| 1. 'There has been no genocide in | | | | |
| Nandigram'-says Jyoti Basu. | | | | The uprooted people of Garbeta -Salbani-will |
| | | | they take training for working in the steel |
| What is the basis of your claim, Mr Jyoti | | | | factory? An absolute lie! And will they get |
| Basu? Now that you have put the government at | | | | job? Again, an absolute lie! Will they have |
| Delhi inside your pocket, Somnath is going to | | | | share in the industry? Another absolute lie! |
| be the President, Malini the speaker, and all | | | | |
| the provinces of India will hail the CPIM by | | | | Zindal has come to install a SEZ. He has got |
| hoisting red flag, uprooting and | | | | to say these things. We know, Buddhadev will |
| dispossessing people from land, and scorching | | | | gift everything to Zindal on a |
| the country- the land- the people to ashes by | | | | platter-water-electricity-telephone-road-hosp |
| means of Napalm bomb. | | | | ital-everything, which Garbeta-Salbani did |
| | | | not get in the last thirty years; because |
| No, Jyotibabu! Your European coaching, your | | | | this is the way of the Left Front government. |
| record of a fellow-traveller with | | | | |
| Indira-nothing will avail you. Because what | | | | At Singur the government acquired the land by |
| you have been witnessing everywhere --be it | | | | blatant violation of 1894 land acquisition |
| Singur, or Haripur, or Nandigram- has never | | | | law. Then it gifted to Tata that same law, |
| been witnessed in the past has It is not just | | | | which is still in force. Because the law has |
| you or we; it is unprecedented to the whole | | | | not yet been changed. No new law has been |
| India. This is 'Janayuddha = peoples' war". | | | | introduced in this regard. There is no other |
| We have burst out in joy and hope at seeing | | | | law except this 1894 law. That law lays out, |
| this rebellious face of the mass. And you | | | | -- in case the government seeks to acquire |
| (You and your left front) have been scared. | | | | any land in public interest, for instance |
| By misappropriating billions and billions of | | | | constructing railways, airport, hospital, |
| Panchayat money through corrupt device you | | | | etc., then the government will not have to |
| can win a few Panchayat elections. | | | | account for it to any higher authority. The |
| Ābir-sprayed romping 'cadres of future' | | | | government will report it to the district |
| can be displayed on the TV screen. | | | | magistrate. The rest of the work will be done |
| | | | from the district magistrate's office. |
| But Jyotibabu! You must be taught the meaning | | | | |
| of the word 'genocide'. Let me teach you the | | | | If some industrialist or businessman wants to |
| implications of your own achievement. You are | | | | do this there are other rules forthat.(See |
| like the Everest, aren't you! In comparison I | | | | page 10 of my book,' Singur theke Nandigram |
| am just a poor 'dungri' ( a small mound). You | | | | --'From Singur to Nandigram'). On no account |
| are yourself a SEZ, who has created other | | | | can the state government do this. Yet in the |
| SEZs. For instance the other day your people | | | | case of Singur it is the state government |
| usurped , with the active support of State | | | | which has precisely done this. |
| Housing Board, the land of /for playground | | | | |
| and high school at Golf Green. | | | | On basis of what law? In order to start SEZs |
| | | | on a large scale , the state government |
| Don't you like the word 'GaņahatyÄ' | | | | framed a new law. Its name is 'Industrial and |
| (genocide)? How can you go on with such | | | | Infrastructural Development Act'. This evil |
| amnesia? Just go on repeating the name | | | | design is certainly the brain child of |
| Marichjhanpi, like one counting the beads. | | | | Buddha+Nirupam+other front partners who have |
| Certainly you'll recall the idea of | | | | neither any 'voice' nor nay conscience nor |
| 'GaņahatyÄ'. Of course some 'no-good' | | | | wisdom. |
| refugees died. Still! What audacity did they | | | | |
