate necessary action for implementation of rule of law, safety and security of the citizens of that area, take legal action against the CPI(M) cadre who have committed serious crimes, provide adequate compensation and initiate immediate action to search for the missing persons. The committee also recommends that request of the citizens to acquire land of inferior quality as suggested by them be looked into seriously. The committee is surprised to know that it is for the first time in the history of land acquisition that such a procedure (actually no laid down legal procedure) was adopted by the government itself,? said Justice S.M. Soni, former Judge of Gujarat High court while talking to media persons in New Delhi on July 6.
In response to the media reports on the law and order situation in and around Nandigram and Singur, Justice On Trial had constituted this committee under the chairmanship of Justice M. Ramkrishna, former Chief Justice of Jammu & Kashmir and Assam, with Justice S.M. Soni, member, former Judge of High Court of Gujarat and former Lokayukta of Gujarat (member), Shri G. S. Gill, additional Advocate General of Rajasthan (member) Shri P.C. Dogra, former Director General of Police, Punjab (member), Smt. Nafisa Hussein, former member of National Commission for Women (member), Smt. Dr Suvarna Raval, social worker for Nomedic Tribes (member) and Shri Ramkishor Pasari, social activist (member secretary).
According to Justice Soni, the committee visited the site of Nandigram and Singur blocks to personally inquire from the affected persons whether there was any breach or defiance of human rights/any other rights and if so how to remedy the same.
?The committee visited areas between Nandigram and Khejuri and met residents and affected persons. It found that almost all the residents had emphasised that they belonged to the CPI(M). They also said that this has been a CPI(M) dominated area. It was their grievance that though they belong to the CPI(M) and it is CPI(M), which has helped them to become owners of the land, yet the government now wants them to become landless under the pretext of promoting industry. Our land is very fertile and number of families is maintained through the income from this land. Though we had offered our less fertile land for setting up industry, it is surprising that they are still bent upon acquiring this fertile land only. It is equally surprising for the citizens of this area, how this communist government which we have installed through our votes, wants to put us on the roads against their normal pro-labour and anti-industrialisation philosophy,? the report submitted to the President said.
During the visit the committee found that no legal procedure to acquire the land was followed. When the citizens came to know about government?s proposal to acquire their land through the notice issued by Haldia Authority, they went to Panchayat Office to inquire about it. Instead of getting any sympathy, they were treated as if they had committed some crime and were all assaulted and the assault was to the extent that three persons died due to firing by the CPI(M) workers who took lead to install industry on this land. The CPI(M) cadre became law by itself. They not only assaulted the people but also fired on those unarmed people and did not miss an opportunity even to rape women.
Having known how they forcibly took possession of land in Singur area, people in Nandigram dug trenches to prevent CPI(M) cadre and the police from entering their area to dispossess them of their land. When they learnt about the entry of police under the pretext of repairing the trenches, they had no alternative but to pray God against the mighty government. When they had gathered for prayers with flowers and other prayer material, they were ordered to disperse, and even before they could respond, they were tear-gassed, lathicharged and fired upon. As many as 14 persons died in the firing and a number of them are missing. Large number of persons were injured but were denied medical treatment. Doctors of Health Centres/Hospitals were instructed not to register cases due to firing. (Although bullet marks were seen on their bodies.) The people were informed that such instructions were given by the CPI(M) cadre and that the breach of these instructions would invite serious consequences. What the committee found from the interviews and the interrogation of the citizens that the domain of terror prevailed throughout the area, Justice Soni added.
The committee found that even number of women were assaulted and raped in the presence of their kiths and kins by the CPI(M) cadre. Even minor school-going girl or seventy-year old women were not spared.
In Singur block the committee found that those who protested against the acquisition were manhandled and terrorised by the CPI(M) cadre. This cadre was assisted by the government machinery and many of the protesters were framed for commission of serious offences. In their zeal to deter the people the government machinery obliged the CPI(M) cadre to chargesheet a baby girl named Payal aged about two and half years under section 307 of Indian Penal Code. Most ludicrous example one could ever find elsewhere.
(FOC)
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