This is a new serial meant for local issues. Though the title is in Bengali, I might write either in Bengali or in English...

The Land Named Nandigram:
(Banglai bihar, na, bihare bangali?)

Despite living through much of the history of revolution of India, and Bengal in particular, octagenerian Jyoti Basu eventually had a doctrinal doubt at the fag end of his political career : the violence in Keshpur made him lament: "baglata biherer mato haye jachche (Bengal is becoming like Bihar!)"

Opposition to the CPIM, primarily Trinamul and fragments of Naxals, promised to make Keshpur a 'Seshpur' (figuratively, political deadend). That did not happen; violence at Nandigram erupted after many years! What is at stake?

The government wanted land from the farmers and they resented. Aglican Protestants were slowly taking away the land from the Catholics, and the Irish Catholics protested for many centuries! The British took away the land from Arafat and his followers, and Palestinians opposed for almost half a century. Jews never got any significant land in Europe, and they settled in their ancient holiland, displacing the Arabs , -- and of course with the help of the Americans!

In this case of Nandigram, the concenred parties were the CPIM - the most successful communist force in West Bengal, the non-congress opposition parties represented by Ms Mamata Banerjee, and eventually the congress party, and the non-CPIM left parties. Essentially in became an all encompassing national public issue. Ms Medha Patkar (I do not know much about Arundhati Roy) opposed the land aquision by the government.  Mamata Bannerje fasted. Finally Governor intervened, President responded, and even Advani came to visit Nadigram after the violence erupted. I remembered events associated with Naxalbari, and its aftermath with killings of 'jotdars'. Of course Nandigram could not become Jalianallabagh! 

Even in a caricature, I would never say that either Mr. Jyoti Basu, or Mr. Budhdhadev Bhattacharya would have made many crores out of the land-aquisition. If there were SEZ under the patronage of the CPIM, as they view new world order and development in Bengal, there might be jobs for some CPIM or CITU activists (total number would be very insignificant in comparison to the educated unemployed in India).  But it might develop better business and industrial connections, and might make Bengali culture more goal- (career?) oriented ---- much the way Bengalis changed under BC Roy with IIT Kharagpur and Durgapur becoming the dreams of Bengalis. Opposition to the government would always complain of partisanship, but the communists argue that Mr. BC Roy did not generate as many jobs for CPIM/CITU as they anticipated during 1950-1965! 

What is a relevant precedence? I was remebering activities around Orissa when the Indian Defence Department was acquiring land from farmers for a missile testing sites. It was many many years ago, and it could have concerned the current President, then with the missile technology department. The resistance to the action of Govt. of India was prolonged and dragged; and did not culminate in as much violence as we found in Nandigram!
 

Bokachoda Ganguli,
Marh 18, 2007.

To be continued.........