palashbiswashttp://palashbiswas.blog.co.uk/en-UShourly82000-01-01T12:00+00:00palashbiswashttp://palashbiswas.blog.co.uk/http://data5.blog.de/design/preview/ce/b58468a9ce7707b981f2c912bfd2dc_160x200.jpgYes, Netaji, Fajlul Huq and CR Das Could Change the History of this Sub Continenthttp://palashbiswas.blog.co.uk/2007/01/14/yes_netaji_fajlul_huq_and_cr_das_could_c~1554524/2007-01-14T19:06:11+01:00 <p>Yes, Netaji, CR Das and Fazlul Huq Could Have Changed The History of This Subcontinent</p> <p>Palash Biswas</p> <p>( Pl Publish and send a copy. Contact: Palash Biswas, c/o Mrs arati roy, Gosto Kanan, Sodepur,Kolkata-700101, India. Phone: 91-33-25659551)</p> <p>I must say thanks to News From Bangladesh to continue the debate with web casting the rejoinder by Mohammad Abdullah, USA. I respect the free and sovereign Bangladesh. I know that the Bangladesh media and intellegentia play a historical role to sustain nationality Bengali. I also believe it is Bangladesh which represents Bangla Nationality , not the Bengalies in India. But we share a common history, culture, heritage, language, folk. We have different geopolitics, different versions of history, culture and language, different citizenship and different religion. But all these things may not wipe out the current which united us in destiny. I don`t represent India as I am an Indian. I believe that Abdulla Bhai also do not represent Bangladesh in the same way. In a globanised world how you may restrict informations and opinions, perhaps he knows better!</p> <p>I have not supported Sunil Pal`s claim. I never faced such a case. I wanted some feedback and forwarded his letter to general readership as I forwarded the article by Mohmmad Abdullah.</p> <p>I am not talking on behalf of Mr pal. Let him answer. I am writing my personal opinions and feelings as well.</p> <p>Yes, I agree with Abdullah Bhai that Netaji, CR Das and Fazlul Huq could have written a different history of this subcontinent. I am glad that he recognises these leaders at least and they are lucky enough to be spared of abuses. It is not because of Gandhi and Nehru, please go through the minutes, it was against the interests of ruling classes in Bengal, had Netaji or Fazlul Huq played key role in this sub continent. It was Netaji who as a mayor made Jogendra Nath Mandal a councillor in Kolkata Corporation. Azad Hind Fauj considered Hindustani as national language which is common in Hindus and Muslims. Muslims and Women got proper representation in Azad Hind Fauz. In the same way Krishak Praja Party fought to defend the rights of tillers Hidus as well as Muslims. The Hindu tillers were mostly dalits ie Namoshudra, Pod and rajbansh, etc.The most of the Zamindars were Caste Hindu, but Fzlul saheb compromised with them. The dalit Hindus not only supported fazlul Huq and Najibulallah , they also ensured the entry of Dr ambedkar in the Constitution Assembly of India, electing them fro bengal while he was defeated by Congress in Maharashtra, his home state. Hence , with the betrayal to this dalit base, Muslim league emerged. Huq sahib lost the opportunity to be a national leader as he betrayed the underclasses. Caste Hindu leadership in Bengal revenged well as the Hindus of the Dalit base in East Bengal were evicted and scttered all over India. It hampered the national dalit movement in India.</p> <p>I would rather like to know the role of the third party apart form caste Hindu leadership and Muslim league in partition. Would anyone enlighten me?</p> <p>Abdullah Bahi says there is no minorty persecution in Bangladesh. What about the medi reports in Bangladesh? How do you negate the white paper published by Shahriyar Kabir and the literature including Lajja and ethenic cleansing?</p> <p>What do you say about enemy property law with different name?</p> <p>Abdullah Bhai seems to have no respect for India or Indians. Is Bangladesh an isolated land from the rest of the world? He abuses our national leaders. Evaluations is alright whatever it is, but no one should be allowed to call names. I hope Bangladesh media also publishes what we write. Do the Bangladesh writers, journalists and intellectuals not write across the border. I am proud of Bangladeshi Novels, short stories and poems. I am proud of Meer Musharraf Hussain, Akhataruzzaman Ilius, Shamsur Rahman, Rahat Khan, Selina Hossain, Humaun Azad, Kabir Choudhari, Nirmalendu Gun, Jahanara Imam, Shahriar Kabir and other writers and journalist of Bangladesh. </p> <p>My citizenship of India does not come in between my existence as a Bengali. Abdul Bhai is dividing the Bangla nationality once again while he says `stupid' Indians may not inherit nationality Bangla. As a learned man he is not able to distinguish citizenship and nationality based on language and culture. It is sad. He seems to have lost the vision to tolerate hard facts.</p> <p>Yes, we have not a free media like you and it is also true that we stupid Indians have no forum like News from Bangladesh. It does not mean that Indians are not allowed in Bangladesh media. I thank all Bangladeshis who read me and try to interact including Abdullah Bahi.</p> <p>He sounds as an angry young man and what he says, he does not mean at all. Or he does not understand what he says. He is not ready to read or listen to other stories, other versions. Is it democratic?</p> <p>Nevertheless this dialogue and debate are necessary to know and evaluate our truth. At least, I don`t know the complete truth as all documentations are guided by some or other interests everywhere. I want to know the truth and hence I don`t suppress any information. I forward every bit of it to the readership general. It may sound very rough but rough most is our partitioned destiny. It is bitter, cruel and stunning but I believe we must know all the facts and every version of truth to get the ultimate truth which is denied systematically hitherto.<br> Yes, Abdullah Bhai! I used to ask my father and I ask even today the refugee leaders in India why they left their home in East Bengal. Why they left their Bangla Nationality, culture, land and property, it surprises me also. I agree that East Bengal did not face the massacres as both parts of Punjab faced. Partition victims from Punjab were rehabilated immediately on war footing. They were paid compensation. They have got representation in the polity , so a Punjabi refugee Dr manmohan singh Heads the government of India. Lalkrishna Adwani became deputy primeminister. While the refugees from East Bengal are considered as Bangladeshi nationals and an eviction drive is on against all of them in India.</p> <p>I realise that the exodus began due to a minority psyche created by caste Hindu leadership of Bengal who did not want to provide any space to under classes including majority Muslims of Bengal. Undivided Bengal would have been ruled by Dalit Muslim combination, thus, they partitioned India. Gandhi, Jinnah, Nehru and Suharawardi and the British Empire, but we underplay the role played by Caste Hindu leadership who are no less responsible for partition as well as refugee persecution in India.<br> The refugee influx from East Bengal began with the minority psyche created by caste Hindu polity and politics and still continues and will be continued for infinite time. We know the minority psyche in India as Muslims have to support the Ruling party or front enmasse to sustain themselves without any gain .<br> We know well the use of minority card. I have witnessed this during riots in different states and places in India as a professional journalist and I always wrote against this.<br> I wrote my Meerut experience in a novel to expose the geography and history and industry of riots in may long story UNKA Mission in Hindi. The story was published only in a little mag with limited circulation. I wrote several short stories based on my experiences during riots in North India. I have a Short Story collection with my name ANDE SENTE LOG in Hindi. I wrote my novel Amerika se Savdhan in Hindi which has been published widely in Hindi.<br> I am trying my best to write in Bangla but I have no space as I oppose their interests. Not only this, I am professionally damaged when I shifted in Bengal. I am not going to elaborate this. I always expose the caste Hindu scientific system.<br> I wrote the novel in Bengali TAHADER MISSION and it is Pending in Bangla Academy for years. No publisher is ready to publish it.</p> <p>Yes, our State language in India is Hindi. We were driven out of Bengal. Simply for practical reasons we had to learn in Hindi to communicate with local populations. We learnt different languages in different places. Hence we have no right as a Bengali on our own mother tongue and culture rooted in east Bengal, is it? We know different languages but we should not be deprived of our mother tongue. And we are deprived. Refugees have no chance to be educated in mothre language out of Bengal. Bengal government is quite apathetic. Really, Cast Hindu leadership of Bengal is engaged only to sustain their Power limited in Bengal. So, no body was interseted while India was waiting a Bengali Red Star in its sky. Prime Minister Jyoti Basu as PM could help us, though the communists are well known betrayers.</p> <p>The refugees had to leave East Bengal whatever may be the case. I am sure it is not beacause Noakhali Riots or Direct action in Kolkata in 1946 as Abdullah Bhai says correctly that Hindu minorities are still living in Bangladesh and the Hindu population there seems to be no less than ten millions. It does not mean all Bengali refugees are criminals and communal. It does not mean the `self styled refugees' have no right to launch a movement to defend civil and human rights.<br> I am afraid while Abdullah Bhai refers to refugee movement he means the Sngh Parivar sponsered anti Bangladesh movement based in Kolkata. I am afraid that he is quite unaware of ongoing refugee movement elsewhere in India which has nothing against Bangladesh and Pakistan. Simply we fight for our life and employment, our biotic sustenance as Indian citizens. The crime seems to be that even after full six decades we did not forget our language , culture and history. So we are identified as bangladeshi. While we talk as with our idenetity rooted in Bangla, Abdula Bahi says we have no right.<br> I don`t think that Bangladesh thinks in the same way as Abdullah Bahi thinks.<br> I understand his wounds. But I myself am wounded. We were imposed upon an unwanted civil war and Bangla nationality itself is victimised all over this subcontinent as Bagdad, Palestine, Kabul, Darfur have been victimised . I called for unity in resistance against corporate, feudal imperialism and Cast Hindu or Fundamental ruling classes. I do never mean a Greater Bangladesh or merger of Bangladesh in India. It is not possible. It is not ethical. But divided in different geopolitics we satnd united as Bangla Nationality. My late father, `the terrorist self styled' refugee and peasant leader, an ex communist believed this lifelong.<br> At least, in this matter I inherit my father`s opinion.</p> <p>Muslims suffer in India as we the Hindu refugees suffer. Muslims and refugees have no opportunity. I don`t mean Jyoti Basu or Buddhadev, Mrinal sen or Sunil gangopadhyaya. I mean the dalit refugees scattered all over India.</p> <p>As Abdullah Bahi says , it is not true that all Indians are that stupid. The Caste Hindus know well how to defend their interests. Only we, the refugees, the under classes and Muslims in general are stupefied to sustain them in power. Eighty percent of Muslims in West Bengal depend on agro sector and they vote en masse as the left Front rule continues for over thirty years. And the indiscriminate land acquisition is targeted against Muslims all over the state. Nandigram is the tip of an iceberg.</p> <p>Bengali Refugees had to leave their home as leaders like Fazlul Huq, Mujib and Maulana Bhasani could not stop them to be entrapped in caste Hindu trap.<br> Religion is quite irrelevent today. I am not against any religion. Post modernism and globanisation turminated religion, culture, language and ideology en masse. It is well expressed well in Iraq while the Muslim brotherhood has become irrelevent. It has become irrelevent in Palestine, too.<br> Well, religion has become a trump card in power game in South Asia. It has become topmost instrument in India where Sangh Parivar dictates terms. It is the same case in Bangladesh as the secular and self styled democratic Awami leage alligns with Khilafat. </p> <p>As far as faith is concerned, the Hindus are not that conservative as they happened to be. Hinduism is not regularized . Neither it is disciplined in any way. Without praying or worshipping, being an anarchist or atheist no one cease to be a Hindu. Caste Hindu Bengalies are so pragmatic in Bengal as they choose their in-laws among the brilliance of under calsses sabotaging any possible resistance. Thus, they drove out the supporters of Fazlul Huq, Najibullah, Mujib, Bhasani , Jogendra Nath Mandal and Ambedkar, not only from East Bengal but out to different landscapes and humanscapes wiping them out of the history and geography of United Bengal.</p> <p> We claim the roots, not the land.</p> <p>Inter caste marriages and marrying daughters to Muslim suitable boys are taboos no more. It is said that the Hindus were afraid of marrying daughters to Muslims. Beef eating is also quite in vogue among the higher income groups. Thus, it is not the religion, which divided the United India. It is and only it is the Politics. Muslims ruled India at least for seven hundred years but the society was never divided. Divide and rule policy was adopted since Sannyasi Vidroh aganist East India Company. The Babus wrote history and literature accordingly.<br> I am not a student of Jadunath Sarkar nor I am limited to the study of RC Majumdar. Rather I follow the line of Irfan Habib, Romila Thapar, Lal Bahadur Verma, Sumit Sarkar, Tanika sarkar, Shekhar Pathak and Ram Chandra Guha. I realize that administration and land management, post and road links are run in line with Sher Sah. Akbar, the great and Sher shah are relevent even today. I know that Aurangzeb was not as communal as he is portrayed.</p> <p>Abdullah Bahi not only the Muslim Rule, the Ancient History happens to be mutiliated by Myth, Religion and Manusmriti and sacred books.</p> <p>We have to investigate all these things. I appreciate your aggresive analysis.<br> Hope that you would respond soon. I still hold back some more vital points.</p> <p>I am forwarding your rejoinder to readership general and I expect others to contribute in the debate in case it is allowed to go on.</p> <p>Pl Visit:http://www.bangladesh-web.com/news/view.php?hidDate=2007-01-13&hidType=OPT&hidRecord=0000000000000000146174</p> <p>And read</p> <p>ISSN 1563-9304 | Poush -335 1413 BS, Sunday | January 14, 2007<br> Click here to print this article in News from Bangldesh<br> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p> <p>Rejoinder to Biswas-Pal</p> <p>Thursday January 11 2007 14:16:21 PM BDT</p> <p>Mohammad Abdullah, USA</p> <p>Mr. Palash Chandra Biswas has responded to my note at NFB. He came up with some answers with opposite diameter as previously presumed by me. Assuming that standard I had to use harsh and tough language against such communal elements. A similar response also has been received from Mr. Sunil Kumar Pal in my mailbox. Since I do not prefer to respond personally to any of these two communal fellows, thus, I am sending this rejoinder for both of them to NFB.</p> <p>I (hereafter MA) am responding to their (hereafter PCB first, and then followed by SKP) word-to-word or section-to-section in this rejoinder. I trust they are diametrically opposite as what these two fellows are presenting in the Bangladeshi forum.</p> <p>PCB: I am not irritated to read our respected friend Mohammad Abdullah`s reaction on my article, `A Phone Call and A Letter From London' webcasted by News From Bangladesh. Rather I am ashamed of myself that our friend compares me with a personality like Bapu.</p> <p>MA: I know nothing about the stranger Bapu. However, I do know about Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, a well known communally motivated king making leader of the stupid people of India. This mediocre fellow became Bapu to many stupid Indians. He is never Bapu to me or any Bangladeshi.</p> <p>PCB: My friends as well as foes know well my stand on Gandhism and Sangh Pariwar. Whatever may be my opinion , the man who was not a general nor a head of the state or enjoyed any position in the establishment, is respected by the people worldwide. I may not have any wildest dream to dare experimenting with truth. I am sending this article to readership general as I sent the letter written by Sunil Pal. I hope, we would know many more facts to understand the destiny we bear.