Mamata pledges to stall Tata car project, croons 'honge kamiyab'

Kolkata, July 21 (UNI) Seeking a political resurrection in West Bengal, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee today declared that her party would resist the Government from acquiring land for the Tata's small car factory at Singur and launch an agitation against setting up of industries on agricultural plots.

'' We shall not let the Government acquire even an inch of land at Singur. If necessary, we will give blood, '' she said while addressing partymen at a 'Martyr's Day' rally at the city's Esplanade area, held for the first time after the party's debacle in the Assembly elections.

In a jibe at the Left Front Government for its alleged move to 'dump' farmers and 'hoodwink' the people in the name of industrialisation, Ms Banerjee alleged this would trigger a serious food crisis in the state.

The Trinamool supremo announced a string of agitational programmes till January next year, including a human chain programme in the city on August 14 with a slogan 'Jago Krishak'(awake, farmers), to protest acquisition of farm land for industry.

The party would also organise a programme on August 31 demanding reopening of the closed industrial units and hold a block level convention of workers on November 15 before calling a public rally at the Brigade Parade ground in January, she said.

Ms Banerjee alleged that the Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee Government was handing over 1.8 million acre of multi-crop land to industrialists and encouraging business at the cost of farmers.

''We are not against industry. But if it is set up on agricultural land, what the people will eat. There will be a severe food crisis...the Government is handing over farm land to the Tatas and the Salim Group of Indonesia, but it does not have any map for available land suited for industry,'' she said.

''The Communist rulers also do not want small traders and businessmen to exist. They are for shopping malls and retail markets, which once they opposed,'' she said.

In an hour-long speech, packed with her usual emotional rhetorics and interspersed with lyrics and limericks, the 'Didi' sang the Communist international 'Haam honge kamiyab' as well as patriotic song 'e mere Watan' and recited bits of Tagore and other poets to prop up the morale of her supporters.

Condemning terrorism, Ms Banerjee said her party was against any such act and those perpetrating such crimes had no religion.

She alleged that the UPA Government at the Centre and the State Government had masterminded a 'scientific' plot to ensure her party's defeat in the Assembly elections by ''tampering with the electronic voting machines.'' UNI KDG-AKM SJC YA KN1826