Singur’s “unwilling farmers” are slowly but surely deserting Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, who is championing their cause
KOLKATA: Singur’s “unwilling farmers” are slowly but surely deserting Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, who is championing their cause, to avail of the new, improved compensation package promised by the West Bengal government.
Within two days of the government’s new offer, farmers are coming forward to accept the package.
The lucrative 10% solatium on offer if the package is accepted before September 22, 2008, drew many yeses at the Left Front’s mega rally at Singur on Monday afternoon.
Anarbanu Begum of Joymollah, who, till Sunday, had been a regular at Mamata’s gherao of the Tata Nano plant, was one of them.
Before Front chairman and CPI(M) state secretary Biman Bose could begin addressing the rally, Begum walked onto the stage and announced her decision to accept the new package.
She was quite candid in explaining to reporters the reason for her change of decision.
“I was unwilling to accept the previous package since I thought it was not enough to meet my needs. But the new package is really lucrative. Moreover, the factory has already been constructed. So what’s the point in sticking to the demand of return of land,” Begum said.
Another “unwilling” farmer Abdul Shahid of Beraberi village said, “I have decided to accept the new package and live in peace the rest of my life. My demand from the very beginning had been not return of land but suitable compensation. Since I am getting it now, I have no objection.”
However, Mamata was adamant and will hold a protest at Singur on Tuesday. She accused chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee of reneging on his “gentleman’s promise” of returning maximum land from the Nano small car project area.
r_sumanta@dnaindia.net
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