</p> <p>MA: M. K. Gandhi is revered in India so much ONLY that fanatic Indian had killed him. Being a non-political king-maker he lost the life making stupid remarks throughout the life. When understood his mistakes it was too late for him to overcome them. An average to below average person became the heart winner of the Hindus of India. Since he was shot dead, he became a GREAT HERO.</p> <p>PCB: I was stunned to hear and read Mr sunil Pal`s experience as I know nothing about this. We Bengali refugees have no such experience outside Bengal. I am not biased. Niether I supported Mr Pal`s claim. Mr Abdullah is right that I am a poor writer and have not as much as wealth as he possesses. I did not call Mr Pal. He called me. I am a keen student of history and I just posted the matter to wider readership to get feedback to understand the relevent facts. I am thankful that despite condemning me in a very rough manner, Abdullah Bhai gives some facts which I never knew. It is other part of the story which is never highlighted in India.</p> <p>MA: Either PCB or SKP is a self styled REFUGEE. Essentially it is by choice and not by intrinsic manner that happened. For example, today I may be refugee in a foreign land if I do choose not to return to Bangladesh. Further if I claim that Bangladesh has driven me out in a foreign land then obviously I become a self styled refugee in that foreign land. It is a surprise that being a student of history one does not consider two sides of the coin. Is PCB only a reader of Jadu Nath Sarkar? In general, the communal fellows are single-sided readers and propagators. They do not like to hear about the other side of the coin with the pre-determined mind. I did not condemn PCB but became obvious per self confession. This is a deep analytical result.</p> <p>PCB: I am against minority persecution in Bangladesh as well as in India and anywhere in this world. I also condemn the role of caste Hindu leadership of Bengal who wanted to dislodge Muslims and dalits from power and they supported the partition, not the Muslim dominated East Bengal. What Shyama Prasad did, I don`t support. I understand the role of Jinnah and the role played by Gandhi. I am speaking about the role of the third party, the victims, the Hindu as well as Muslim underclasses.</p> <p>MA: No one persecuted the minorities in Bangladesh. If Bangladesh persecuted the minorities then today Bangladesh would have been cleaned from the minorities. Constitutionally they are secured and preserved with many of them in the Government organizations at the high chairs. </p> <p>How many minorities in West Bengal are in the high chairs? Could these minorities go outside India with an Indian Passport? Could these minorities receive education from all institutions in West Bengal? Several minorities of Bangladesh have come to the Western Hemisphere with Bangladesh Passport. They had received higher education both at home and abroad. In West Bengal being at least 28% (as of today) of the West Bengal population how many Muslims could get education and leave India for abroad, Mr. PCB? If PCB realized who preferred the partition then why BANGLADESH is blamed for persecution? The Hindus of Eastern part of Bengal chose to leave for India before and after 1947. No one force them to leave their soil. Simply these Hindus did not want to live with their majority Muslim counterparts. </p> <p>Often Jana Sangha and later Hindu Maha Sava propagated that they do not want to live under the Muslim majority environment as the presumed democratic platform will be adopted to run the administration. If PCB understood the role of Jinnah or Gandhi then only Gandhi would not become BAPU for him. Invariably Jinnah would be Quaid-e-Azam too. Similarly Shyma Prasad Mookerjee would have been recorded in a criminal book who advocated the migration of the Hindus from Eastern Bengal since 1944. </p> <p>I wonder how this traitor became a cabinet member of Sher-eBangla A. K. Fazlul Huq? Of course Huq was a so-called friend of Ashutosh Mookerjee and considered his son a benevolent chap. Because of this attitude Huq was pushed to the drain by the Muslims as well. He never got upper hand in providing leadership of the sub-continent which he should have deserved in the first place. Thus, the Muslim League crown was snatched by Jinnah.</p> <p>PCB: I welcome other opinions and facts however harsh may be. I am not contradicting Mr Pal or Mr Abdullah. Both of them describe the facts in accordance with their viewpoint. I am not communal and if I visit shonadanga, I would ensure that there communal harmony may sustain. I may play a role of a truth finder.</p> <p>MA: Bengal as a whole could have been a much developed country by now. But the communal Hindus aided in creating partition of the land by sending Jinnah to Pakistan. Sly Jinnah ate the cream of the yogurt. Look at his life long career in law practices. He never lost any case while Gandhi or Nehru gave up practicing profession because they were failure. In the table the card of Jinnah became sole transparent for partition which Nehru and Gandhi approved in the first place. Shortly thereafter Gandhi realized his mistake and urged for proper share of Pakistan when Nehru unilaterally stopped the payment. Communal Gandhi was always a communal. </p> <p>Not only this, he was a hater of the Bengali-speaking people. For example, he forced to step down Subhash Bose from the Congress President position in 1938. Gandhi launched unhygienic propaganda against this non-communal leader as Subhash Bose was liked by the Bengali speaking Muslims and Hindus alike. Had this leader been alive today we would have probably seen partition of Bengal though the Muslims voted for Pakistan in 1946. Voting for Pakistan was a BARGAIN for the Muslims if the Hindus did not want to live with the neighboring Muslims. </p> <p>Another perspective of the game may be viewed as: had Chittaranjan Das been alive then also there would have been no partition. Partition was accelerated by Nehru, Gandhi, Shyma Prasad, Rajendra Prasad, Ballavbhai Patel and many other communal leaders from the chunk of the diehard Hindus. </p> <p>Gandhi cleverly worked with the Bishwa-Kobi-Raj-Guru Rabindranath Tagore to get his title fixed up as MAHATMA circa 1930. Further Gandhi acquired approval of HINDI as the STATE LANGUAGE in post independence of India from the same communal Poet Laureate Bishwa-Kobi-Raj-Guru circa 1934. Find out how much communal both Mahatma and Bishwa-Kobi-Raj-Guru were? Weren’t (or aren’t) they known globally?</p> <p>PCB: The people victimised could not tell their story. First person version of the partition story is still absent in Bengali and Indian History and Literature. It is not documented at all. Every bit of documentation is sponsered by the ruling classes in the subcontinent which do not reflect the suffreing of the masses.</p> <p>MA: Invariably the observation of PCB is naïve and may be true. However, just see how civil engineer Tathagata Roy has put together lately. Communal sponsors present this kind of history ad did Jadu Nath Sarkar when he viewed the Moghol era. But Sarkar forgot that Moghols were not live as the foreigners and did not loot India. Rather they got mixed up with the Hindu Rajput blood which Aurangazeb carried and his descendents carried thereafter. The bottom line is that the Moghols or the Pathans or the Tughlaks became pure Indian within a generation or two. They never advocated looting as the British did. Did any Hindu understand this feature of the Muslim out comers? </p> <p>Yet Bankim Chandra Chatterjee coined communally Anadamotth which Bishwa-Kobi-Raj-Guru appreciated as the foundation of Bengali Literature. What a definition of literature from a Laureate? Sarat Chandra Chatterjee wrote: Baangalee chheleyra Musholmaan (not Musolmaan) chheleder sathey football khelchhey. </p> <p>What is the definition of Bangalee chheley and Musholmaan chheley while the foot ball game was going on in Hooghly? Were the Musholmaan chheleyra foreigners while speaking the same language as their opponents? What kind of plot of the story is this coined by Sarat Chatterjee? Is it a LITERATURE or communal motivation to discredit the converted Muslims? Remember, I am a converted Muslim.</p> <p>PCB: As far as the language of the gentlman from USA equipped with far better English is concerned , I don`t mind. He abuses everyone. So what if he calls my late father a terrorist and an Indian Agent paid for anti Bangladeshi activities. The man who had been arrested for his participation in Bhasha Andolan, the mother of Bengali Nationality movement, against Pakistani regime, is termed as anti bangladesh. I have not to comment.</p> <p>MA: I fail to comprehend as how a Bhasha Andolon participant becomes loyalist to another country? What Bhasha we are talking about? Isn’t Indian State Language is HINDI while the State Language of Bangladesh is Bengali? Why the father of PCB had allegiance to another country and language? If such a father was involved with the Bengali Nationality movement then he should have remained Bangladeshi. Isn’t it a simple logic? The way the REFUGEE MOVEMNET was coined and described the interpretation goes as obvious TERRORIST for such a person.</p> <p>PCB: As far as I am concerned , I never criticise aesthetic sense and opinions of any person.</p> <p>MA: Invariably a generous concept that deserves appreciation.</p> <p>PCB: Let me clear , My late father had a heart always bleeding for the land he had to leave due to the tragedy which is well described by our friend while he portrayed the other dimentions of the story. Well, Muslims as well as Hindus, most of them did not want partition were victimised by the ruling classes. He never disrespected either Pakistan or Bangladesh. Well, he never accepted the political border imposed upon divided Bangla Nationality. His lifelong struggle may sound meaningless to a non resident Bangladeshior NRI, but he supported his lot the underclasses deprived of civil and human rights. He led peasants` revolt. Hence, Abdullah bhai sees him as a terrorist. He may rewrite the history , welcom.</p> <p>MA: No, Mr. PCB I did not see him as a terrorist only because of his involvement with the peasants. Invariably you mentioned about the REFUGEE MOVEMENT as well. Also you stated about his crossing the border illegally and then getting arrested. Again leaving Eastern Bengal was by the choice and not by any other reason for the Hindus. Simply these Hindus did not want to live together with the majority Muslim neighbors despite living for over seven centuries since 1204 A.D. The father of PCB adopted suspicious policy to justify patriotism which is the last resort of a scoundrel.</p> <p>PCB: I want to inform, as a peasant leader, despite his commitment to the refugees he could not hate Muslims. He worked among the riot victims in Assam as earlier as in 1960 as a communist leader. The party was against any communist leader from outside to visit Assam. As PC Joshi , The General secretary of Communist party of India disowned Telengana as well as dhimri Block movements , he was disillusioned. After his Assam visit, he was ousted from the party. He visited the Muslim Victims in the riots of Meerut, Bijnore and Gonda and he also opposed sangh parivar and its fascist politics. Though Atal Bihari as a Jansangh President in 1969 assured him to raise the issues related to Bengali refugees from party forum. On atalji`s initiative, he joined Jansangh in 1969 and was invited in Mumbai National Convention where he was not allowed to speak for refugees. He immediately left the party and thereon, opposed Sangh Pariwar .</p> <p>MA: It is crystal clear as who joins the Jana Sangh Party. Atal Bihar Vajpayee is a known communal for decades. The father of PCB seems to be a victim of the diehard communal leaders of modern India. It is not a surprise but a usual practice among the rivals within a party as long as visibility is concerned for any topic during the convention.</p> <p>PCB: For me, I respect the freedom and sovereignity of Bangladesh> I respect the committed intellegentia and media in bangldesh. I respect Bangla and Indian nationalities. I assume that I have the heritage rooted in this dual nationality. I also have respect for Pakistan and other free nations worldwide. I only emphasise that the global imperialism has made us sick and we suffer fro Demntia.</p> <p>MA: It seems like benevolent comprehension for PCB. The bottom line for PCB is that he is a part of the stupid Indian nationality which has a bastardized language as the State Language which was advocated by the Poet Laureate Bishwa-Kobi-Raj-Guru since early 1930s. However, Bangladesh has a language that is well established by the Bangladeshis at UNO since October 1973 when Sheikh Mujibur Rahman first delivered speech in Bengali language as Bangladesh became the member of UNO that day. Remember, India has still problem in digesting events either in Pakistan or in Bangladesh. Get the VISA APPLICATION FORM of India and see how much extraneous information is required (not necessary) for a citizen of Pakistan and a citizen of Bangladesh to visit India. Compare this form with the counterpart form of Bangladesh. </p> <p>Further compare the same form with the counterpart form of Pakistan. See how three forms look side by side containing the questions and items required for a visitor. Invariably this is not the case for other nationals to visit India. Yet India is the largest democratic country in the world having either half or more than half of the provinces or territories always remaining under the Presidential Rule. This is nothing but Hindu hypocrisy.</p> <p>PCB: Let the informations flow independently. We may disagree and even oppose. The readers are adult enough to judge the facts. We have not to dictate.</p> <p>MA: PCB is right if democracy prevails.</p> <p>PCB: I only object that Abdullah Bhai is trying to tell editors not to publish anything which he thinks is against Bangladesh. I know, the editors in Bangladesh are better from those in any part of the world who know their job very well and may not be dictated.</p> <p>MA: Invariably the underlying comprehension is true. However, if I do see any communally motivated architecture in the Bangladeshi forum then invariably I’ll pull out the counter stick to control the situation for the global readers. Eventually I intend to insist to remove such communally motivated scoundrels from the civilized arena.</p> <p>PCB: I am not like some Indian and Bangladeshi writers who have commercialised anti Islam opinions and sensul sex activities.</p> <p>MA: Could PCB describe his motivation as how and why he arrived in this forum? What is the actual agenda of PCB in this forum? What items PCB is bringing to this forum? Is anything new for the readers from Bangladesh or around the globe? To note, I just tolerated first several postings of PCB. When he brought Sunil Kumar Pal in the scenario only then I had to come to the playground to encounter these communal elements in this forum.</p> <p>PCB: Abdullah Bhai should recognise secular and democratic forces active in this subcontinent.</p> <p>MA: I am much better with Mr. Abdullah. It is very difficult for me to comprehend as how Hindu India is a secular country with a puppet Muslim named President and a pro-Hindu Sarderjee Prime Minister. This show is nothing but hypocrisy as Indira Gandhi coined such a philosophy. She used Vice President Hidayetullah as a pawn to get reduced or subsidized rate petroleum or gasoline from the Muslim Arab Sheikhs dominated Middle-East. It is a matter of utter surprises that Indira Gandhi as Prime Minister and Hidayetullah as the Vice President visited together using the same aircraft the Arab capitals to secure the flow of the liquid fuel for India. Use of Muslim puppets in India is not new in this way. I can provide several examples of this kind. Is this type of hypocrisy resulting from diehard secular and democratic forces in India?</p> <p>PCB: I am in favour of constant dialogue among differnt people of this subcontinent as they have no role in the artificial tention and wargame of ruling classes. In a new world, this subcontinent has to be united , I firmly believe. I am grateful that at least a section of Bangladeshi media including NFB and The Independent provides me the opportunity to address Bangladeshi audiance. I am used to write for little mags and I don`t write for entertainment. Nieth </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://palashbiswas.blog.co.uk/2007/01/14/yes_netaji_fajlul_huq_and_cr_das_could_c~1554524/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>Yes, Netaji, CR Das and Fazlul Huq Could Have Changed The History of This Subcontinent

