Medha to make Singur a national issue

Kolkata, Dec 8 (UNI) Alleging that a 'Narmada like situation' had emerged in West Bengal over setting up of Tatas' small car factory, social activist Medha Patkar today asserted that she would take to the national level her struggle on the Singur issue.

'' A Narmada situation is being repeated in West Bengal. At least 50 per cent villagers of Singur have said no to the project. The claim that the farmers had volunteered to hand over their plots to the Government and that there is no people's resistance is false, '' she told a press conference.

Ms Patkar said a panel of four activists, including herself, had held a public hearing at Singur in Hooghly district and obtained documents to prove that at least 300 villagers filed affidavits against acquisition of land without their consent.

While most of the acquired land produced multi crops, the cash compensation being offered was half the market price and there was no proper rehabilitation policy for the displaced people, she alleged.

'' A time has come to take the struggle to the national level and force the Left Front Government to hold dialogues in different fora on broader issues on the development of Singur and pursue a democratic process for setting up of industries, '' she said.

Accusing the ruling Left coalition of ''adopting a double standard, '' Ms Patkar said in West Bengal they were following the policies they were opposing in other states.

'' This vulgar exploitation of agricultural resources must be stopped, '' she said.

Alleging that a massive contingent of police, deployed in the area, had committed atrocities on the local people, she demanded removal of the force and withdrawal of the ''illegal'' prohibitory orders under Section 144 Cr P C, clamped in Singur with ''malicious intention''.

To a question on CPI (M) state Secretary Biman Basu's comment that Ms Patkar better go to Maharashtra to fight against the farmer's pliight, she replied : '' When I fight in Maharashtra, the state government asks me to go to Bengal, and the Left Government here wants me to go back. '' With a call for 'larenge aur jitenge', Ms Patkar had made her first public speech in the city on the issue on December six when she shared dais with Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee, who had been on an indefinite hunger strike, and pledged to stall the small car project at Singur.

UNI KDG SJC SI RS2113