| [Translated by Rama Kundu from the
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| | wishes? Is the power of the plunderer
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| original Bengali published in Dainik
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| | greater than the tiller's attachment to
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| Statesman, Kolkata, 14 May 2007]
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| | the land which is like a mother to him?
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| For the last six weeks everyday there
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| | The tiller's love of his land, his
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| have been instances of armed clashes
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| | striving towards saving his land-is it
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| between the left front camp and the
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| | such a crime that there remains no choice
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| Committee for Defending Agricultural
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| | other than destroying Nandigram? Even
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| Land, that is, the common villagers.
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| | after Chengis Khan had devastated the
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| After some days following the major event
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| | land and left the countrymen had slowly
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| of 14 March the Chief Minister had
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| | recovered and settled. But this present
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| publicly owned responsibility for the
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| | invasion will be total. Nandigram will no
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| assault on Nandigram and expressed
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| | more remain a village of farmers; the
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| remorse. The common people assume that
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| | tiller will die, will disappear,
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| repentance should also involve abstaining
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| | excepting a rare few who will turn
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| from the repented work. But in the last
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| | factory laborers from multi-croppers.
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| one month and a half, the notion and
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| | And this is a huge conspiracy spreading
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| expectation of common people have been
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| | its net wide upon the whole country. It
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| belied. The regular clash between the
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| | is industry which has attracted the
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| villagers on one hand and the left front
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| | rulers, because industry will usher in a
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| members from outside flanked by the
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| | flow of liquid cash. We all know this is
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| police on the other have been continuing
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| | no unreasonable wish for a poor country.
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| unabated. It need no saying that the
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| | But what's the cost to be paid for this?
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| villagers too have collected some arms
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| | That's the question. Must we push the
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| and ammunition; and consequently it is
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| | poor tiller-- living from hand to
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| not a mock battle any more, but rather a
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| | mouth-to total annihilation just in order
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| serious desperate win-or-lose fight like
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| | to oblige the millionaire's desire to be
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| the epic war between the Kauravas and
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| | a billionaire? Must we ensure that the
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| Pandavas in The Mahabharata. It has been
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| | poor tiller can never raise his head,
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| going on like this over the last one
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| | never get a square meal?
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| month and a half.
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| | A fundamental question cannot be evaded:
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| In the ancient times one particular rule
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| | whose is this country? Is it to be owned
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| of war used apply everywhere; with the
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| | by Lakshaman Seth and his like or should
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| sunset there was ceasefire for the day.
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| | it belong to those who have been born
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| But now-a-days we see the assassins hurl
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| | here and embedded in this land, attached
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| deadly weapons against one another in
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| | to it? Naturally, he feels wrenched at
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| darkness, and this goes on for a long
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| | the roots of his heart when he is sought
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| time. Nobody is exempted from the attack,
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| | to be evicted off this land, and
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| be they women or children, young or old.
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| | automatically resists the effort. The new
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| We have heard the left front's allegation
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| | name for this resistance is
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| that the people of Nandigram too are
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| | anti-patriotism. It was these villages -
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| well-armed. On hearing this I felt
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| | this Nandigram, Khejuri-that had once
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| relieved that at least they are not
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| | accepted the left ideology under the
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| taking it lying down and it is not
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| | influence of the CPI(M). Till the other
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| one-sided any more. And why should they?
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| | day the villagers responded to the
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| Self-preservation is common instinct.
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| | gesture of a Calcuttan visitor folding
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| Therefore, if they have collected some
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| | his hands by greeting him back with red
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| weapons at last then at least the fight
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| | salute; because it was this greeting that
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| there has been comparatively on an equal
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| | they had learnt. Must we not consider why
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| footing in recent days. Apart from this,
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| | and how did the people of that very zone
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| defending the land is a strong
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| | become such enemies that they must be
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| inspiration; it is connected with the
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| | complewtely exterminated ,-- just because
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| issue of self-preservation.
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| | they have refused to part with their
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| What is most important is that the moral
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| | plots of land--?
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| force is on their side, and no
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| | According to the verdict of the High
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| inspiration can be greater than this.
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| | Court the left front is on the dock. The
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| Now, Ashok Gudia of the CPI(M) has
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| | other front partners claim that they are
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| publicly declared the real purpose behind
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| | neither the supporter nor the perpetrator
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| this uninterrupted daily battle; he has
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| | of the carnage. Anyway, the CPI(M)'s
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| said, within two or three days Nandigram
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| | literature has been tirelessly clamouring
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| will be destroyed. There could have been
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| | that Trinamul and outsiders are
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| a clearer statement. From the upper
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| | responsible for the carnage. Again, that
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| echelon message has come that there will
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| | this is blatant lie, and the Party
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| be no army deployment. That means the
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| | workers, members and their loyal police
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| target will be achieved through some
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| | are daily perpetrating the crimes in
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| alternative means. There is no
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| | collusion has been proved beyond doubt.
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| equivocation about this.
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| | Egalitarianism does not lay down that a
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| The question necessarily arises: Why,
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| | citizen cannot protect his family, living
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| what is the offence of Nandigram? They
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| | house or land. Rather it is the duty of
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| are unwilling to part with their land for
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| | the state to protect him in case he is
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| the purpose of installing some factory.
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| | endangered or attacked. Just its opposite
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| Once Harekrishna Kongar and Binoy
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| | has been happening in Nandigram. State
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| Chaudhuri of the CPI(M) had earned the
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| | machinery and party workers have been
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| gratitude of many a farmer by starting
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| | jointly mounting brutal attacks on a
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| the work of distributing 'patta'
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| | regular basis upon helpless villagers,
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| (ownership document) for land. It does
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| | killing them, raping the women, drowning
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| not require one to be a farmer himself in
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| | the children after killing them or even
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| order to understand the way the land
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| | when they are still alive.
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| becomes inseparable from the tiller's
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| | Not to speak of the forgiveness of
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| whole life pattern, how precious and
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| | history, the very present generation
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| intimate it becomes in the tiller's life
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| | cannot forgive this monstrous cruelty.
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| and mind, and when somebody seeks to
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| | And nothing of this is lost or will get
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| snatch off that land how does it wrench
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| | lost. There is television, there are the
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| the tiller's innermost self with
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| | radio, the newspapers, the many reports
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| unbearable agony. How could Tagore, the
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| | of many eye-witnesses. This black
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| scion of an aristocratic family, feel the
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| | tarnishing will cling to the party
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| anguish of Tagore's Upen? How can we
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| | indelibly, the party from whom some had
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| understand this? Then is it so that once
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| | expected humanistic behaviour.
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| one becomes a minister one cannot feel
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| | The last verdict on this unequal fight
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| this pain any more! The tiller has been
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| | will be given by the people, against the
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| going ahead with this very reasonable
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| | fascist left party power and state power.
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| demand of his; he has been crying in the
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| | And when school students will read this
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| voice of Matangini Hazra, 'Pichābani'
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| | history after twenty-five years, what can
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| (won't go back). And this is the offence
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| | be said in its defence of this carnage
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| of the residents of Nandigram. It is
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| | before their challenging eyes? The
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| precisely for this crime that they will
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| | villagers are not the aggressors; they
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| have to be smashed within a few days.
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| | have been fighting , and laying down
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| Can't a poor man then defend his own
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| | their lives only to preserve the little
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| property? Is it the exclusive right of a
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| | bit they have. But as justice is on their
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| billionaire alone? Doesn't the farmer
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| | side ultimate victory will also be
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| have the right to oppose forcible
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| | theirs.
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| occupation of his land against his
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