Testimonies of Violence:

At the Shivir -:
On 4^th Nov., 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. We met him at the Nandigram shivir, he was slow in answering our questions and at times cannot comprehend anything easily.

Srikant Pike (Bhangabera Pada, Sonachura Village) -: Srikant is the person whose household was the first to be attacked in the January incident. He was part of the “Jomin Bachao Andolan” (Save the Land Movement). He had come to the shivir after the 14^th March police firing, but had gone back to his village on 16^th March when the CBI team first came for the enquiry. He gave his statement as well as the kartoos to the CBI, and reported that 10 CPM goons were holed up at the Janani Eet Bhata (Brick Kiln) with arms.

He told his story to us – The firing first started at Gokulnagar, Adikari Pada, Sonuchara across the Bhangabera bridge, with the CPM supporters firing from the Khejuri side. The CPM wanted area dakhal (capture) for SEZ and so had let loose its cadres on the andolan. After 16^th March, with the police staying away from the scene (after the High Court passed the order calling police firing unjustified), we had to hide and secure ourselves as ‘they’ kept on shooting at us.

“Ora Lokkhimondir teke gooli-bari korto” (They would shoot from the Lakshmi temple), and then would run away to the Eet Bhata to hide (the brick kilns were at the Khejuri side and on the border with Sonachura, giving CPM easy access to this side). The Janani Eet Bhata, Tekhali Bazaar, was the main base camp of CPM ‘goons’. The CPM also got other cadre goons from the 24 Parganas, and also some Bangladeshi miscreants.

Mahamaya Das Adhikari (Adhikari Pada, Gokulnagar Village) -: She was one of those who had gone back to her village from the shivir on 26^th Nov. But she returned back a day later because her parents were threatened by 5-7 CPM goons that either she support CPM or they will abduct her if she comes back. She had to return back as she did not want to tow the CPM line and she did not have faith in the police to protect her.

She had also received a rubber bullet on her leg in the 14^th March police firing incident.

These stories resonate many others in the shivir. The villagers in the camp say that the CPM and authorities want them to stop the land movement, co-opt themselves with the CPM led state administration and tow their line. They are threatened by the CPM cadres and supporters if they do not hoist the red flag of CPM.

The 11 months long discontent has led to much upheaval, displacement, loss of lives and livelihood. When asked how they foresee the future ahead, the people in the camp 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 inquiry into acts of violations against their people. Anything short of that would not pave the way ahead for any peaceful solution.

Place: Brindavan Chowk
The people of Brindawan Chowk had a different story tell. Like the people of other villagers, they had also fled their village when the conflict started and stayed at the Nandigram School shivir. These people were landless labourers and belonged to the Scheduled Caste. They earned their living as drummers at festivals. Since they did not own any land, they were not active in the BUPC andolan. They were mainly CPM voters.

When the shooting started, these villagers were caught between the two sides and so had to go to the relief camp. On 25^th Nov they returned back to their village escorted by the CRPF. Since they were CPM voters, their houses were burnt by the BUPC. They even named Vimal Chandra Hajra, a BUPC leader, who intimidated them when the CRPF was not around.

The police and CID had made enquiries, but no compensation has yet been paid to anyone whose house has been burnt.