Medha Patkar to continue fight on Singur

Kolkata, Dec 6: Social activist Medha Patkar today handed over a memorandum to President A P J Abdul Kalam on the acquisition of farm land in West Bengal and declared that she would continue her agitation on the Singur issue.

" I will continue my movement. West Bengal will be my centre of operation. There is no question of going out of the state right now, " she told reporters after submitting the memorandum to the President at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport on his way back to Delhi.

Ms Patekar said the memroandum was on acquisition of agricultural land at Singur in Hooghly district for setting up the Tata Motors' small car factory.

Yesterday she talked to Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi over phone, seeking redressal to the "injustice" being meted out to the farmers of Singur.

To a question, Ms Patkar alleged that democracy had been "murdered" at Singur where police lathicharged protesting farmers during demarcation of the acquired land on December two.

" Not only has democracy been murdered, the country's Constitution has also been violated with promulgation of prohibitory orders under Section 144 Cr pc preventing anybody from entering Singur from outside, " she said.

The Narmada Bachao Andolon leader was intercepted by police on her way to Singur yesterday for the third time since December two.

Earlier, speaking at a protest meeting of intellectuals, Ms Patekar called for making Singur a national issue and urged those opposing the Government move to go to Singur.

" The Singur issue should be made a national issue and you must work for that, " she said.

Yesterday Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee talked to Ms Patekar over telephone and said said he was ready to hold talks with her on the issue.

However, flaying her, CPI(M) State Secretary and Polit Bureau member Biman Basu had alleged that Ms Patkar was blocking the state's development the way the developed nations were trying to scuttle progress of the developing countries.

UNI