Palash Biswas

( Pl Publish and send a copy. Contact: Palash Biswas, c/o Mrs arati roy, Gosto Kanan, Sodepur,Kolkata-700101, India. Phone: 91-33-25659551)

I must say thanks to News From Bangladesh to continue the debate with web casting the rejoinder by Mohammad Abdullah, USA. I respect the free and sovereign Bangladesh. I know that the Bangladesh media and intellegentia play a historical role to sustain nationality Bengali. I also believe it is Bangladesh which represents Bangla Nationality , not the Bengalies in India. But we share a common history, culture, heritage, language, folk. We have different geopolitics, different versions of history, culture and language, different citizenship and different religion. But all these things may not wipe out the current which united us in destiny. I don`t represent India as I am an Indian. I believe that Abdulla Bhai also do not represent Bangladesh in the same way. In a globanised world how you may restrict informations and opinions, perhaps he knows better!

I have not supported Sunil Pal`s claim. I never faced such a case. I wanted some feedback and forwarded his letter to general readership as I forwarded the article by Mohmmad Abdullah.

I am not talking on behalf of Mr pal. Let him answer. I am writing my personal opinions and feelings as well.

Yes, I agree with Abdullah Bhai that Netaji, CR Das and Fazlul Huq could have written a different history of this subcontinent. I am glad that he recognises these leaders at least and they are lucky enough to be spared of abuses. It is not because of Gandhi and Nehru, please go through the minutes, it was against the interests of ruling classes in Bengal, had Netaji or Fazlul Huq played key role in this sub continent. It was Netaji who as a mayor made Jogendra Nath Mandal a councillor in Kolkata Corporation. Azad Hind Fauj considered Hindustani as national language which is common in Hindus and Muslims. Muslims and Women got proper representation in Azad Hind Fauz. In the same way Krishak Praja Party fought to defend the rights of tillers Hidus as well as Muslims. The Hindu tillers were mostly dalits ie Namoshudra, Pod and rajbansh, etc.The most of the Zamindars were Caste Hindu, but Fzlul saheb compromised with them. The dalit Hindus not only supported fazlul Huq and Najibulallah , they also ensured the entry of Dr ambedkar in the Constitution Assembly of India, electing them fro bengal while he was defeated by Congress in Maharashtra, his home state. Hence , with the betrayal to this dalit base, Muslim league emerged. Huq sahib lost the opportunity to be a national leader as he betrayed the underclasses. Caste Hindu leadership in Bengal revenged well as the Hindus of the Dalit base in East Bengal were evicted and scttered all over India. It hampered the national dalit movement in India.

I would rather like to know the role of the third party apart form caste Hindu leadership and Muslim league in partition. Would anyone enlighten me?

Abdullah Bahi says there is no minorty persecution in Bangladesh. What about the medi reports in Bangladesh? How do you negate the white paper published by Shahriyar Kabir and the literature including Lajja and ethenic cleansing?

What do you say about enemy property law with different name?

Abdullah Bhai seems to have no respect for India or Indians. Is Bangladesh an isolated land from the rest of the world? He abuses our national leaders. Evaluations is alright whatever it is, but no one should be allowed to call names. I hope Bangladesh media also publishes what we write. Do the Bangladesh writers, journalists and intellectuals not write across the border. I am proud of Bangladeshi Novels, short stories and poems. I am proud of Meer Musharraf Hussain, Akhataruzzaman Ilius, Shamsur Rahman, Rahat Khan, Selina Hossain, Humaun Azad, Kabir Choudhari, Nirmalendu Gun, Jahanara Imam, Shahriar Kabir and other writers and journalist of Bangladesh.

My citizenship of India does not come in between my existence as a Bengali. Abdul Bhai is dividing the Bangla nationality once again while he says `stupid' Indians may not inherit nationality Bangla. As a learned man he is not able to distinguish citizenship and nationality based on language and culture. It is sad. He seems to have lost the vision to tolerate hard facts.

Yes, we have not a free media like you and it is also true that we stupid Indians have no forum like News from Bangladesh. It does not mean that Indians are not allowed in Bangladesh media. I thank all Bangladeshis who read me and try to interact including Abdullah Bahi.

He sounds as an angry young man and what he says, he does not mean at all. Or he does not understand what he says. He is not ready to read or listen to other stories, other versions. Is it democratic?

Nevertheless this dialogue and debate are necessary to know and evaluate our truth. At least, I don`t know the complete truth as all documentations are guided by some or other interests everywhere. I want to know the truth and hence I don`t suppress any information. I forward every bit of it to the readership general. It may sound very rough but rough most is our partitioned destiny. It is bitter, cruel and stunning but I believe we must know all the facts and every version of truth to get the ultimate truth which is denied systematically hitherto.
Yes, Abdullah Bhai! I used to ask my father and I ask even today the refugee leaders in India why they left their home in East Bengal. Why they left their Bangla Nationality, culture, land and property, it surprises me also. I agree that East Bengal did not face the massacres as both parts of Punjab faced. Partition victims from Punjab were rehabilated immediately on war footing. They were paid compensation. They have got representation in the polity , so a Punjabi refugee Dr manmohan singh Heads the government of India. Lalkrishna Adwani became deputy primeminister. While the refugees from East Bengal are considered as Bangladeshi nationals and an eviction drive is on against all of them in India.

I realise that the exodus began due to a minority psyche created by caste Hindu leadership of Bengal who did not want to provide any space to under classes including majority Muslims of Bengal. Undivided Bengal would have been ruled by Dalit Muslim combination, thus, they partitioned India. Gandhi, Jinnah, Nehru and Suharawardi and the British Empire, but we underplay the role played by Caste Hindu leadership who are no less responsible for partition as well as refugee persecution in India.
The refugee influx from East Bengal began with the minority psyche created by caste Hindu polity and politics and still continues and will be continued for infinite time. We know the minority psyche in India as Muslims have to support the Ruling party or front enmasse to sustain themselves without any gain .
We know well the use of minority card. I have witnessed this during riots in different states and places in India as a professional journalist and I always wrote against this.
I wrote my Meerut experience in a novel to expose the geography and history and industry of riots in may long story UNKA Mission in Hindi. The story was published only in a little mag with limited circulation. I wrote several short stories based on my experiences during riots in North India. I have a Short Story collection with my name ANDE SENTE LOG in Hindi. I wrote my novel Amerika se Savdhan in Hindi which has been published widely in Hindi.
I am trying my best to write in Bangla but I have no space as I oppose their interests. Not only this, I am professionally damaged when I shifted in Bengal. I am not going to elaborate this. I always expose the caste Hindu scientific system.
I wrote the novel in Bengali TAHADER MISSION and it is Pending in Bangla Academy for years. No publisher is ready to publish it.

Yes, our State language in India is Hindi. We were driven out of Bengal. Simply for practical reasons we had to learn in Hindi to communicate with local populations. We learnt different languages in different places. Hence we have no right as a Bengali on our own mother tongue and culture rooted in east Bengal, is it? We know different languages but we should not be deprived of our mother tongue. And we are deprived. Refugees have no chance to be educated in mothre language out of Bengal. Bengal government is quite apathetic. Really, Cast Hindu leadership of Bengal is engaged only to sustain their Power limited in Bengal. So, no body was interseted while India was waiting a Bengali Red Star in its sky. Prime Minister Jyoti Basu as PM could help us, though the communists are well known betrayers.

The refugees had to leave East Bengal whatever may be the case. I am sure it is not beacause Noakhali Riots or Direct action in Kolkata in 1946 as Abdullah Bhai says correctly that Hindu minorities are still living in Bangladesh and the Hindu population there seems to be no less than ten millions. It does not mean all Bengali refugees are criminals and communal. It does not mean the `self styled refugees' have no right to launch a movement to defend civil and human rights.
I am afraid while Abdullah Bhai refers to refugee movement he means the Sngh Parivar sponsered anti Bangladesh movement based in Kolkata. I am afraid that he is quite unaware of ongoing refugee movement elsewhere in India which has nothing against Bangladesh and Pakistan. Simply we fight for our life and employment, our biotic sustenance as Indian citizens. The crime seems to be that even after full six decades we did not forget our language , culture and history. So we are identified as bangladeshi. While we talk as with our idenetity rooted in Bangla, Abdula Bahi says we have no right.
I don`t think that Bangladesh thinks in the same way as Abdullah Bahi thinks.
I understand his wounds. But I myself am wounded. We were imposed upon an unwanted civil war and Bangla nationality itself is victimised all over this subcontinent as Bagdad, Palestine, Kabul, Darfur have been victimised . I called for unity in resistance against corporate, feudal imperialism and Cast Hindu or Fundamental ruling classes. I do never mean a Greater Bangladesh or merger of Bangladesh in India. It is not possible. It is not ethical. But divided in different geopolitics we satnd united as Bangla Nationality. My late father, `the terrorist self styled' refugee and peasant leader, an ex communist believed this lifelong.
At least, in this matter I inherit my father`s opinion.

Muslims suffer in India as we the Hindu refugees suffer. Muslims and refugees have no opportunity. I don`t mean Jyoti Basu or Buddhadev, Mrinal sen or Sunil gangopadhyaya. I mean the dalit refugees scattered all over India.

As Abdullah Bahi says , it is not true that all Indians are that stupid. The Caste Hindus know well how to defend their interests. Only we, the refugees, the under classes and Muslims in general are stupefied to sustain them in power. Eighty percent of Muslims in West Bengal depend on agro sector and they vote en masse as the left Front rule continues for over thirty years. And the indiscriminate land acquisition is targeted against Muslims all over the state. Nandigram is the tip of an iceberg.

Bengali Refugees had to leave their home as leaders like Fazlul Huq, Mujib and Maulana Bhasani could not stop them to be entrapped in caste Hindu trap.
Religion is quite irrelevent today. I am not against any religion. Post modernism and globanisation turminated religion, culture, language and ideology en masse. It is well expressed well in Iraq while the Muslim brotherhood has become irrelevent. It has become irrelevent in Palestine, too.
Well, religion has become a trump card in power game in South Asia. It has become topmost instrument in India where Sangh Parivar dictates terms. It is the same case in Bangladesh as the secular and self styled democratic Awami leage alligns with Khilafat.

As far as faith is concerned, the Hindus are not that conservative as they happened to be. Hinduism is not regularized . Neither it is disciplined in any way. Without praying or worshipping, being an anarchist or atheist no one cease to be a Hindu. Caste Hindu Bengalies are so pragmatic in Bengal as they choose their in-laws among the brilliance of under calsses sabotaging any possible resistance. Thus, they drove out the supporters of Fazlul Huq, Najibullah, Mujib, Bhasani , Jogendra Nath Mandal and Ambedkar, not only from East Bengal but out to different landscapes and humanscapes wiping them out of the history and geography of United Bengal.

