While the chief minister of West Bengal was busy sharing the dais with Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan and a host of actors and directors on the occasion of the inauguration of Kolkata Film Festival, a few thousand people gathered in Nandigram, around 135 km away from Kolkata to remember the fallen victims who were killed by police and armed CPI (M) cadres on this day three years back. On November 7, 2007 the CPI (M) cadres recaptured Nandigram by unleashing an organized armed attack on the villagers there. Two of the villagers were killed and several others injured in that attack. Since then, every year the villagers led by local Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders have been observing this as martyr’s day. Mamata Banerjee and other TMC leaders used to be present on this occasion at Nandigram. Also, a number of artists and intellectuals, who got disillusioned with the Left for their ham-handed handling of Nandigram movement, started attending it.
Now, on Thursday, in the first martyr’s day after the TMC came to power, the Nandigram people were left alone. No senior TMC leader visited Nandigram on Thursday. Shubhendu Adhikari, the local MP and influential TMC leader, did not hide his frustration when he said that the people who gave their lives on that day went unsung. Addressing a modest rally at Nandigram on Thursday, Shubhendu observed that while the family members of the 13 martyrs who were killed on March 14, 2007 in Nandigram had all been given compensation to the tune of Rs. 5 lakhs each, the injured were also given Rs. 2 lakh each, the November martyrs were ignored. Also, he lamented the fact that two of the police officers now in charge of the CID investigations into Nandigram firing, had serious allegations against them for their role in police firing during that time.
Being a member of the present ruling party Shubhendu was circumspect about the lack of interest shown by his party leaders. But the villagers were sarcastic about that.
Some villagers standing near the Martyrs’ Column at Gokulnagar, Nandigram observed that ever since Mamata Banerjee came to power she did not come to Nandigram even for once.
During election campaign Mamata did visit Nandigram for the last time and assured the villagers that after election she would make it her second home, reminded one villager.
Nandigram people feel that after becoming chief minister she did a lot to uphold the causes of Singur, Junglemahal and Darjeeling hills. But somehow Nandigram is missing from her radar.
