Haroa is still bleeding

Haroa in North 24 parganas is bleeding. In a bid to drive away poor farmers from their land and prevent them from cultivation organized attacks have been resorted to by landlords with the help of Trinamool land-grabbers and police. While the situation in Haroa is explosive the trend is similar everywhere in rural Bengal with landlords engaging Trinamool goons against bargadars or sharecroppers who achieved immense benefit through land reforms programme during the three decades of Left Front government. The bargadars were recorded getting hereditary right to cultivate land of landowners and among pattadars khas or government land were distributed for cultivation.

Now, emboldened by the installation of the Trinamool government organized attacks are being mounted on them by landlords with the help of Trinamool goons under the protection of police. Massive eviction of poor peasants is taking place everywhere in rural Bengal.

Most heinous attack has taken place at Haroa in North 24-parganas. A wide area is virtually under siege after Assembly elections. In the first week of July a massive eviction drive took place in which 7063 bighas ( one bigha is nearly one-third of an acre) of land have been snatched away from nearly 10,ooo peasants, mostly bargadars and patta-holders.

On July 9, when evicted peasants assembled at a place called Gazitala in Haroa to resist forcible eviction Trinamool land-grabbers armed with deadly weapons attacked them from different direction. Thereafter, they swooped down upon nearby villages, forced peasants to stop work in fields, posted Trinamool flags , destroyed cultivation and burnt makeshift shelters of peasants, locally known as ‘ala ghar.’ In Tentulia, nearly 12,00 bighas were taken over. In the face of stiff resistance, police arrived in the spot and opened fire injuring six peasants.

Aided by the police Trinamool land-grabbers has already in organized armed operations evicted more than 20,000 poor peasants, mostly bargadars and patta-holders in different districts of West Bengal. While in Haroa at Barasat in north 24-parganas alone recorded an eviction figure of more than 10,000,in West Midnapore and Birbhum the number of sharecroppers and patta-holders evicted are more than 3000 each. The reports of eviction are also available from Bankura and Hooghly.The Trinamool activists have been in many places engaged by Jotedars and Zamindars whose lands are used be cultivated by bargadars. Now with the help of Trinamool goons they are trying to evict the bargadars or sharecroppers.

CPI(M) will make a turnaround: Buddhadeb

Former chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today said his party, the CPI(M) will make a turnaround. "We must bring change in state politics. We are prepared to fight against all odds. It will be absolutely wrong, if the new government thinks it will be able to dominate us. We will make a turnaround," Bhattacharjee said.

He said that the party was keeping watch on developments in the Darjeeling hills and junglemahal and other areas and would react at an appropriate time. Thousands of party workers were rendered homeless after the declaration of election results following violence by the ruling Trinamool Congress, he alleged at a rally to protest violence against party workers and the hike in price of diesel, kerosene and LPG.

He blamed the Mamata Banerjee government for failure to contain the violence against party workers despite repeated requests. Demanding that party offices 'captured' by Trinamool Congress be returned, he alleged, "Trinamool Congress workers are doing this in connivance with the police.

"Even share-croppers and patta-holders are not allowed to cultivate their land by ruling party workers." Criticising the increase in prices of petroleum products, Bhattacharjee said that this had resulted in hike in prices of all essential commodities.

"Despite our protests, the Centre remains indifferent and no steps have been taken," he said.

CPIM General Secretary Prakash Karat visit Jaitapur

On Tuesday, Prakash Karat, general secretary, Communist Party of India (Marxist), and D. Raja, MP and CPI national secretary, visited Jaitapur, the site of the proposed nuclear power plant, along with activist Vaishali Patil and others. The delegation of Left parties met the family of Tabrez Sayekar, who was killed in the police firing in April.

“It was a courtesy visit to express condolences. There was a meeting at Nate village and another one at Ratnagiri. The two leaders also met Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited officials who took them on a tour of the site,” Vivek Monteiro, member, Maharashtra State Committee of the CPI (M) said.

“In Mithgavane village, they met the local people and leaders. The people said the Jaitapur issue was significant for the whole country. They said the struggle would be expanded to other parts of Maharashtra and the country,” Mr. Monteiro said.