We claim the roots, not the land.

Inter caste marriages and marrying daughters to Muslim suitable boys are taboos no more. It is said that the Hindus were afraid of marrying daughters to Muslims. Beef eating is also quite in vogue among the higher income groups. Thus, it is not the religion, which divided the United India. It is and only it is the Politics. Muslims ruled India at least for seven hundred years but the society was never divided. Divide and rule policy was adopted since Sannyasi Vidroh aganist East India Company. The Babus wrote history and literature accordingly.
I am not a student of Jadunath Sarkar nor I am limited to the study of RC Majumdar. Rather I follow the line of Irfan Habib, Romila Thapar, Lal Bahadur Verma, Sumit Sarkar, Tanika sarkar, Shekhar Pathak and Ram Chandra Guha. I realize that administration and land management, post and road links are run in line with Sher Sah. Akbar, the great and Sher shah are relevent even today. I know that Aurangzeb was not as communal as he is portrayed.

Abdullah Bahi not only the Muslim Rule, the Ancient History happens to be mutiliated by Myth, Religion and Manusmriti and sacred books.

We have to investigate all these things. I appreciate your aggresive analysis.
Hope that you would respond soon. I still hold back some more vital points.

I am forwarding your rejoinder to readership general and I expect others to contribute in the debate in case it is allowed to go on.

Pl Visit:http://www.bangladesh-web.com/news/view.php?hidDate=2007-01-13&hidType=OPT&hidRecord=0000000000000000146174

And read

ISSN 1563-9304 | Poush -335 1413 BS, Sunday | January 14, 2007
Click here to print this article in News from Bangldesh
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Rejoinder to Biswas-Pal

Thursday January 11 2007 14:16:21 PM BDT

Mohammad Abdullah, USA

Mr. Palash Chandra Biswas has responded to my note at NFB. He came up with some answers with opposite diameter as previously presumed by me. Assuming that standard I had to use harsh and tough language against such communal elements. A similar response also has been received from Mr. Sunil Kumar Pal in my mailbox. Since I do not prefer to respond personally to any of these two communal fellows, thus, I am sending this rejoinder for both of them to NFB.

I (hereafter MA) am responding to their (hereafter PCB first, and then followed by SKP) word-to-word or section-to-section in this rejoinder. I trust they are diametrically opposite as what these two fellows are presenting in the Bangladeshi forum.

PCB: I am not irritated to read our respected friend Mohammad Abdullah`s reaction on my article, `A Phone Call and A Letter From London' webcasted by News From Bangladesh. Rather I am ashamed of myself that our friend compares me with a personality like Bapu.

MA: I know nothing about the stranger Bapu. However, I do know about Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, a well known communally motivated king making leader of the stupid people of India. This mediocre fellow became Bapu to many stupid Indians. He is never Bapu to me or any Bangladeshi.

PCB: My friends as well as foes know well my stand on Gandhism and Sangh Pariwar. Whatever may be my opinion , the man who was not a general nor a head of the state or enjoyed any position in the establishment, is respected by the people worldwide. I may not have any wildest dream to dare experimenting with truth. I am sending this article to readership general as I sent the letter written by Sunil Pal. I hope, we would know many more facts to understand the destiny we bear.

MA: M. K. Gandhi is revered in India so much ONLY that fanatic Indian had killed him. Being a non-political king-maker he lost the life making stupid remarks throughout the life. When understood his mistakes it was too late for him to overcome them. An average to below average person became the heart winner of the Hindus of India. Since he was shot dead, he became a GREAT HERO.

PCB: I was stunned to hear and read Mr sunil Pal`s experience as I know nothing about this. We Bengali refugees have no such experience outside Bengal. I am not biased. Niether I supported Mr Pal`s claim. Mr Abdullah is right that I am a poor writer and have not as much as wealth as he possesses. I did not call Mr Pal. He called me. I am a keen student of history and I just posted the matter to wider readership to get feedback to understand the relevent facts. I am thankful that despite condemning me in a very rough manner, Abdullah Bhai gives some facts which I never knew. It is other part of the story which is never highlighted in India.

MA: Either PCB or SKP is a self styled REFUGEE. Essentially it is by choice and not by intrinsic manner that happened. For example, today I may be refugee in a foreign land if I do choose not to return to Bangladesh. Further if I claim that Bangladesh has driven me out in a foreign land then obviously I become a self styled refugee in that foreign land. It is a surprise that being a student of history one does not consider two sides of the coin. Is PCB only a reader of Jadu Nath Sarkar? In general, the communal fellows are single-sided readers and propagators. They do not like to hear about the other side of the coin with the pre-determined mind. I did not condemn PCB but became obvious per self confession. This is a deep analytical result.

PCB: I am against minority persecution in Bangladesh as well as in India and anywhere in this world. I also condemn the role of caste Hindu leadership of Bengal who wanted to dislodge Muslims and dalits from power and they supported the partition, not the Muslim dominated East Bengal. What Shyama Prasad did, I don`t support. I understand the role of Jinnah and the role played by Gandhi. I am speaking about the role of the third party, the victims, the Hindu as well as Muslim underclasses.

MA: No one persecuted the minorities in Bangladesh. If Bangladesh persecuted the minorities then today Bangladesh would have been cleaned from the minorities. Constitutionally they are secured and preserved with many of them in the Government organizations at the high chairs.

How many minorities in West Bengal are in the high chairs? Could these minorities go outside India with an Indian Passport? Could these minorities receive education from all institutions in West Bengal? Several minorities of Bangladesh have come to the Western Hemisphere with Bangladesh Passport. They had received higher education both at home and abroad. In West Bengal being at least 28% (as of today) of the West Bengal population how many Muslims could get education and leave India for abroad, Mr. PCB? If PCB realized who preferred the partition then why BANGLADESH is blamed for persecution? The Hindus of Eastern part of Bengal chose to leave for India before and after 1947. No one force them to leave their soil. Simply these Hindus did not want to live with their majority Muslim counterparts.

Often Jana Sangha and later Hindu Maha Sava propagated that they do not want to live under the Muslim majority environment as the presumed democratic platform will be adopted to run the administration. If PCB understood the role of Jinnah or Gandhi then only Gandhi would not become BAPU for him. Invariably Jinnah would be Quaid-e-Azam too. Similarly Shyma Prasad Mookerjee would have been recorded in a criminal book who advocated the migration of the Hindus from Eastern Bengal since 1944.

I wonder how this traitor became a cabinet member of Sher-eBangla A. K. Fazlul Huq? Of course Huq was a so-called friend of Ashutosh Mookerjee and considered his son a benevolent chap. Because of this attitude Huq was pushed to the drain by the Muslims as well. He never got upper hand in providing leadership of the sub-continent which he should have deserved in the first place. Thus, the Muslim League crown was snatched by Jinnah.

PCB: I welcome other opinions and facts however harsh may be. I am not contradicting Mr Pal or Mr Abdullah. Both of them describe the facts in accordance with their viewpoint. I am not communal and if I visit shonadanga, I would ensure that there communal harmony may sustain. I may play a role of a truth finder.

MA: Bengal as a whole could have been a much developed country by now. But the communal Hindus aided in creating partition of the land by sending Jinnah to Pakistan. Sly Jinnah ate the cream of the yogurt. Look at his life long career in law practices. He never lost any case while Gandhi or Nehru gave up practicing profession because they were failure. In the table the card of Jinnah became sole transparent for partition which Nehru and Gandhi approved in the first place. Shortly thereafter Gandhi realized his mistake and urged for proper share of Pakistan when Nehru unilaterally stopped the payment. Communal Gandhi was always a communal.

Not only this, he was a hater of the Bengali-speaking people. For example, he forced to step down Subhash Bose from the Congress President position in 1938. Gandhi launched unhygienic propaganda against this non-communal leader as Subhash Bose was liked by the Bengali speaking Muslims and Hindus alike. Had this leader been alive today we would have probably seen partition of Bengal though the Muslims voted for Pakistan in 1946. Voting for Pakistan was a BARGAIN for the Muslims if the Hindus did not want to live with the neighboring Muslims.

Another perspective of the game may be viewed as: had Chittaranjan Das been alive then also there would have been no partition. Partition was accelerated by Nehru, Gandhi, Shyma Prasad, Rajendra Prasad, Ballavbhai Patel and many other communal leaders from the chunk of the diehard Hindus.

Gandhi cleverly worked with the Bishwa-Kobi-Raj-Guru Rabindranath Tagore to get his title fixed up as MAHATMA circa 1930. Further Gandhi acquired approval of HINDI as the STATE LANGUAGE in post independence of India from the same communal Poet Laureate Bishwa-Kobi-Raj-Guru circa 1934. Find out how much communal both Mahatma and Bishwa-Kobi-Raj-Guru were? Weren’t (or aren’t) they known globally?

PCB: The people victimised could not tell their story. First person version of the partition story is still absent in Bengali and Indian History and Literature. It is not documented at all. Every bit of documentation is sponsered by the ruling classes in the subcontinent which do not reflect the suffreing of the masses.

MA: Invariably the observation of PCB is naïve and may be true. However, just see how civil engineer Tathagata Roy has put together lately. Communal sponsors present this kind of history ad did Jadu Nath Sarkar when he viewed the Moghol era. But Sarkar forgot that Moghols were not live as the foreigners and did not loot India. Rather they got mixed up with the Hindu Rajput blood which Aurangazeb carried and his descendents carried thereafter. The bottom line is that the Moghols or the Pathans or the Tughlaks became pure Indian within a generation or two. They never advocated looting as the British did. Did any Hindu understand this feature of the Muslim out comers?

Yet Bankim Chandra Chatterjee coined communally Anadamotth which Bishwa-Kobi-Raj-Guru appreciated as the foundation of Bengali Literature. What a definition of literature from a Laureate? Sarat Chandra Chatterjee wrote: Baangalee chheleyra Musholmaan (not Musolmaan) chheleder sathey football khelchhey.

What is the definition of Bangalee chheley and Musholmaan chheley while the foot ball game was going on in Hooghly? Were the Musholmaan chheleyra foreigners while speaking the same language as their opponents? What kind of plot of the story is this coined by Sarat Chatterjee? Is it a LITERATURE or communal motivation to discredit the converted Muslims? Remember, I am a converted Muslim.

PCB: As far as the language of the gentlman from USA equipped with far better English is concerned , I don`t mind. He abuses everyone. So what if he calls my late father a terrorist and an Indian Agent paid for anti Bangladeshi activities. The man who had been arrested for his participation in Bhasha Andolan, the mother of Bengali Nationality movement, against Pakistani regime, is termed as anti bangladesh. I have not to comment.

MA: I fail to comprehend as how a Bhasha Andolon participant becomes loyalist to another country? What Bhasha we are talking about? Isn’t Indian State Language is HINDI while the State Language of Bangladesh is Bengali? Why the father of PCB had allegiance to another country and language? If such a father was involved with the Bengali Nationality movement then he should have remained Bangladeshi. Isn’t it a simple logic? The way the REFUGEE MOVEMNET was coined and described the interpretation goes as obvious TERRORIST for such a person.

PCB: As far as I am concerned , I never criticise aesthetic sense and opinions of any person.

MA: Invariably a generous concept that deserves appreciation.

PCB: Let me clear , My late father had a heart always bleeding for the land he had to leave due to the tragedy which is well described by our friend while he portrayed the other dimentions of the story. Well, Muslims as well as Hindus, most of them did not want partition were victimised by the ruling classes. He never disrespected either Pakistan or Bangladesh. Well, he never accepted the political border imposed upon divided Bangla Nationality. His lifelong struggle may sound meaningless to a non resident Bangladeshior NRI, but he supported his lot the underclasses deprived of civil and human rights. He led peasants` revolt. Hence, Abdullah bhai sees him as a terrorist. He may rewrite the history , welcom.

MA: No, Mr. PCB I did not see him as a terrorist only because of his involvement with the peasants. Invariably you mentioned about the REFUGEE MOVEMENT as well. Also you stated about his crossing the border illegally and then getting arrested. Again leaving Eastern Bengal was by the choice and not by any other reason for the Hindus. Simply these Hindus did not want to live together with the majority Muslim neighbors despite living for over seven centuries since 1204 A.D. The father of PCB adopted suspicious policy to justify patriotism which is the last resort of a scoundrel.

PCB: I want to inform, as a peasant leader, despite his commitment to the refugees he could not hate Muslims. He worked among the riot victims in Assam as earlier as in 1960 as a communist leader. The party was against any communist leader from outside to visit Assam. As PC Joshi , The General secretary of Communist party of India disowned Telengana as well as dhimri Block movements , he was disillusioned. After his Assam visit, he was ousted from the party. He visited the Muslim Victims in the riots of Meerut, Bijnore and Gonda and he also opposed sangh parivar and its fascist politics. Though Atal Bihari as a Jansangh President in 1969 assured him to raise the issues related to Bengali refugees from party forum. On atalji`s initiative, he joined Jansangh in 1969 and was invited in Mumbai National Convention where he was not allowed to speak for refugees. He immediately left the party and thereon, opposed Sangh Pariwar .

MA: It is crystal clear as who joins the Jana Sangh Party. Atal Bihar Vajpayee is a known communal for decades. The father of PCB seems to be a victim of the diehard communal leaders of modern India. It is not a surprise but a usual practice among the rivals within a party as long as visibility is concerned for any topic during the convention.