| show! They set up huts, built embankments, | | | | Zindal+ Garbeta-Salbani?=SEZ! Will gobble up |
| did farming, even installed some smallscale | | | | Haldia? -SEZ! Will restore peace to |
| industries! What arrogance indeed! All this | | | | Nandigram? - this is also prompted by SEZ |
| they managed to do without the assistance of | | | | design. North Bengal+elsewhere+ RajarHat + |
| Tata-Salim-Zindal-Ambani, et al. On the | | | | the housing projects everywhere+ |
| other hand, what you and your people had | | | | motel-shopping mall, etc., etc.? All this is |
| been perpetrating was 'GaņahatyÄ', | | | | related to SEZ. The lies shouted by |
| Jyotibabu. It was exactly the same thing that | | | | Bikashranjan(Mayor of Kolkata) in support of |
| happened on 14/03/07 in Nandigram. I am | | | | Ambani? - it's dictated by SEZ. The beating |
| sorry, that I had to remind a know-all humbug | | | | the Ambani group received while trying to |
| like you of the meaning of a Bengali word, | | | | hijack the markets of Indore and Delhi?-it's |
| that is , 'GaņahatyÄ'. | | | | the SEZ story. And CHEMICAL HUB? - all this |
| | | | is connected with SEZ. |
| 2. Now a few words about Zindal+Buddhadev. My | | | | |
| first query-how can so much land, vested and | | | | The name of the province which is a total |
| acquired by the government, can lie fallow | | | | failure in literacy, in delivering the goods |
| and unused? Why didn't the government | | | | through the Panchayat system, in rendering |
| distribute that land and the poor-landless? | | | | the minimum services in health, is West |
| Furthermore, are the Zindals paying the | | | | Bengal. What is the name of the city where |
| peasants directly for the farmland that the | | | | the municipal corporation itself builds |
| Zindals are going to acquire? | | | | illegal constructions by filling up ponds |
| | | | and canals? - It is Kolkata. Where are the |
| Is that land marked in the Land Revenue | | | | police-administration completely obliging to |
| record as 'forest land'? If that's the case, | | | | the 'boss', and carrying out the dictates of |
| then they must make alternative aforestation | | | | the 'boss' with perfect servility?-It is in |
| on area of equal measure prior to acquiring | | | | West Bengal. What is the name of the city |
| the land. Again, is there any one of the | | | | where the public, especially women, beat up a |
| scheduled tribe among those owners to be | | | | notorious lumpen anti-social to death? Why, |
| uprooted from the land? In that case the land | | | | Kolkata of course! |
| cannot be acquired. Acquisition of adibasi | | | | |
| land is not permissible under the laws. | | | | Where every day Lakshaman Seth's cadres fire |
| | | | bullets and hurl bombs from this side of the |
| Then this job for one from each uprooted | | | | Talpatti canal towards the other bank? Why, |
| family! Zindal is probably too naïve. | | | | of course in 'your name, my name-Nandigram!' |
| Under this left-front rule, during the | | | | Again, where is it that doctors have been |
| revolutionary regime of Jyoti-Buddha, the | | | | working hand in hand with common men and |
| poor have the only option of working as labor | | | | women, where the students have come forward |
| in others' land + working as | | | | and have been rendering the right , necessary |
| 'nÄmÄl'(hired contract labor) in other | | | | service , to meet the need of the hour? It is |
| districts, or other provinces. (for instance, | | | | in Nandigram, in Nandigram, no, we won't |
| every year 60,000 to 70, 000 labors go from | | | | accept SEZ, we won't allow chemical hub. |
| Tebhaga+ Kakdwip to Andhra+ Orissa as | | | | |
| contractors' labor. This is the grim fact. | | | | West Bengal! The rest of India has been |
| | | | eagerly watching your people. |
| ''Education for All' is a huge sham in this | | | | |
| province. Here, particularly in the districts | | | | [Author: Mahasweta Devi; Translation by Rama |
| of West Medinipore+ Purulia+Bankura and also | | | | Kundu from the original Bengali in Dainik |
| in other areas there has been a bumper crop | | | | Statesman. |
| of illiteracy in the last thirty years. | | | | |