Teaching a lesson through violence.....

An atmosphere of fear and uncertainty shrouded the relief camps and hospitals in Nandigram where most of the victims and survivors of the November violence were taking refuge in. What went on in Nandigram could be considered as crimes against humanity, constituting some of the gravest abuses of concern to the national and international community. The abuses were part of a widespread attack on the villagers of Nandigram opposing the state policy of land acquisition for industrialization, and the perpetrators had impunity from the state as they were part of the ruling party in power.

The November violence was more in the nature of teaching a lesson to the errant villagers who dared to rebel against the state policy. The CPI-M supporters and cadres had free impunity in November with the administration clearing the way by removing the police camps. The agenda was simple – gram dakhal (village capture) by hook or by crook.

The firing first started at Gokulnagar, Adikari Pada, satengabari, Sonuchara across the Bhangabera bridge, with the CPI-M supporters firing from the Khejuri side. The armed cadres entered shooting and bombing and torched up the houses of the BUPC supporters after looting them. Many were villagers were beaten up brutally and tortured for supporting the BUPC cause. The most heinous act was that of putting up human shields in front of the charging armed cadres to subdue the core BUPC areas on 11 November, after which the BUPC had no choice but to either give in or flee the area. The villagers who were forcibly formed into the human shield were supporters of BUPC who were abducted earlier from a peace meeting of BUPC on 10 November that was attacked by the CPI-M harmad. By 12 November, the CPI-M had been able to squash the rebellion and recapture their lost grounds.

On 4 November, around 2.30-3 pm in the afternoon, 11 year old Gulmir was playing in the veranda at his home in Satengabari village, when a bullet hit him in the head. The bullet came from the Khejuri side. He was taken to the Kolkata PG Hospital. Fortunately for Gulmir, the bullet entered through the right front of his forehead and came out through the left side. He is alive, but he has lost the quickness of mind. It takes him awhile to understand anything. The team met him at the Nandigram school relief camp.

Another victim, Sheikhat Fath Hussien from Kanchannagar Village, told the team that on 4 November, after the bombing night over, the BUPC called for a meeting at Takapura…”We went in groups for the meeting, but about 700 CPI-M supporters attacked the meeting and shot at us. At Takapura, Kamalpur and Ranichowk, 43 houses were looted and torched, and many animals were shot at”.

Ashok Korom of Jambari Village said the BUPC decided to continue the movement even in the face of such attacks and called for a peace meeting on 10 November at Sonachura, notifying the SP, DM and BDO of the East Medinipore district. The meeting was attacked by the CPM cadres. Many died in that assault. About 300-350 BUPC supporters were kidnapped to Khejuri. “They took the dead and our people away. The district administration, even after being notified about the peace meeting, did not take any step to stop the assault. In fact, the police even lathi-charged on us. It was clear that the police supported the CPM goons.”

He also told us that…“On 11 November they (CPI-M supporters) based camp at Maheshpur, put our people who were abducted in front, and infiltrated into the villages by shooting their guns. Villagers could not attack them as their own people were being used as shields.”

The stories of the victims mostly resonate each other in the relief camps. The villagers in the camp say that the CPI-M and authorities want them to stop the land movement, co-opt themselves with the CPI-M led state administration and tow their line. They are threatened by the CPI-M cadres and supporters if they do not hoist the red flag of CPM, and made to join in party processions shouting CPI-M slogans.

In the villages like Adikaripada, Sonachura and Satengabari, where most of the violence took place, the team found most of the BUPC supported houses burnt up. Those who had come back escorted by the CRPF quivered at the thought of more horrors unleashed on them by the CPI-M harmad, who threatened them at night to quietly fall in line.

While coming back from Khejuri to Bhangabera, the team met Narmada Shit near the Sonachura Bazaar. Narmada had become the public face of the people of Nandigram struggling against the land acquisition by the government for SEZ. Her accusing raised finger at the perpetrators had become a media symbol. We found her crying on the road and very disturbed. She had returned back to her village after the November violence had subsided. But on returning she was continuously threatened by the CPM harmads whenever the CRPF was not patrolling the area.[1]

The 11 months long discontent has led to much upheaval, displacement, loss of lives and livelihood. Across both the sides of the Bhangabera bridge, which saw incessant firing between the factions all these months, the shops and dhabas have been closed shut ever since the first incidences of violence in January. The bridge was an important link between Nandigram and Khejuri and was an important economic hub where the buses made its regular stops. Shaktipad Mandal had his shop near the bridge for the past 20 years. However, with the clashes starting from January he had no choice but to close his shop and run away. He had been staying in the Khejuri High School Camp since March without any avenue of income.[2] He, like many other common villagers caught between the two sides, has lost any hope of peace and normalcy after the November incident.

Though the state government insists that peace and order has been restored, yet the team found a deep sense of insecurity particularly amongst women who were not only victims of assault and sexual violence, but continue to be threatened with more such violence if they went back to their villages. The security of common villager’s life and livelihood is still in jeopardy even with the CRPF patrolling the areas. There were reports of young men who were BUPC supporters being picked up at night by groups of 6-7 men on motorcycles and of their being taken to the CPI (M) party office, even after the CRPF deployment.

Many of the refugees who had gone back to their villages from the relief camps after the coming of the CRPF were returning back to the camps because of intimidation and threat of further abuses by the CPI-M cadres who visited their families at night. One of the victims staying at the relief camps, Shyamsundari Chak from Sonachura, told the team, “Those who have taken shelter at relatives’ places are also not safe. The party people come and ask which village they are from; what their names are; what party they belong to, etc. They are pressurizing the relatives to send the refugees back to their own homes. And when one goes home, one gets beaten there.”[3]

The grave human rights violations and the continuing intimidation of the villagers to forcibly fall in line with CPI-M party dictates, has left a deep scar on the psyche of the villagers at Nandigram. The silence that engulfs Nandigram is not that of peace and harmony, but the quietness of a cemetery.

When asked how they foresee the future ahead, the villagers affected by the violence there said that peace in the land will return only with “sampatti suraksha, jeevon jeevika” (security of land and property as well as livelihood). They want justice and an impartial enquiry into acts of violations against their people. Anything short of that is not going to pave the way ahead for any peaceful solution.

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[1] Sonachura, though a heavily violence-affected area, did not have a CRPF base camp. Only CRPF mobile units patrolled the area, leaving the villagers vulnerable to threats.
[2] Interview with Shaktipada Mandal at Khejuri on November 29, 2007.
[3] Interview with the victims at the Nandigram School camp on November 28, 2007 at Nandigram.