PCB: For me, I respect the freedom and sovereignity of Bangladesh> I respect the committed intellegentia and media in bangldesh. I respect Bangla and Indian nationalities. I assume that I have the heritage rooted in this dual nationality. I also have respect for Pakistan and other free nations worldwide. I only emphasise that the global imperialism has made us sick and we suffer fro Demntia.

MA: It seems like benevolent comprehension for PCB. The bottom line for PCB is that he is a part of the stupid Indian nationality which has a bastardized language as the State Language which was advocated by the Poet Laureate Bishwa-Kobi-Raj-Guru since early 1930s. However, Bangladesh has a language that is well established by the Bangladeshis at UNO since October 1973 when Sheikh Mujibur Rahman first delivered speech in Bengali language as Bangladesh became the member of UNO that day. Remember, India has still problem in digesting events either in Pakistan or in Bangladesh. Get the VISA APPLICATION FORM of India and see how much extraneous information is required (not necessary) for a citizen of Pakistan and a citizen of Bangladesh to visit India. Compare this form with the counterpart form of Bangladesh.

Further compare the same form with the counterpart form of Pakistan. See how three forms look side by side containing the questions and items required for a visitor. Invariably this is not the case for other nationals to visit India. Yet India is the largest democratic country in the world having either half or more than half of the provinces or territories always remaining under the Presidential Rule. This is nothing but Hindu hypocrisy.

PCB: Let the informations flow independently. We may disagree and even oppose. The readers are adult enough to judge the facts. We have not to dictate.

MA: PCB is right if democracy prevails.

PCB: I only object that Abdullah Bhai is trying to tell editors not to publish anything which he thinks is against Bangladesh. I know, the editors in Bangladesh are better from those in any part of the world who know their job very well and may not be dictated.

MA: Invariably the underlying comprehension is true. However, if I do see any communally motivated architecture in the Bangladeshi forum then invariably I’ll pull out the counter stick to control the situation for the global readers. Eventually I intend to insist to remove such communally motivated scoundrels from the civilized arena.

PCB: I am not like some Indian and Bangladeshi writers who have commercialised anti Islam opinions and sensul sex activities.

MA: Could PCB describe his motivation as how and why he arrived in this forum? What is the actual agenda of PCB in this forum? What items PCB is bringing to this forum? Is anything new for the readers from Bangladesh or around the globe? To note, I just tolerated first several postings of PCB. When he brought Sunil Kumar Pal in the scenario only then I had to come to the playground to encounter these communal elements in this forum.

PCB: Abdullah Bhai should recognise secular and democratic forces active in this subcontinent.

MA: I am much better with Mr. Abdullah. It is very difficult for me to comprehend as how Hindu India is a secular country with a puppet Muslim named President and a pro-Hindu Sarderjee Prime Minister. This show is nothing but hypocrisy as Indira Gandhi coined such a philosophy. She used Vice President Hidayetullah as a pawn to get reduced or subsidized rate petroleum or gasoline from the Muslim Arab Sheikhs dominated Middle-East. It is a matter of utter surprises that Indira Gandhi as Prime Minister and Hidayetullah as the Vice President visited together using the same aircraft the Arab capitals to secure the flow of the liquid fuel for India. Use of Muslim puppets in India is not new in this way. I can provide several examples of this kind. Is this type of hypocrisy resulting from diehard secular and democratic forces in India?

PCB: I am in favour of constant dialogue among differnt people of this subcontinent as they have no role in the artificial tention and wargame of ruling classes. In a new world, this subcontinent has to be united , I firmly believe. I am grateful that at least a section of Bangladeshi media including NFB and The Independent provides me the opportunity to address Bangladeshi audiance. I am used to write for little mags and I don`t write for entertainment. Nieth

