People's Democracy

LF Calls For Return Of Evicted People Of Nandigram

A CALL emanated from the meeting of the Bengal Left Front held early in the afternoon of May 7 at the Muzaffar Ahmad Bhavan to initiate efforts for the safe return of all the people who were at relief camps and who had been violently ousted from home-and-hearth during the continuing violence at Nandigram.

The Bengal Left Front has asked the east Midnapore unit of the Left Front to start the political process needed. As already reported, more than four thousand people are now in relief camps, the principal ones are situated at Tekhali and Bahargunj, and the evictees face a tough life in the intense heat of the summer and in the sweep of the evening hail and thunderstorms.

Biman Basu, Bengal Left Front chairman pointed out later that because of the violence prevailing at Nandigram, supplies of essential goods were cut off, roads were left sliced up, bridges had been destroyed, educational activities had come to a standstill, mid-day meals could no longer be distributed or even cooked, health services had reached a new low, developmental programmes of the Panchayats had ground to a halt. The people it was who suffered from all this.

Every effort, said Biman Basu, must be made so that a political process was started towards bringing back normalcy to Nandigram and surrounds. The ousted people must be allowed to return home and enjoy security. If the need was so felt, the east Midnapore LF unit, and/or its constituents could initiate dialogue with opposition groups and outfits as well.

The Bengal LF meeting condoled the recent killing of CPI (M) workers at Nandigram and condemned the attack on the CPI MLA of Nandigram.