Displacement Struggles
Struggles in Singur and Nandigram in West Bengal since 2007 have changed the political dynamics in the state. All affiliates in the state have been actively involved in the struggles against the industrial policy of the left front government in the state. Paschim Banga Khet Majoor Samity (PBKMS) has been at the forefront of the protests in Singur and the ECL Shramik Union has played an active part of the Bhumi Ucched Pratirodh Committee in the Nandigram struggle. AWBSRU have also provided support to these struggles through campaigns and solidarity actions.
2009
Press Release, 26 December 2009
PADAYATRA AGAINST NUCLEAR PLANT AT HARIPUR 29 DECEMBER 2009
The people of Joonput- Haripur have begun gearing themselves to resist the Government’s attempt to take over their land for a nuclear reactor. Dr.Manmohan Singh, our respected Prime Minister, has during his visit to Russia a month ago grandly declared that Russia would set up a nuclear reactor at Haripur in Purba Midnapore district. It is almost as if for him Haripur is only a name – a dot on a map. He has not considered whether there are living people there- people who cry and laugh and who live and die; people who breathe and eat and farm and fish and have marriages and have funerals.
The Paramanu Chulli Birodhi O Bheete Mati Jeevan Jeevika Bachao Committee (Committee Against Nuclear Reactor To Save Homes , Lives and Livelihoods) a local organization of the people of Haripur has however decided to protest. On November 16th, 2006, much before the invasion of Singur and the conflagration in Nandigram, a team of 12 techno-bureaucrats, all from the nuclear industry and research establishments, led by SK Jain the Chairman of the Nuclear Power Corporation Limited arrived in West Bengal to inspect seven possible sites for a nuclear power plant. The local people, after finding out their plans, organised a blockade at Joonput –Haripur, one of the chosen sites. About 5000 local people resisted the entry of the officials for three days from the 17th of November till 19th November 2006. Later the Parmanu Chulli Birodhi O Bheete Mati Jeevan Jeevika Bachao Committee was formed with all local people’s organizations and local leaders and supporters of political parties as its members. It has since then resisted the entry of all Government official or any attempt at land acquisition in the area.
On 29th December 2009, in view of the renewed attempts by the Government to set up a a nuclear reactor in Haripur , the Committee is organizing a Padayatra from Haripur to Junput, a distance of 7 kms.
Swapan Ganguly
General Secretary
Paschim Banga Khet Majoor Samity
2007
Joint demonstrations with social movements and other mass organisations were organised in Delhi and in Kolkata by NTUI and its affiliates. A delegation of senior leaders of the NTUI went to Singur to assess the situation soon after the police action in Singur and attack on Comrade Anuradha Talwar. They presented a memorandum to the Government of India to take action. Letters were written by NTUI to the national leadership of the parties of the left front to restrain from using violence against citizens affirming their right to democratic dissent. The notion of democratic industrialisation was developed over this period that calls for industrial development framed on the principle of democratic development of regions and people which will include a justiciable framework for land acquisition, prior informed consent of all affected people, participatory process to protect the interests of all stakeholders with an integrated comprehensive rehabilitation procedure that will be justiciable.
The intensity of the struggle and the sheer power of people’s movement led by mass organisations proved to be a formidable power that forced the government to back-track both in Singur and in Nandigram. It also forced the state government to review their industrial policy and has created severe rifts among the constituents of the left front in the state. This has also been the underlying ground for the election debacle of the left in the last parliamentary election.