Comments

]]>Marxist Halucinationhttp://palashbiswas.blog.co.uk/2007/01/13/marxist_halucination~1550816/2007-01-13T19:40:48+01:00 <p>Marxist Halucination<br> Palash Biswas</p> <p>( Pl Publish the matter with latest update and send a copy. contact: Palash C Biswas, Gostokanan, Sodepur, Kolkata- 700110. India. Phone: 91-33-25659551).</p> <p>MACBETH </p> <p>Is this a dagger which I see before me,<br> The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee.<br> I have thee not, and yet I see thee still.<br> Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible<br> To feeling as to sight? or art thou but<br> A dagger of the mind, a false creation,<br> Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain?<br> I see thee yet, in form as palpable<br> As this which now I draw.<br> Thou marshall'st me the way that I was going;<br> And such an instrument I was to use.<br> Mine eyes are made the fools o' the other senses,<br> Or else worth all the rest; I see thee still,<br> And on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood,<br> Which was not so before. There's no such thing:<br> It is the bloody business which informs<br> Thus to mine eyes. Now o'er the one halfworld<br> Nature seems dead, and wicked dreams abuse<br> The curtain'd sleep; witchcraft celebrates<br> Pale Hecate's offerings, and wither'd murder,<br> Alarum'd by his sentinel, the wolf,<br> Whose howl's his watch, thus with his stealthy pace.<br> With Tarquin's ravishing strides, towards his design<br> Moves like a ghost. Thou sure and firm-set earth,<br> Hear not my steps, which way they walk, for fear<br> Thy very stones prate of my whereabout,<br> And take the present horror from the time,<br> Which now suits with it. Whiles I threat, he lives:<br> Words to the heat of deeds too cold breath gives.</p> <p>A bell rings</p> <p>I go, and it is done; the bell invites me.<br> Hear it not, Duncan; for it is a knell<br> That summons thee to heaven or to hell.</p> <p>( From Macbeth by william Shakespear)</p> <p>My father Pulin Kumar Biswas never believed communists after Telengana and Dhiri Block betrayal. During seventies, while I was engaged in students` movement and later in Uttarakhand sangharsha Vahini, he would never listen any reference to ideology. Rather he sounded like George Bernard Shaw who said, `"The Apple Cart exposes the unreality of both democracy and royalty as our idealists conceive them." In fact, The Apple Cart is a treatise on the impossibility of any kind of government. Democracy, autocracy, and monarchy are all making the best of a bad situation, and none of them is doing very well. Shaw is no anarchist; he simply wants us to recognize, as King Magnus does, the invisible shackles that trip government and turn it into a farce. Shaw wrote in the `Preface to Apple Cart’, Besides, the conflict is not really between royalty and democracy.<br> It is between both and plutocracy, which, having destroyed the<br> royal power by frank force under democratic pretexts, has bought<br> and swallowed democracy. Money talks: money prints: money<br> broadcasts: money reigns; and kings and labor leaders alike have to<br> register its decrees, and even, by a staggering paradox, to finance<br> its enterprises and guarantee its profits. Democracy is no longer<br> bought: it is bilked. Ministers who are Socialists to the backbone<br> are as helpless in the grip of Breakages Limited as its acknowledged<br> henchmen: from the moment when they attain to what is with<br> unintentional irony called power (meaning the drudgery of carrying<br> on for the plutocrats) they no longer dare even to talk of<br> nationalizing any industry, however socially vital, that has a<br> farthing of profit for plutocracy still left in it, or that can be<br> made to yield a farthing for it by subsidies.’</p> <p>Ideology sounds always good. It was good enough in Soviet Union and in the entire communist world. What happened , it is history.</p> <p>I was just born and I have simply no memory of Dhimri Block uprising in Himalayan terai. but I had enough opportunity to witness the trail and victimisation. In late sixties the communists in terai played the role of landbrokers in the same way as buddha is doing it in West Bengal on full scale. In our Bengali Refugee areas the communist villages were Netaji Nagar, Vijay Nagar, Pipulia, Chandipur, etc. Most of the communist peasants in these villages lost their land and leaders had their hand.<br> When Bengali refugees settled in MP, Maharashtra, Andhra and Orrissa were planning to launch Marichjhapi agitaion, my father Pulin Kumar Biswas went to Mana Camp and tried to convince the refugees that it will be a folly to depend on the communist leaders in West Bengal. Jyoti Basu had visited Vilai and ram chatterjee went to mana to mobilise the agitation. Since my father has a very good relations with ND Tiwari and KC pant, the rfugee leaders did not believe him . He was the president of all India Bengali Refugee committe. He was mishandled and was saved by police. My father came back to Nainital and no refugee joined this Matrichjhapi movement under his influence ie UP, Bihar and Assam. What happened is Marichjhapi genocide by the Jyoti Basu government. I also protested the movement purely on ecological ground as I believed that sundar Van must be protected and Marichjhapi won`t solve the refugee problem.<br> My father was very sad that no refugee movement could be mobilised in bengal and he held left responsible for this.</p> <p>My father died in 2001. I still have faith in communist ideologybut I see the picture of ideological betrayal very clear. Sumit Sarkar and Tanika Sarkar always supported CPI-M and they are out to lodge their protest on indiscriminate land garbbing. Mahashweta Devi, arundhati Roy, Aparna Sen, Meeratul Naher, Ratan Basu Majumdar and the entire Bengal intellegentia is known for its left ideology. Even Medha Patekar launched so many movements with left countrywide. Now everyone is against left. Why? so everyone turns to be Naxalite!</p> <p>On friday, Aparna sen and Shaoli Mitra led a demonstration by intellectuals. Participants were:Arpita Ghosh, Sunand Sanyal, Kaushik Chattopadhyaya, Pratul chakrabarti,Chaitali Dutt, Tarun Nashkar, Gauri Bandopadhyay, Anadi Basu, Kaushik Ghosh, Meeratun naher, Kakoli Majumdar, Kalyan sengupta, Ratan Basu Majumdar, Debbrata Panda, Apurba Biswas, Prashant Sikdar, Kartik saha, Siddikullah Chaudhari, ashok Samanta, tapan roychoudhari, ajanta Ghosh, Swaraj Sengupta and many more.</p> <p>Buddhadev and CPI-M leaders were alleging that Jamaje Ulema Hind is misleading peasant with Naxalites. Leftists accused of communalism against Jamate Ul Hind. The party and governement could not speak to naxalites but the chief minister talked to Jamat leaders with other prominent Muslim leaders to convince tyhe Muslim Vote Bank.</p> <p>Thus, capitalist development, globalisation, industrilisation, party, Marxist ideology, vote bank, popular progressive image, altogether caught Buddhadev in a situation of Macbeth`s Halucination and this is Marxist Halucination.Buddha simply ignores Left, right, Centre. </p> <p> The Left and its allies may have fought for stopping use of agricultural land for Special Economic Zones (SEZ) but in West Bengal, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee says it's impossible to conform to the Centre's stipulation. JSW Steel, which signed an MoU with the Bengal government, would need around 4,800 acres for the 10-million tonne steel plant. According to the government, not more than 100 acres of farmland could be acquired. However, the JSW deal was an exception and in fact the proposed industrial projects would eat up a substantial portion of agricultural land in the state. Even the fertile tracts will have to be sacrificed. </p> <p>The Left Front wants use of multicrop land for SEZ restricted at 10 per cent, but Bhattacharjee says departures are bound to happen in Bengal."I think it is not possible to apply in our state because 62 per cent is agricultural land and at least 70 to 80 per cent is fertile land. But we'll compensate by improving the productivity of land we have," says Bhattacharjee.</p> <p>Singur is a case in point. While dated government records show barely 10 per cent of the acquired 997-acre plot yielded more than one crop a year, villagers claim exactly the opposite. </p> <p>After months of debate, government officials admit productivity of land had improved since records were last updated, and the 10 per cent figure wasn't correct.</p> <p>After Singur and Nandigram, partners of the CPM have distanced themselves from Bhattacharjee. And with departures happening from hallowed political beliefs of the Left Front, building a consensus amongst allies wouldn't be easy. </p> <p>Bhattacharya did not commit 'big blunder', says Yechuri. Here you are! The JNU based 21st century leadership which have no grassroots like Sunderaiya, Namboodaripad, Pramod Dasgupta, Jyoti Basu, surjeet, have chosen to support the erring chief minister and are quite in a hurry to annihilate the party support base. Yechuri replied: 'What she has given is being inquired into by the government and till now 350 acres of what she claims as part of the acquired land is outside of this land. The affidavits that have been filed do not fall under the purview of the acquired land... 350 acres is entirely from outside.' </p> <p>Yechuri also insisted in an interview to Karan Thapar on CNN-IBN that the West Bengal government used force to take over land from farmers in Singur village for a Tata car project.</p> <p>Fervently and repeatedly and at times angrily, the Rajya Sabha MP said Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya had not admitted to committing a 'big blunder' in Nandigram where violence sparked by angry farmers led to four deaths.'There is no blunder ... I am sorry. Don't quote to me what appears in the press. I know what he said,' Yechuri said.</p> <p>Pointed out reports where Bhattacharya is quoted as saying that the Nandigram violence happened 'because of our mistake ... it was a big blunder', Yechuri snapped: 'It was not said to journalists. They all picked it up from god knows where.'</p> <p>Instead, Yechuri said: 'The Haldia Development Authority issued some instruction which was not its mandate. That instruction is the cause for a lot of confusion. 'Please go by his - written statement which is available on the web and where he says it was - the - Development Authority which has no authority on this issue.'</p> <p>On Singur, where land acquisition by the government led to a prolonged hunger strike by Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee, the CPI-M MP said the party had actually brought to the fore the question of compensation paid to farmers 'to the national agenda'.'The compensation we are giving in Singur is the best and the most exemplary. And now everybody will have to follow suit.'</p> <p>The state government says that 954 acres of the required 997 in Singur has been voluntarily surrendered. But Mamata Banerjee claims the owners of 464 acres, 46 percent of the total, have filed affidavits in court asserting they have refused to sell their land and refused to accept compensation.</p> <p>Yechuri replied: 'What she has given is being inquired into by the government and till now 350 acres of what she claims as part of the acquired land is outside of this land. The affidavits that have been filed do not fall under the purview of the acquired land... 350 acres is entirely from outside.'</p> <p>Asked to comment on charges that violence was used against farmers and people in Singur, he said: 'I contest very, very strongly that all of this happened through brute force. When Mamata Banerjee and Medha Patkar were there on dharna, you had people queuing up to collect compensation cheques. Why? Why are they accepting this package?'</p> <p>Another village braces for land fight </p> <p>NARESH JANA writes in Telegraph, Kolkata</p> <p>Mahishadal, Jan. 11: A procession of 500 villagers threaded its way yesterday along National Highway-41 in East Midnapore’s Mahishadal to express solidarity with the Nandigram farmers in their agitation against acquisition of land.</p> <p>The villagers have their own reason to rally against acquisition of farmland for industry. A special economic zone and biotechnology park, scheduled to come up in Haldia, spills over to Mahishadal, about 120 km from Calcutta.</p> <p>The Haldia Development Authority has identified 13 mouzas measuring 24 sq km for acquisition.</p> <p>“The farmers in Nandigram have showed us how to build up a movement against land acquisition. We will prevent land acquisition in Mahishadal, too,” said 24-year-old Uttam Shau, a farmer who owns four bighas in Dakshin Kashimnagar, and one of those leading the procession at Garughata.</p> <p>Haldia Development Authority chairman and Tamluk MP Lakshman Seth, however, said the quantum of land to be acquired and the land map were yet to be drawn up. “We have only identified the mouzas.”</p> <p>A notification similar to the one which led to the flare-up in Nandigram was sent by the Haldia Development Authority to the block development office in Mahishadal on December 28 last year.</p> <p>“We came to know about the land acquisition preparations on September 13 last year when the block development officer was in the process of drawing up a list of the mouzas. We immediately set up a committee to build up a movement,” said Tapan Maity, the local committee secretary of the SUCI in Mahishadal and convener of the Jami Banchao Bastu Banchao Committee.</p> <p>Maity said the committee was set up with active participation of the local SUCI, Trinamul Congress and even the CPI. Both the pradhans of Itamogra-I and Itamogra-II gram panchayats belong to the CPI and the party is a dominant force at the panchayat level.</p> <p>“People have voted me to power for seven consecutive terms. If I don’t participate in the movement, it will be a betrayal on my part,” said Sudhanshu Sekhar Barik, pradhan of Itamogra-II.</p> <p>The CPI panchayat samity member of Mahishadal, Nirmal Kumar Das, is one of the assistant secretaries of the committee.</p> <p> Medha to Nandigram: Don’t drop guard against ‘Yuddhadeb’ </p> <p>Express News Service </p> <p>Kolkata, January 12: After a bitter struggle with the police for the past two days Medha Patkar finally reached Nandigram on Friday afternoon. Along with environmentalist Swami Agnivesh and some other leaders, the social activist addressed a meeting of farmers, protesting against the state governments proposed land acquisition drive for a SEZ project in the area. Patkar warned the villagers in Nandigram that there was no reason to slacken the vigil against the government machinery’s move to acquire land, for the attack will come in a different form. </p> <p>Dubbing Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee as “Yuddhadeb,” Patkar said Nandigram has shown the rest of the country how to resist the government’s “ill-conceived steps”. She said though the government has retracted for the time being, it is definitely not the end of the struggle for the villagers. She also exhorted the women of Nandigram to mount a vigil since the attack will now come “in a different form” — the lure of money. When the monetary bait comes, families, she warned, may split down the middle. </p> <p>The women, thus, will have to guard against such moves, she said. Patkar said the 80,000 families of Nandigram were enough to ward off any future attack, provided the people remained united as they are at present. </p> <p>Telling the locals that there is no need to take up arms, she said the human cordon would be enough to thwart the government’s land acquisition efforts. </p> <p>The anti-Narmada dam agitation leader said her demonstration in West Bengal is an eye opener. Though she has till date organised several movements in Maharashtra, the Marxist government’s response to her agitation against land acquisition in Singur and Nandigram was totally unexpected, she added. </p> <p>Meanwhile, a close associate of Patkar said there was no reply from CPI(M) state secretary Biman Bose, against whom she had served a defamation notice. The spokesman for National Alliance for People Movement said Patkar would return to Nagpur temporarily but would be back soon.</p> <p>Nandigram students rise against principal </p> <p>ibnlive.com<br> Posted Saturday , January 13, 2007 at 16:47</p> <p>NANDIGRAM CONCERNS: Farmers have been resisting land acquisitions for setting up an SEZ.</p> <p>New Delhi: The unrest in Nandigram in West Bengal took a different turn when students and their parents of a school locked up the Headmaster for closing the school without any notice and allowing the Communist Party of India (CPI) to hold a meeting in the school premises.When students arrived at the Benoy Bandhupur Kandu Parash primary school, they found it shut and saw that CPI West Bengal state secretary Manju Majumdar was holding a meeting there with around 200 people.After the meeting, the students and their parents locked the Headmaster Bidesh Patra in his room.</p> <p>Majumdar told PTI that the CPI had asked the headmaster for permission to hold the meeting and thought it unfortunate that the headmaster had not issued any notice to the students or their guardians that the school would be closed.</p> <p>Nandigram had witnessed a seesaw battle on early Sunday morning between CPM supporters and protesting farmers, who were resisting land acquisitions for setting up an SEZ for the Salim group of Indonesia.</p> <p>AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL Public Statement</p> <p>AI Index: ASA 20/004/2007<br> (Public)<br> News Service No: 006 </p> <p>11 January 2007</p> <p>India: Deaths in West Bengal during protest against<br> new industrial project</p> <p>As protests by farming communities fearing<br> displacement from their land as a result of a new<br> industrial project continue to lead to violence in<br> West Bengal (Eastern India), Amnesty International is<br> concerned at reports that state officials may be<br> responsible for, or complicit in, human rights abuses<br> including torture and the death or injury of<br> protestors following the use of excessive and<br> unnecessary force.</p> <p>At least seven people were reported killed and at<br> least 20 others injured since 7 January in continuing<br> violence in Nandigram, Eastern Midnapore district,<br> West Bengal where farmers are protesting an initiative<br> by the Bengal state government to acquire land for a<br> new industrial project. Among those killed was a<br> 14-year-old boy.</p> <p>Violent clashes in Nandigram reportedly involved<br> members of the local Krishjami Raksha Committee (Save<br> Farmland Committee) and persons linked to the<br> Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), which leads<br> West Bengal’s Left Front government and is seeking to<br> accelerate the development of industrial projects in<br> the state.</p> <p>Human rights organisations allege that the farmers<br> were attacked by armed men affiliated to the CPI-M<br> acting in complicity with the police. The reports say<br> the attackers fired at the farmers and branded some of<br> them with hot iron rods as “punishment” for protesting<br> against the industrial project. There have been<br> reports of farmers carrying out attacks on local CPI-M<br> offices in the area, forcing them to flee elsewhere.</p> <p>In this context, Amnesty International urges the<br> Government of West Bengal to:</p> <p>order an impartial and independent inquiry into the<br> Nandigram violence, promptly make the findings public<br> and prosecute those accused of violence;</p> <p>ensure that all state officials, including police<br> personnel, who are suspected of being responsible for<br> human rights violations, including excessive use of<br> force, torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading<br> treatment are prosecuted;</p> <p>release those detained without any specific criminal<br> charges at Nandigram and ensure that activists and<br> other individuals engaged in peaceful protests should<br> be able to do so without fear of violence, harassment<br> or false accusation of involvement in criminal<br> activities.</p> <p>Amnesty International believes that full consultations<br> about the human rights impact of economic decisions<br> with those to be affected are vital means through<br> which human rights are safeguarded in the context of<br> development. In this respect, the organisation calls<br> on the Government of West Bengal to:</p> <p>announce and implement a consistent policy of full<br> consultation with local populations before any<br> development which could affect their livelihood can<br> take place and</p> <p>ensure that, where populations are resettled, there is<br> just, adequate and culturally-sensitiv e<br> rehabilitation, resettlement and reparation for those<br> affected.</p> <p>Background<br> Since 3 January 2007, Nandigram has witnessed protests<br> by local farmers after they came to know about a<br> notification issued by authorities at the neighbouring<br> Haldia port identifying their lands as sites to be<br> acquired for the new chemical production project. This<br> notification has since been withdrawn by the West<br> Bengal government which has stated it would “exercise<br> caution” while going ahead with the project.</p> <p>The project reportedly requires at least 4,000<br> hectares of land for setting up a Special Economic<br> Zone (SEZ) which would be jointly developed as a<br> chemical hub by the state-owned Industrial Development<br> Corporation and the Indonesia-based Salem group of<br> companies. Another SEZ promoted by the same group is<br> also reportedly planned in the Haldia area.</p> <p>The protests at Nandigram followed unrest in Singur<br> (West Bengal) in December 2006, when opposition<br> parties and a number of farmers threatened with<br> displacement by a state government move to acquire<br> farm land for a Tata Motors’ automobile manufacturing<br> project prompted demonstrations. The West Bengal state<br> government plans to set up at least six other major<br> industrial projects, including SEZs, in the state,<br> necessitating the acquiring of at least 10,000<br> hectares of land.</p> <p>In a bid to boost national economic growth, India has<br> been promoting SEZs across the country. The policy of<br> acquiring land for such industrial projects has<br> sparked protests from local communities fearing land<br> displacement and threats to their sustainable<br> livelihood.</p> <p>~~<br> Joe Athialy<br> Campaigns and Communication Coordinator<br> Amnesty International India</p> <p>Consent for 960 acres in Singur, a telegraph story:<br> - Govt publishes details of landowners who have no objection to Tata Motors project, Mamata cries foul<br> Calcutta, Jan. 12: The government today published a detailed list of plots totalling 960.13 acres that were acquired for Tata Motors with the consent of landowners in Singur, but Mamata Banerjee branded it a lie. The list trashes Trinamul Congress’s claim that 464 acres out of the 997.11 acres required for the Tata project was forcibly acquired. The government issued a release today saying that the details on Singur were available on its official site <a href="http://www.wbgov.com.">www.wbgov.com.</a> </p> <p>The 372-page list contains the names of over 15,000 people in five Singur mouzas — Bajemelia, Beraberi, Khasherbheri, Singherbheri and Gopalnagar — who consented to the acquisition, their plot areas and khatian (holding) numbers. </p> <p>Land minister Abdur Rezzak Mollah said: “We have published a detailed list of those who have given consent to the Tata project. So, Trinamul’s claims that 464 acres were forcibly acquired are untenable.”</p> <p>“The information on the website is false and we shall come out with our own list detailing the names of farmers whose land was forcibly acquired for the project,” a Trinamul leader quoted Mamata as saying tonight. </p> <p>Trinamul MP Mukul Roy said the party has already submitted to the governor documents that show 464 acres had been taken away without owners’ consent.</p> <p>The government, however, had said earlier that the list contained names of many whose land had not been acquired at all as they were outside the area earmarked for the small-car plant.</p> <p>Officials in the commerce and industries department said tonight that the website would speak for itself about the government’s assertion on consent from a majority of the farmers. </p> <p>“Let Trinamul come out with its list, people will understand which one is correct,” an official added. </p> <p>Becharam Manna, the convener of the Save Farmland Committee, said he has begun mobilising people for a fresh round of protests. “We are least bothered about the government’s claims. The people here know what is what. We shall meet tomorrow to chart the course of our action,” he said.</p> <p>My game is red , a DNA analysis by Sayandeb Chowdhury :<br> Thursday, January 11, 2007 23:59 IST</p> <p>The only inspiration for the opposition in Bengal is CPI(M)’s flawed past</p> <p>The game of realpolitik involves a hidden streak of the unsaid and the unuttered, which does not show up on camera in two-second bites. But certain historical junctures bring to the surface those fault lines and ironies. The Singur and Nandigram issues have all the makings of a conflict that can force open those fault lines in Bengal. </p> <p>There is no certainty that anytime soon, Mamata Banerjee’s madness, like that of King George the Fifth, will surrender to the voices of reason. It is similarly unlikely that CPI(M) will let the Tatas run away from the state like their brethren did in the sixties and seventies. Big capital, frightened by the spectre of communism, had then sought shelter in Mumbai and elsewhere. </p> <p>But old cultures die hard; in Bengal politics, often they don’t. So in a display of supreme irony, now the Leftists are the flag-bearers of capital and Mamata is the obstructer-in-chief, eyeing the vast rural base of the CPI(M). </p> <p>The style and maybe the substance have transmuted. But the culture hasn’t. Mamata’s show of public defiance and disruption, owes its genealogy to the CPI(M), whose cadres were well tutored in disruptive and dissident tactics. Mamata has only taken over from where the CPM left off.</p> <p>But how and when did the CPM vacate that space in the first place? Why did it leave the hallowed, if somewhat hollowed communist chimera and embrace what, by any accounts, is pure capitalism? Was it externally driven — the collapse of the Soviet Union, the changing economic landscape in China or Vietnam — or did it have an internal, purely domestic impetus? No doubt the old communist dreams of those countries had helped the CPI(M) dangle the carrot of a great future to its followers. Bengal had seen its industries vanish and the impoverished population bought into the CPI(M)’s grand project. </p> <p>Part of the Party’s political base was in the industrial wastelands where people were left jobless due to the flight of capital. The other part were the farmers who joined the CPI(M) in the hope of transforming their lives; after the Green revolution had bypassed them. </p> <p>To keep its rural and mofussil base intact, the CPM had to show itself to be anti-metropolitan, which meant attacking computerisation and taking English out of primary education. The result? Bengal’s present crumbled under the weight of a future that would never come. The CPI(M) stood by paternalistically, guarding a generation that grew up totally unsure of itself and its place in the world. </p> <p>But, the world was changing outside and with it, India was experiencing convulsions, too. As other states began prospering once reforms were instituted, there were those in the CPI(M) who realised that the myth of a prosperous agrarian Bengal would be unsustainable for long. To make sure the state grew out of stagnancy, it had to change tracks and embrace speedy industrialisation. Which meant a change in its party culture — the strikes, the bandhs and the violence that had become hallmarks of the CPM’s style of functioning. </p> <p>Also, by the mid-nineties, the Left parties’ vote share started dwindling from a healthy 40 per cent that it had enjoyed in the 80s. In fact, at any time during the nineties, a united opposition could have dislodged the CPI(M). Some party leaders quickly saw the writing on the wall. They realised that globalisation was raising expectations even among its own faithful. Younger Bengalis did not see merit in the party’s anti-technology stance. There was a real danger that the party would become irrelevant. The future was already here; there was no time to lose. </p> <p>Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee was quick on the uptake and saw that the future of his party was not in peddling empty aphorisms to the hoi polloi. It was in making peace and working alongside the middle class. Braving the objections of his colleagues, especially at the centre, he has forged on, wooing capital from within and outside the country. The middle-class shifted to him in droves. </p> <p>The danger is that he may have left his traditional bases open to others like Mamata, who has spotted the chinks in the party’s armour. Not only has she studied the CPM’s political language carefully, she has gauged —perhaps correctly — that there are still sections in the rural hinterland who may not be in thrall of rapid industrialisation. Like Banquo’s ghost, the CPI(M)’s old dreams refuse to fade away. </p> <p>Now, the poor have found solace with Mamata and her ilk. Mamata on her part has occupied the anti-industry ground and she is finding support and traction. Both sides have exchanged garbs. Meanwhile, Bengal’s future glory seems to be in permanent limbo.</p> <p>Shukla Sen writes:<br> Singur: The Emperors Have No Clothes<br> January 12, 2007<br> How much more will The Hindu defend the Marxist Government of West Bengal? For over a month, the campaign to paint the Marxist Government white has breached all decent limits of "fearless, unbiased" reporting. Not content with the 22 pages it has everyday, The Hindu also wants to use the tiny "Letters to the Editor" column to propagate or rather thrust its views upon readers. Similar to the cry of Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee that since all the available land is under cultivation they are forced to encroach upon agricultural land for industrialization, The Hindu seems to say that since all the available space is either filled with news or advertisements (or even Rs 13-per-Sq-cm obituaries), it has no option but to forcibly intrude into the only available space on the paper, the "Letters to the Editor" columns.<br> Look at this piece that was published two days ago.<br> The report that six persons died in clashes in Nandigram, West Bengal, following rumours of land acquisition for a Special Economic Zone, is disturbing.<br> "Rumors"? What rumors? When you turn two pages you find where Mr. Bhattacharjee admitted that the Haldia Development Authority did issue a notice to acquire land and the said authority is headed by a CPI(M) MP. Why publish letters that are factually incorrect?<br> Incidentally, all the letters are from people who are more that 2000 kms from West Bengal. What a representative collection of letters!<br> As if that was not enough, yesterday's edition carries another letter toeing the line of The Hindu and coming from a non-West Bengal location.<br> The death of six persons in clashes instigated by some organisations in Nandigram is unfortunate. The fact that these organisations played up rumours of land acquisition saying the West Bengal Government had issued eviction notices, when the reality is that it has not even completed the identification of lands, shows their vested interest.<br> The other letter in the column too supports the Marxists. Readers often look towards the letters to learn the dissenting or the alternative points of view. In the first place, the reporting on the Singur issue has been very one-sided. Ms. Medha Patkar and Ms. Arundhati Roy, who usually get lavish space, are now given single-column insignificant coverage. By publishing letters that just mimic the articles, The Hindu is forcing regular readers like me to look for alternative sources of news.<br> The fine line between your beliefs and the truth is always sacrosanct. In this editorial, where they term Mamata Banerjee's fast as "high-wire theatrics" and "meaningless" , has breached that line. The editorial, which also commends Mr. Bhattacharjee' s handling of the issue, give us an FAQ on Singur.<br> What are the key facts about Singur? The State Government went about acquiring the land sought by Tata Motors not by dispossessing the people on the highly fragmented land, but by seeking their consent through offering compensation that was significantly higher than the market price.<br> The moot issue is not the price but the consent of the landowners and rehabilitation and that has been consciously eclipsed.<br> The biggest lie that Chief Minister Bhattacharjee has been repeatedly telling is that the lands have been acquired with the consent of the landowners. But the "Final Report on Singur", available on the website of the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation, reveals a different story.<br> Consent under section 11(2) is a means of involvement of the citizen in determination of award. However, non-submission of consent in writing in terms of Section 11(2) does not prevent the Collector from declaring the award and acquiring the land. For those landowners who do not submit consent in writing under Section 11 (2), the Collector shall proceed under Section 11(1) and declare the award and such awardees will not receive the additional 10%.<br> Hence, irrespective of the landowner's consent, the lands have been acquired by the West Bengal Government. The consents that were obtained before the calculation of award are called "Pre-Award Consents," which is quite logi </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://palashbiswas.blog.co.uk/2007/01/13/marxist_halucination~1550816/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>Marxist Halucination
Palash Biswas

