Mousumi refuses award, Benegal bats for Bhattacharjee

Kolkata, Nov 11 (UNI) Even as the churning from the intelligentsia in Bengal continued with film actress Mousumi Chatterjee becoming the latest to vent her ire on the way CPI (M) spilled blood in Nandigram, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee found an ally in filmmaker Shyam Benegal who preferred to look at the ''tragic incident'' as a part of change.

Mousumi Chatterjee told UNI, ''What is happening in Nandigram is inhuman. How can anyone who belongs to Bengal be a mute party to it?'' ''The way blood of common people has been spilled is sad and brutal. The way CPI(M) has behaved is barbarric. How can this jungle rule continue in West Bengal? I want to extend my solidarity with the people protesting the war on humanity,'' she said.

She became the latest to join the Artists' Forum protesting the Nandigram carnage. Acclaimed director Rituporno Ghosh and literatteur Chidananda Dasgupta also joined the protests last night.

She was being offered an award by a prominent Bengali publication, which she has declined to take in such an hour of crisis for Bengal. ''I was being felicitated with lifetime award. But I told them its life-taking going on in Bengal. I can't take it now,'' she said.

The intelligentsia of Bengal, led by Bibhas Chakraborty, Aparna Sen, Kaushik Sen, Bratta Basue, Tarun Sanyal and their lot have joined social activist Medha Patkar in her protest against the CPI (M) led bloodspill in Nandigramaas the 'Harmat bahini' (mercenaries) attacked the peaceful Bhumi Uchched Protirodh Committee (BUPC) procession.

Meanwhile, Bengal lend tacit support to the Chief Minister when he said, ''The death in Nandigram is sad. I have heard about it. But I can't make an easy comment on it.'' ''Nandigram is a symptom of a problem. When you uproot people from their soil, You have to provide them with security, assurance and jobs and make them a party in your progress. You can't orphan the people,'' he said.

''I remember Mr Bhattacharjee saying back in March that land would not be forcibly taken from the people unwilling to give it. So I can't figure out what is happening,'' he added.

''Every time the country take a step towards progress, such tragic incidents happen. They are bound to happen. People suffer most. But tyeu should be made a part of the progress,'' he said.' UNI