Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Tension Mounts In Battleground Nandigram

Joydeep Sen Gupta

Nandigram

Panchayat polls in West Bengal are just three days away and tension is mounting at the battleground of Nandigram in east Midnapore district. Several people have been injured in clashes between the ruling CPM and the Trinamul Congress anti-SEZ supporters.

With leaders like Mamata Banerjee scheduled to campaign on Thursday, the administration is on alert to prevent further clashes.

Dozens of injured villagers have been admitted to Nandigram hospital following clashes in which they claim the aggressors were armed CPM cadres.

''We are being threatened by the CPM supporters. They have warned us that if we lose in the panchayat polls, nobody will survive. They are only capable of butchering people,'' said Arijit Jana, anti-SEZ supporter.

''Terror unleashed by CPM is incredible. They are creating all sorts of problems for us to prevent us from voting,'' said Radhakanta Sinha, husband of a Panchayat candidate.

Allegations are flying thick and fast between the CPM and the anti-SEZ, who are going to electoral battle on Sunday for 52 Zilla Parishad seats in East Midnapore district.

Last time, the Left had won 50 seats. The CPM claims the Trinamul supporters are crying foul of losing whatever little support they had.

''By force they captured the entire area. But now there is resistance and so they are crying. Also people are deserting BUPC or the Trinamul Congress. So they have become furious,'' said Shyamal Chakraborty, CPM MP.

The Home Secretary and the Director General of Police visited Nandigram on Tuesday to oversee poll arrangements. But the tension in Nandigram is palpable and is likely to escalate in the coming days.

http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20080049210

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