( Pl Publish the matter with latest update and send a copy. contact: Palash C Biswas, Gostokanan, Sodepur, Kolkata- 700110. India. Phone: 91-33-25659551).

MACBETH

Is this a dagger which I see before me,
The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee.
I have thee not, and yet I see thee still.
Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible
To feeling as to sight? or art thou but
A dagger of the mind, a false creation,
Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain?
I see thee yet, in form as palpable
As this which now I draw.
Thou marshall'st me the way that I was going;
And such an instrument I was to use.
Mine eyes are made the fools o' the other senses,
Or else worth all the rest; I see thee still,
And on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood,
Which was not so before. There's no such thing:
It is the bloody business which informs
Thus to mine eyes. Now o'er the one halfworld
Nature seems dead, and wicked dreams abuse
The curtain'd sleep; witchcraft celebrates
Pale Hecate's offerings, and wither'd murder,
Alarum'd by his sentinel, the wolf,
Whose howl's his watch, thus with his stealthy pace.
With Tarquin's ravishing strides, towards his design
Moves like a ghost. Thou sure and firm-set earth,
Hear not my steps, which way they walk, for fear
Thy very stones prate of my whereabout,
And take the present horror from the time,
Which now suits with it. Whiles I threat, he lives:
Words to the heat of deeds too cold breath gives.

A bell rings

I go, and it is done; the bell invites me.
Hear it not, Duncan; for it is a knell
That summons thee to heaven or to hell.

( From Macbeth by william Shakespear)

My father Pulin Kumar Biswas never believed communists after Telengana and Dhiri Block betrayal. During seventies, while I was engaged in students` movement and later in Uttarakhand sangharsha Vahini, he would never listen any reference to ideology. Rather he sounded like George Bernard Shaw who said, `"The Apple Cart exposes the unreality of both democracy and royalty as our idealists conceive them." In fact, The Apple Cart is a treatise on the impossibility of any kind of government. Democracy, autocracy, and monarchy are all making the best of a bad situation, and none of them is doing very well. Shaw is no anarchist; he simply wants us to recognize, as King Magnus does, the invisible shackles that trip government and turn it into a farce. Shaw wrote in the `Preface to Apple Cart’, Besides, the conflict is not really between royalty and democracy.
It is between both and plutocracy, which, having destroyed the
royal power by frank force under democratic pretexts, has bought
and swallowed democracy. Money talks: money prints: money
broadcasts: money reigns; and kings and labor leaders alike have to
register its decrees, and even, by a staggering paradox, to finance
its enterprises and guarantee its profits. Democracy is no longer
bought: it is bilked. Ministers who are Socialists to the backbone
are as helpless in the grip of Breakages Limited as its acknowledged
henchmen: from the moment when they attain to what is with
unintentional irony called power (meaning the drudgery of carrying
on for the plutocrats) they no longer dare even to talk of
nationalizing any industry, however socially vital, that has a
farthing of profit for plutocracy still left in it, or that can be
made to yield a farthing for it by subsidies.’

Ideology sounds always good. It was good enough in Soviet Union and in the entire communist world. What happened , it is history.

I was just born and I have simply no memory of Dhimri Block uprising in Himalayan terai. but I had enough opportunity to witness the trail and victimisation. In late sixties the communists in terai played the role of landbrokers in the same way as buddha is doing it in West Bengal on full scale. In our Bengali Refugee areas the communist villages were Netaji Nagar, Vijay Nagar, Pipulia, Chandipur, etc. Most of the communist peasants in these villages lost their land and leaders had their hand.
When Bengali refugees settled in MP, Maharashtra, Andhra and Orrissa were planning to launch Marichjhapi agitaion, my father Pulin Kumar Biswas went to Mana Camp and tried to convince the refugees that it will be a folly to depend on the communist leaders in West Bengal. Jyoti Basu had visited Vilai and ram chatterjee went to mana to mobilise the agitation. Since my father has a very good relations with ND Tiwari and KC pant, the rfugee leaders did not believe him . He was the president of all India Bengali Refugee committe. He was mishandled and was saved by police. My father came back to Nainital and no refugee joined this Matrichjhapi movement under his influence ie UP, Bihar and Assam. What happened is Marichjhapi genocide by the Jyoti Basu government. I also protested the movement purely on ecological ground as I believed that sundar Van must be protected and Marichjhapi won`t solve the refugee problem.
My father was very sad that no refugee movement could be mobilised in bengal and he held left responsible for this.

My father died in 2001. I still have faith in communist ideologybut I see the picture of ideological betrayal very clear. Sumit Sarkar and Tanika Sarkar always supported CPI-M and they are out to lodge their protest on indiscriminate land garbbing. Mahashweta Devi, arundhati Roy, Aparna Sen, Meeratul Naher, Ratan Basu Majumdar and the entire Bengal intellegentia is known for its left ideology. Even Medha Patekar launched so many movements with left countrywide. Now everyone is against left. Why? so everyone turns to be Naxalite!

On friday, Aparna sen and Shaoli Mitra led a demonstration by intellectuals. Participants were:Arpita Ghosh, Sunand Sanyal, Kaushik Chattopadhyaya, Pratul chakrabarti,Chaitali Dutt, Tarun Nashkar, Gauri Bandopadhyay, Anadi Basu, Kaushik Ghosh, Meeratun naher, Kakoli Majumdar, Kalyan sengupta, Ratan Basu Majumdar, Debbrata Panda, Apurba Biswas, Prashant Sikdar, Kartik saha, Siddikullah Chaudhari, ashok Samanta, tapan roychoudhari, ajanta Ghosh, Swaraj Sengupta and many more.

Buddhadev and CPI-M leaders were alleging that Jamaje Ulema Hind is misleading peasant with Naxalites. Leftists accused of communalism against Jamate Ul Hind. The party and governement could not speak to naxalites but the chief minister talked to Jamat leaders with other prominent Muslim leaders to convince tyhe Muslim Vote Bank.

Thus, capitalist development, globalisation, industrilisation, party, Marxist ideology, vote bank, popular progressive image, altogether caught Buddhadev in a situation of Macbeth`s Halucination and this is Marxist Halucination.Buddha simply ignores Left, right, Centre.

The Left and its allies may have fought for stopping use of agricultural land for Special Economic Zones (SEZ) but in West Bengal, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee says it's impossible to conform to the Centre's stipulation. JSW Steel, which signed an MoU with the Bengal government, would need around 4,800 acres for the 10-million tonne steel plant. According to the government, not more than 100 acres of farmland could be acquired. However, the JSW deal was an exception and in fact the proposed industrial projects would eat up a substantial portion of agricultural land in the state. Even the fertile tracts will have to be sacrificed.

The Left Front wants use of multicrop land for SEZ restricted at 10 per cent, but Bhattacharjee says departures are bound to happen in Bengal."I think it is not possible to apply in our state because 62 per cent is agricultural land and at least 70 to 80 per cent is fertile land. But we'll compensate by improving the productivity of land we have," says Bhattacharjee.

Singur is a case in point. While dated government records show barely 10 per cent of the acquired 997-acre plot yielded more than one crop a year, villagers claim exactly the opposite.

After months of debate, government officials admit productivity of land had improved since records were last updated, and the 10 per cent figure wasn't correct.

After Singur and Nandigram, partners of the CPM have distanced themselves from Bhattacharjee. And with departures happening from hallowed political beliefs of the Left Front, building a consensus amongst allies wouldn't be easy.

