WB: All-party meeting on Nandigram on May 24

Kolkata, May 19: In an ice-breaking move towards restoration of peace in Nandigram, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee and Forward Bloc state Secretary Ashok Ghosh today decided that the proposed all-party meeting would be held on May 24.

''She has agreed with us on holding an all-party meeting on May 24 for restoration of peace in Nandigram and its adjoining areas. We would call upon the leaders of all political parties to be present at the meet,'' Mr Ghosh announced at a joint press conference with Ms Banerjee at the Forward Bloc office.

The two leaders, accompanied by few party associates, talked for about half-an-hour and agreed that the entire situation in Nandigram should be discussed in an ''open mind'' to evolve a way, to bring back normalcy.

The veteran Forward Bloc leader, who was earlier empowered by the ruling Left Front to initiate the peace process by holding talks with the Trinamool Congress, said he would request Front Chairman Biman Basu to call a meeting 'as early as possible' for a formal approval of the date and venue for the proposed meeting.

It was decided that the all-party meeting, to be convened by Mr Ghosh, would take place at the Mahajati Sadan.

While Ms Banerjee had been refusing to join any all-party meeting, convened by the state government, today's bipartite meeting flashed a sign of hope for a breakthrough in the political stand-off in Nandigram continuing for more than four months.

However, making a demand, which the CPI(M) was not willing to accept, Ms Banerjee made it clear that the Nandigram ''mass killing'' that took place on March 14, must be taken up as one of the major issues and those guilty should be punished to facilitate the peace process.

''We have the demand that an option should be kept open for discussions on the 'mass killing' in Nandigram and the peace process should start after handing out punishment to those guilty,'' she said.

Ms Banerjee also demanded that the CBI investigation into the March 14 incident, should be completed. The probe that started following a judicial order, was wounded up after placing before its preliminary findings before the Calcutta High Court. In reply to a question whether the CPI(M) would accept Ms Banerjee's demands, Mr Ghosh assured that he would take up the issue with the Front leader.

''There will be threadbare discussions on all related issues. The whole country is looking at us. It is necessary that peace is restored in Nandigram as early as possible,'' he said.

The CPI(M), stoutly denying the Trinamool's allegation of mass killing, had been insisting that the issue was sub-judice and there should be no precondition for the peace process, which was of utmost importance.

More than 4,000 people of Nandigram still remained evicted, while all economic and development activities in the area came to a halt in the political violence involving members of the Trinamool Congress-led 'Bhoomi Uchched Protirodh Committee' and the CPI(M).

The unrest that started in January last over the reported move of the Left Front government for land acquisition for a Special Economic Zone (SEZ), refused to die down even after Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee issued an official notification declaring that no land would be taken.

The Forward Bloc leader, who was requested by Ms Banerjee last week to convene an all-party meeting, is expected to sort out in consultation with both the Trinamool and Left Front constituents as to, which parties should be invited to attend the May 24 talks.

Divergent forces, including the Bhoomi Uchched Protirodh Committee, a platform of opposition parties led by the Trinamool and Jamait-e-Ulema-I-Hind, a non-political organisation of the Muslims, were involved in the agitation against land acquisition in Nandigram.

A number of Naxalite factions, having no representation in the state Assembly, were also involved in the movement.

UNI

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