WB Govt failed to stop Nandigram violence: NHRC
New Delhi, Feb 9: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has lampooned the West Bengal Government for failing to stop Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and Bhoomi Uchhed Pratirodh Committee (BUPC) activists from indulging in acts of violence against farmers and land owners in Nandigram between November 2006 and March 2007.
In a scathingly critical nine-page report released here late on Friday, the three-member NHRC headed by Justice S. Rajendra Babu, described the incidents in Nandigram as unfortunate, and said: "The State Government does not appear to have discharged its primary obligation in preventing the attack by CPI (M) cadres. It should bear responsibility for the loss of life and property. Neither the CPI (M) nor the BUPC can escape their share of responsibility."
It also condemned the action of the police in opening fire on unarmed farmers, saying the move was blatantly unconstitutional, as it cost the lives of 14 people and injury to around 300 people, including 52 police personnel. Therefore, it required investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
In making its six observations on the incident, the NHRC said that since agriculture is the only source of livelihood for farmers, compensation in terms of money for acquisition of their land "may not be adequate."
"The (West Bengal) Government should take the local people into confidence and it should also ensure an alternative means of livelihood and shelter for the displaced. Whether in addition to monetary compensation, any other land can be given to relocate or can be linked to the (Special Economic Zone) project for which the land is acquired by allocating an adequate number of shares and providing employment to at least one member of each affected family and similar other measures may be considered," the NHRC report states.
It also says that the State Government should appoint advisors to help the dispossessed farmers to invest the money received as compensation wisely. The NHRC also said that the police and the bureaucracy needed to keep themselves aloof from political influence, adding that alignment with a party in power "results in erosion of public trust, which leads to avoidable misery".
To the West Bengal Government, it said: "The party in power should always be alive to its constitutional obligation to rule without favour and prejudice. It should never encourage or connive with the illegal activities of its supporters." The opposition it said has the right to highlight the failures of the government, but not the right to encourage people to indulge in unlawful activities.
There
is
therefore
a
need
for
both
the
party
in
power
and
the
opposition
to
engage
in
continuous
dialogue
and
to
be
motivated
to
think
of
the
good
of
the
people
at
large,
it
added.
The
media
too
had
a
responsibility
to
adopt
a
balanced
and
unbiased
approach
while
reporting
events,
the
NHRC
report
says,
adding
that
in
the
case
of
the
Nandigram
incident,
"it
had
failed
in
its
duty
to
emphasise
that
the
blockade
of
a
large
area
of
Nandigram
by
the
agitators
was
unconstitutional."
It may be recalled that the State Government had planned to set up a SEZ for chemical industries in Nandigram, but had to abort the project, as villagers refused to give up their farmland for the project. The row saw violent clashes between residents opposed to the project and the communist supporters as well as police.
ANI