'The Police Had To Open Fire In Self-Defence'

Statement by Chief Minister, Buddhadeb Bhattacharya in the West BengalAssembly on March 15, 2007

A proposal for setting up a mega-chemical hub and amulti-product Special Economic Zone (SEZ) over about 10,000 acres of land inNandigram Police Station of Purba Medinipur district was under consideration ofthe state government. Though no final decision has yet been taken about theexact location of the projects, on December 29, 2006 an informal notice forpublic information regarding likely location of this project was circulated ythe Haldia Development Authority to all blocks and Gram Panchayat offices of thearea. This notice was by way of information only. No specific location of theproject had yet been decided by the state government. Once this notice reachedvarious block offices, there was massive resentment among those people whofeared that their land would be acquired. A number of political organizationsand parties formed a Bhumi Uchhed Pratirodh Committee. On January 3, 2007, anunruly mob of about 3,000 people attacked a police party under the charge ofofficer-in-charge, Nandigram police station and set fire to a police jeep. Inanother incident on the same day, another police jeep was set on fir aGarchakraberia Bazar, 23 police personnel also received injuries in theseclashes. Three cases were registered in Nandigram police station over theseincidents.

There incidents were followed by several meetings between the administrationand the opposition parties in which it was clarified by the districtadministration that no notification for acquisition of land had yet beenfinalized. In spite of that, local feelings ran very high and a bandh wasdeclared in Nandigram police station area on January 4, 2007. Following this,peace meetings were held in several places of Nandigram police station onJanuary 6, 2007, but even after the meetings, the situation turned violent. Inthe night of January 6/ January 7, 2007 there was a major clash between twogroups - one owing allegiance to the Bhumi Uchhed Pratirodh Committee and theother owing allegiance to the ruling Left Front. In this clash, four people, whowere residents of various villages of Nandigram police station, were killed andtwo separate cases were started over this incident. This was followed byransacking of CPI(M) Party Offices at several places and incidents of violenceand arson at the residence of several local leaders of the CPI(M). The agitatorsalso damaged many bridges and culverts and dug up several roads as a result ofwhich, the movement of vehicles became impossible after January 7, 2007.

In a series of peace meetings convened by the district Magistrate, PurbaMedinipur over this issue starting from January 8, 2007 it was unanimouslydecided that all parties would take necessary steps to restore peace in thelocality and police camps would be set up at the disturbed places. Despite theseresolutions, however, it was not possible to repair the damaged roads, culvertsand bridges and it was also not possible to deploy the state police within theaffected parts of the Nandigram police station. Despite several measuresinitiated by the district administration to restore peace, execution of allgovernment projects and schemes came to a standstill since no government officerwas allowed to enter the affected areas. Gradually, a number of people owingallegiance to CPI(M) had to move their places of normal residence in Nandigarampolice station and take shelter in several temporary camps at Khejuri. Tensionbetween the two rival groups kept on mounting. There were several incidents ofviolence between February 03, and February 06, 2007 in which fire was exchangedor bombs exploded between the rival groups. On February 07, 2007 a sub-inspectorof police, Shri Sadhu Chatterji had gone to investigate a report received aboutdestruction of road communication. He was waylaid by an unruly mob and killed.His dead body was recovered only on February 10, 2007. Over this incident also,a case was started but all these cases could not be investigated properlybecause the police was not able to enter the affected areas.

On February 11, 2007, the chief minister in a public meeting at a place closeto the affected area made an open commitment that no land for setting up thechemical hub and SEZ would be acquired at Nandigram if the people of Nandigramwere against such acquisition.

However, sporadic incidents of violence involving displaced people in thecaps at Khejuri and the people of Bhangaberia and Sonachura areas of Nandigrampolice station continued. It was resolved in one of the peace meetings that bothparties would maintain peace during the Madhyamik Pariksha (Class-X) which wasgoing on. The Madhyamik Pariksha was over on March 5, 2007. The districtmagistrate, Purba Medinipur again convened an all-party peace meeting. In thismeeting he proposed that peace should be restored, police should enter theaffected areas of Nandigram police station, damaged bridges and roads should berepaired and normalcy restored to the entire affected areas. However, therepresentatives of the Trinamool Congress and the Indian National Congress didnot attend this meeting.

It was decided that this law-less situation inNandigram and its surroundings should not be allowed to continue, the damagedroads, bridges and culverts should be repaired without any further delay andpolice should be take up the investigations the cases of the murder. Thereafter,police force was mobilized and it was decided that the force would enterNandigarm through there separate routes under the leadership of senior offices.The police force was asked to exercise utmost restraint. They were furtherdirected to use loud hailers to explain the purpose of the movement of thepolice party to the people of that locality which is to establish peace andrestore normalcy. Ultimately, the police movement started about 10.00 a.m in themorning of March 14, 2007.

While one of the police parties could move into Nandigaram without anyresistance two other police parties were confronted by large gatherings ofhostile people. When the police asked them to disperse, they paid no heed andresorted to heavy brick-batting causing injury to some policemen. To dispersethe mob, police lobbed tear gas shells. The mob them became more agitated andstarted hurling bombs followed by opening of fire. A few policemen sustainedsplinter injuries. To control the situation, police initially fired rubberbullets, but this, again, yielded no results. Ultimately, the police had to openfire in self-defence causing dispersal of the mob. This incident took place nearBhangaberia bridge.

Another police party also met with violent resistance at Adhikaripara whereheavy brick batting, bomb throwing took place. As a result, some policemen wereinjured. In both the incidents, 12 policemen including Additional S.P, Tamlukand Assistant S.P. (Probationer) received splinter injuries and injuries due tobrick batting. Serious and extensive injuries could be avoided as all thepolicemen were in protective gear. However, a number of people were injured inthe police firing and it is believed that some of the agitators were alsoinjured by the bombs that they were hurling.

Till 8.00 p.m on March 14, 2007, according to the report received at theState Headquarters, 14 people died including some critically injured people whosuccumbed to the injuries. In addition, there were 63 injured people of whom 29were shifted to Tamluk district hospital for treatment. 5 people were releasedafter treatment to minor injuries and the rest were still at Nandigarm RuralHospital to receive treatment or awaiting transfer to Tamluk Sub-divisionalhospital. This is in addition to the 12 policemen injured in the incident whoreceived medical attention separately.

Following the above incidents, there was no further organized resistance tothe movement of the police party who were now able to move to Sonachura andestablish a temporary camp there. Police was also able to reach a few otherneighbouring villages. In course of police search, 8 illegal fire-arms wererecovered which had probably been used against the police party.

There is high tension prevailing in the area but the situation is currentlyunder control. Police camps have been set up in the disturbed area. Seniorpolice officers are also camping and making efforts to restore peace.