The Naxalite faction of ‘Save Singur Farmland Committee’ has resorted to violence against the the locals who have sold land for the project.
Activists destroy crops, assault farmers working for Tatas
KOLKATA: The Tata Motors’ small car project plot has a new twist.
With the project work on in full swing and agitations proving ineffective, the Naxalite faction of the ‘Save Singur Farmland Committee’ has resorted to threats and violence against the the locals who have voluntarily sold land for the project or are getting involved in construction of the fencing.
Jayanta Majhi of Gopalnagar Mauja in Singur was among the first to face the wrath of the TMC-led committee members. Majhi did not have to sell his paltry 0.4 acres of land for the project since it was outside the demarcated area. Yet, the activists destroyed his potato crop on Monday because he joined the labour team engaged in fencing the project land for some extra income.
“First they warned me not to join the construction team. When I did not listen to them, they destroyed my potato crop by pouring excessive water,” Majhi said. Police said the activists even tried to set the fencing on fire, but were chased away by the police.
The crop destruction has made Majhi more adamant. “They have spoilt my harvest. They can torture me in future, but I will continue with the construction work,” he said.
Bifal Bangal, of Babur Bheri Hattala village in Singur, is also facing threats from the committee activists after he sold off his one acre of land for the project.
Bifal, who also runs a local grocery shop, is being regularly threatened by activists. Another farmer Santan Patra, also engaged in the construction work, says he was physically assaulted. All this started after the state’s industry director MV Rao, after consultation with Tata Motors’ officials on Monday, announced that around 2,500 local people would be involved with the construction process at different stages.
A senior district police official told DNA that the police are receiving 12 complaints daily. “It is not possible to give protection to every one. But we are alert and extra police force has been deployed,” he said.
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