The long dark tea time of the soul

When 12 villagers were killed by Orissa police, to facilitate the tatas to set up their steel plant in Kalinganagar, we thought that this is a hard lesson for the state machinery, that the policies of neoliberalism will be toned down, that the rulers will respect the rights and concerns of the dispossessed. In reality nothing changed, if anything things have gone much worse for the poor in last two years. Just when CPI(Marxist) general secretary was asking India to sever ties with Israel, his partymen and subordinates, were giving final touches to a plan to teach a lesson to the people who have dared to oppose them. “Something needs to be done”, they said. “We are not going to tolerate this”, they warned. And on wednesday, 3000 personnel of WB police under express orders from their masters in writer’s building, descended on Nandigram and opened fire on the people. Needless to say, most of those who died were women. They died of bullet wounds on their backs, their bellies and their sides. The policemen carried out their orders with full sincerity.
Nandigram fills me with shame and disgust. What happenned in Nandigram on 16th march 2007 was not an aberration. Police firing on hapless citizens has been the norm since last 60 years, probably before that as well. Before 1947, people who resisted the atrocious state were termed as freedom fighters. The entire country stood behind them. Independence changed all that. Now the genuine protesters are termed as naxalites, raped, burnt and shot at. In this long chronicle, Nandigram was just another chapter. What stands out is the belief in the rulers that they can get away with any action. A thousand battles are fought across the country, and despite intense struggle, most of their demands are brushed off by the state. As I had said earlier, when non-violent protests are ignored, the protesters beaten and killed, this gives ready ammunition to those who demand violent overthrow of the state. How long will if take for them to realise the most important catalyst in strengthening of naxalites is that vast majority of people are feeling utterly helpless and getting increasingly desperate.

It is needless to mention that the chief minister of West Bengal was architect of the latest program. The order to shoot at the innocent villagers came right from the top. The way the party reacted after the incident is proof enough. And the way the party is hell-bent on conducting a CID enquiry, which is controlled by the same apparatus in the state government that ordered the firing in the first place. Though the official report says that only 14 people died, credible unofficial sources claim that more than 100 died. Even after the killing, there was widespread looting and women of Nandigram raped at a wide scale by the state apparatus.

Even if the truth comes out, there is little chance that the events of Nandigram will force a relook at the current policies, or change the attitude of ruling mandarins. Our honoured commerce minister categorically said that the SEZ act will not be scrapped. Budhdhadeb remains the chief minister of West Bengal, and a proud one at that. The only impact is that what was till now an oral assurance, was confirmed in writing. All the people of Nandigram got after at least 14 people were killed by the state, was reiteration by the chief minister that land will not be acquired in their district.