Flouting all human rights norms, policemen in Nandigram unleashed a reign of terror, opening fire at innocent villagers who were protesting against forcible farmland acquisition by the State Government, that left at least 20 dead, scores injured and the State Government red–faced even as the nation decried the atrocities.
Several villagers, including women and children, were reported missing after the police clashed with villagers in India's eastern West Bengal state.
Local villagers have claimed that as many as 400 people could be missing from two pockets of Nandigram near Kolkata, capital of West Bengal, where the police fired on protesting farmers and political activists on Wednesday, March 14.
Some of the injured women have also claimed that they were raped by the police after being beaten senseless.
The incident, which has sent shockwaves through the nation with many political parties condemning the high–handedness of the police force and the lackadaisical attitude taken by the Leftist government, occurred, Wednesday, March 14, as a 5,000–strong police force marched into Nandigram, where villagers were protesting against "land–grabbing" action by the government for the purpose of setting up a chemical hub, and fired on protesting villagers and activists.
Tension had been brewing in Nandigram for the past few months ever since West Bengal Chief Minister (CM) Buddhadeb Bhattacharya had announced that land would be acquired in the region for setting up a low–tax Special Economic Zone (SEZ), which would be promoted as a chemicals hub by Salim Group of Indonesia. However, Wednesday's bloodbath comes as a surprise since in January Chief Minister Bhattacharya had already announced withdrawal of the land acquisition notification and offered to shift the project elsewhere if the villagers of Nandigram did not want it.
According to sources close to the development, as the actual notification has not been withdrawn yet, the villagers were skeptical of the promises made by the government and had blocked off entire areas in Nandigram by digging roads and erecting barricades.
On Wednesday, as thousands of police arrived in Nandigram to apparently restore "law and order," they were met with strong resistance by the villagers with even women and children forming a human shield to fend off the advancing policemen.
At least 2,000 protesters, most of them farmers and opposition activists, also set fire to a government building at Nandigram, witnesses and police said.
In retaliation, the security forces hurled tear gas shells to disperse the crowd. The police action appeared to have worked as the children and woman began fleeing. But just then, an unidentified gunshot was heard and in a spontaneous reaction the police opened fire shooting at everyone in sight.
Nation
Nandigram violence evokes nationwide protest, leaves WB Govt. red–faced
By: Jacob Chaterjee
Monday, 19 March 2007, 8:13 (IST)
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