People's Democracy

Violent Assault Of Armed Trinamul-Maoist Goons On Nandigram

A FRESH wave of violence was unleashed on the hapless villagers of Nandigram Block II on the successive evenings of October 23 and 24. Both days witnessed planned attacks by the Trinamul Congress and Maoist lumpen on the villages to the west of the Talapati canal. Rural populace inhabiting villages after villages in the area were forced to flee and become homeless yet once again. Biman Basu, state secretary of the Bengal unit of the CPI(M) has called for a unity of the rural poor to keep the attackers at bay.

More than 50 households were looted. More than 30 people were hurt in the attack, with eleven seriously injured. As the households were looted bare, the local libraries were set fire to by the Maoists amidst gleeful slogan-mongering.

The leaders of the Midnapore east district unit of the CPI(M) are fearful that the entire Nandigram Block II would be taken over by the attacking Trinamul Congress-Maoist goons. The Nandigram Block-I is already under the control of the Trinamul-Maoists desperadoes. The same fate, the district CPI(M) believes would befall the Nandigram Block II. Indeed, once Amdabad Panchayat area is compromised, the entire Block II will be occupied by the Trinamul Congress and the Maoists.

Having been beaten back by the villagers a couple of days back, the Maoists-Trinamul goondas came well-prepared this time. Carrying hand-guns, muskets, swords as well as country-made explosives in plentiful, the attackers streamed down the two incoming routes near Satengabari and Dihi Kamalpur. Both localities have recently been re-occupied by the Trinamul-Maoist goons. The two groups were forty each in number and rode motorcycles.

The attacks on both evenings lasted for three hours each. The police showed restraint and would not fire upon the attackers. However, later at night a few of the villagers could return to their ruined households with the help of the police. The upshot of the ‘struggle’ of the ‘save agricultural committee’ has been the occupation of a large area 25 kilometres long and several kilometres wide on the west and north of the Talapati canal.

Once Takapura is run over, all the Panchayat areas of both blocks, comprising Nandigram will be under occupation (quite literally) of the armed and trained Maoists assassins and their Trinamul Congress lackeys. Khejuri will then be the inevitable next target of assault and mayhem. The roads around the occupied areas have been cut up, making entry and exit impossible for the rural people who remain inside the zone and continue to defy the might of the attackers. (B P)