Bhattacharya did not commit 'big blunder', says Yechuri. Here you are! The JNU based 21st century leadership which have no grassroots like Sunderaiya, Namboodaripad, Pramod Dasgupta, Jyoti Basu, surjeet, have chosen to support the erring chief minister and are quite in a hurry to annihilate the party support base. Yechuri replied: 'What she has given is being inquired into by the government and till now 350 acres of what she claims as part of the acquired land is outside of this land. The affidavits that have been filed do not fall under the purview of the acquired land... 350 acres is entirely from outside.'

Yechuri also insisted in an interview to Karan Thapar on CNN-IBN that the West Bengal government used force to take over land from farmers in Singur village for a Tata car project.

Fervently and repeatedly and at times angrily, the Rajya Sabha MP said Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya had not admitted to committing a 'big blunder' in Nandigram where violence sparked by angry farmers led to four deaths.'There is no blunder ... I am sorry. Don't quote to me what appears in the press. I know what he said,' Yechuri said.

Pointed out reports where Bhattacharya is quoted as saying that the Nandigram violence happened 'because of our mistake ... it was a big blunder', Yechuri snapped: 'It was not said to journalists. They all picked it up from god knows where.'

Instead, Yechuri said: 'The Haldia Development Authority issued some instruction which was not its mandate. That instruction is the cause for a lot of confusion. 'Please go by his - written statement which is available on the web and where he says it was - the - Development Authority which has no authority on this issue.'

On Singur, where land acquisition by the government led to a prolonged hunger strike by Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee, the CPI-M MP said the party had actually brought to the fore the question of compensation paid to farmers 'to the national agenda'.'The compensation we are giving in Singur is the best and the most exemplary. And now everybody will have to follow suit.'

The state government says that 954 acres of the required 997 in Singur has been voluntarily surrendered. But Mamata Banerjee claims the owners of 464 acres, 46 percent of the total, have filed affidavits in court asserting they have refused to sell their land and refused to accept compensation.

Yechuri replied: 'What she has given is being inquired into by the government and till now 350 acres of what she claims as part of the acquired land is outside of this land. The affidavits that have been filed do not fall under the purview of the acquired land... 350 acres is entirely from outside.'

Asked to comment on charges that violence was used against farmers and people in Singur, he said: 'I contest very, very strongly that all of this happened through brute force. When Mamata Banerjee and Medha Patkar were there on dharna, you had people queuing up to collect compensation cheques. Why? Why are they accepting this package?'

Another village braces for land fight

NARESH JANA writes in Telegraph, Kolkata

Mahishadal, Jan. 11: A procession of 500 villagers threaded its way yesterday along National Highway-41 in East Midnapore’s Mahishadal to express solidarity with the Nandigram farmers in their agitation against acquisition of land.

The villagers have their own reason to rally against acquisition of farmland for industry. A special economic zone and biotechnology park, scheduled to come up in Haldia, spills over to Mahishadal, about 120 km from Calcutta.

The Haldia Development Authority has identified 13 mouzas measuring 24 sq km for acquisition.

“The farmers in Nandigram have showed us how to build up a movement against land acquisition. We will prevent land acquisition in Mahishadal, too,” said 24-year-old Uttam Shau, a farmer who owns four bighas in Dakshin Kashimnagar, and one of those leading the procession at Garughata.

Haldia Development Authority chairman and Tamluk MP Lakshman Seth, however, said the quantum of land to be acquired and the land map were yet to be drawn up. “We have only identified the mouzas.”

A notification similar to the one which led to the flare-up in Nandigram was sent by the Haldia Development Authority to the block development office in Mahishadal on December 28 last year.

“We came to know about the land acquisition preparations on September 13 last year when the block development officer was in the process of drawing up a list of the mouzas. We immediately set up a committee to build up a movement,” said Tapan Maity, the local committee secretary of the SUCI in Mahishadal and convener of the Jami Banchao Bastu Banchao Committee.

Maity said the committee was set up with active participation of the local SUCI, Trinamul Congress and even the CPI. Both the pradhans of Itamogra-I and Itamogra-II gram panchayats belong to the CPI and the party is a dominant force at the panchayat level.

“People have voted me to power for seven consecutive terms. If I don’t participate in the movement, it will be a betrayal on my part,” said Sudhanshu Sekhar Barik, pradhan of Itamogra-II.

The CPI panchayat samity member of Mahishadal, Nirmal Kumar Das, is one of the assistant secretaries of the committee.

Medha to Nandigram: Don’t drop guard against ‘Yuddhadeb’

Express News Service

Kolkata, January 12: After a bitter struggle with the police for the past two days Medha Patkar finally reached Nandigram on Friday afternoon. Along with environmentalist Swami Agnivesh and some other leaders, the social activist addressed a meeting of farmers, protesting against the state governments proposed land acquisition drive for a SEZ project in the area. Patkar warned the villagers in Nandigram that there was no reason to slacken the vigil against the government machinery’s move to acquire land, for the attack will come in a different form.

Dubbing Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee as “Yuddhadeb,” Patkar said Nandigram has shown the rest of the country how to resist the government’s “ill-conceived steps”. She said though the government has retracted for the time being, it is definitely not the end of the struggle for the villagers. She also exhorted the women of Nandigram to mount a vigil since the attack will now come “in a different form” — the lure of money. When the monetary bait comes, families, she warned, may split down the middle.

The women, thus, will have to guard against such moves, she said. Patkar said the 80,000 families of Nandigram were enough to ward off any future attack, provided the people remained united as they are at present.

Telling the locals that there is no need to take up arms, she said the human cordon would be enough to thwart the government’s land acquisition efforts.

The anti-Narmada dam agitation leader said her demonstration in West Bengal is an eye opener. Though she has till date organised several movements in Maharashtra, the Marxist government’s response to her agitation against land acquisition in Singur and Nandigram was totally unexpected, she added.

Meanwhile, a close associate of Patkar said there was no reply from CPI(M) state secretary Biman Bose, against whom she had served a defamation notice. The spokesman for National Alliance for People Movement said Patkar would return to Nagpur temporarily but would be back soon.

Nandigram students rise against principal

ibnlive.com
Posted Saturday , January 13, 2007 at 16:47

NANDIGRAM CONCERNS: Farmers have been resisting land acquisitions for setting up an SEZ.

New Delhi: The unrest in Nandigram in West Bengal took a different turn when students and their parents of a school locked up the Headmaster for closing the school without any notice and allowing the Communist Party of India (CPI) to hold a meeting in the school premises.When students arrived at the Benoy Bandhupur Kandu Parash primary school, they found it shut and saw that CPI West Bengal state secretary Manju Majumdar was holding a meeting there with around 200 people.After the meeting, the students and their parents locked the Headmaster Bidesh Patra in his room.

Majumdar told PTI that the CPI had asked the headmaster for permission to hold the meeting and thought it unfortunate that the headmaster had not issued any notice to the students or their guardians that the school would be closed.

Nandigram had witnessed a seesaw battle on early Sunday morning between CPM supporters and protesting farmers, who were resisting land acquisitions for setting up an SEZ for the Salim group of Indonesia.

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL Public Statement

AI Index: ASA 20/004/2007
(Public)
News Service No: 006

11 January 2007

India: Deaths in West Bengal during protest against
new industrial project

As protests by farming communities fearing
displacement from their land as a result of a new
industrial project continue to lead to violence in
West Bengal (Eastern India), Amnesty International is
concerned at reports that state officials may be
responsible for, or complicit in, human rights abuses
including torture and the death or injury of
protestors following the use of excessive and
unnecessary force.

At least seven people were reported killed and at
least 20 others injured since 7 January in continuing
violence in Nandigram, Eastern Midnapore district,
West Bengal where farmers are protesting an initiative
by the Bengal state government to acquire land for a
new industrial project. Among those killed was a
14-year-old boy.

Violent clashes in Nandigram reportedly involved
members of the local Krishjami Raksha Committee (Save
Farmland Committee) and persons linked to the
Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), which leads
West Bengal’s Left Front government and is seeking to
accelerate the development of industrial projects in
the state.

Human rights organisations allege that the farmers
were attacked by armed men affiliated to the CPI-M
acting in complicity with the police. The reports say
the attackers fired at the farmers and branded some of
them with hot iron rods as “punishment” for protesting
against the industrial project. There have been
reports of farmers carrying out attacks on local CPI-M
offices in the area, forcing them to flee elsewhere.

In this context, Amnesty International urges the
Government of West Bengal to:

order an impartial and independent inquiry into the
Nandigram violence, promptly make the findings public
and prosecute those accused of violence;

ensure that all state officials, including police
personnel, who are suspected of being responsible for
human rights violations, including excessive use of
force, torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading
treatment are prosecuted;

release those detained without any specific criminal
charges at Nandigram and ensure that activists and
other individuals engaged in peaceful protests should
be able to do so without fear of violence, harassment
or false accusation of involvement in criminal
activities.

Amnesty International believes that full consultations
about the human rights impact of economic decisions
with those to be affected are vital means through
which human rights are safeguarded in the context of
development. In this respect, the organisation calls
on the Government of West Bengal to:

announce and implement a consistent policy of full
consultation with local populations before any
development which could affect their livelihood can
take place and

ensure that, where populations are resettled, there is
just, adequate and culturally-sensitiv e
rehabilitation, resettlement and reparation for those
affected.

Background
Since 3 January 2007, Nandigram has witnessed protests
by local farmers after they came to know about a
notification issued by authorities at the neighbouring
Haldia port identifying their lands as sites to be
acquired for the new chemical production project. This
notification has since been withdrawn by the West
Bengal government which has stated it would “exercise
caution” while going ahead with the project.

The project reportedly requires at least 4,000
hectares of land for setting up a Special Economic
Zone (SEZ) which would be jointly developed as a
chemical hub by the state-owned Industrial Development
Corporation and the Indonesia-based Salem group of
companies. Another SEZ promoted by the same group is
also reportedly planned in the Haldia area.

The protests at Nandigram followed unrest in Singur
(West Bengal) in December 2006, when opposition
parties and a number of farmers threatened with
displacement by a state government move to acquire
farm land for a Tata Motors’ automobile manufacturing
project prompted demonstrations. The West Bengal state
government plans to set up at least six other major
industrial projects, including SEZs, in the state,
necessitating the acquiring of at least 10,000
hectares of land.

In a bid to boost national economic growth, India has
been promoting SEZs across the country. The policy of
acquiring land for such industrial projects has
sparked protests from local communities fearing land
displacement and threats to their sustainable
livelihood.

~~
Joe Athialy
Campaigns and Communication Coordinator
Amnesty International India

Consent for 960 acres in Singur, a telegraph story:
- Govt publishes details of landowners who have no objection to Tata Motors project, Mamata cries foul
Calcutta, Jan. 12: The government today published a detailed list of plots totalling 960.13 acres that were acquired for Tata Motors with the consent of landowners in Singur, but Mamata Banerjee branded it a lie. The list trashes Trinamul Congress’s claim that 464 acres out of the 997.11 acres required for the Tata project was forcibly acquired. The government issued a release today saying that the details on Singur were available on its official site www.wbgov.com.

The 372-page list contains the names of over 15,000 people in five Singur mouzas — Bajemelia, Beraberi, Khasherbheri, Singherbheri and Gopalnagar — who consented to the acquisition, their plot areas and khatian (holding) numbers.

Land minister Abdur Rezzak Mollah said: “We have published a detailed list of those who have given consent to the Tata project. So, Trinamul’s claims that 464 acres were forcibly acquired are untenable.”

“The information on the website is false and we shall come out with our own list detailing the names of farmers whose land was forcibly acquired for the project,” a Trinamul leader quoted Mamata as saying tonight.

Trinamul MP Mukul Roy said the party has already submitted to the governor documents that show 464 acres had been taken away without owners’ consent.

The government, however, had said earlier that the list contained names of many whose land had not been acquired at all as they were outside the area earmarked for the small-car plant.

Officials in the commerce and industries department said tonight that the website would speak for itself about the government’s assertion on consent from a majority of the farmers.

“Let Trinamul come out with its list, people will understand which one is correct,” an official added.

Becharam Manna, the convener of the Save Farmland Committee, said he has begun mobilising people for a fresh round of protests. “We are least bothered about the government’s claims. The people here know what is what. We shall meet tomorrow to chart the course of our action,” he said.

My game is red , a DNA analysis by Sayandeb Chowdhury :
Thursday, January 11, 2007 23:59 IST

The only inspiration for the opposition in Bengal is CPI(M)’s flawed past

The game of realpolitik involves a hidden streak of the unsaid and the unuttered, which does not show up on camera in two-second bites. But certain historical junctures bring to the surface those fault lines and ironies. The Singur and Nandigram issues have all the makings of a conflict that can force open those fault lines in Bengal.

There is no certainty that anytime soon, Mamata Banerjee’s madness, like that of King George the Fifth, will surrender to the voices of reason. It is similarly unlikely that CPI(M) will let the Tatas run away from the state like their brethren did in the sixties and seventies. Big capital, frightened by the spectre of communism, had then sought shelter in Mumbai and elsewhere.

But old cultures die hard; in Bengal politics, often they don’t. So in a display of supreme irony, now the Leftists are the flag-bearers of capital and Mamata is the obstructer-in-chief, eyeing the vast rural base of the CPI(M).

The style and maybe the substance have transmuted. But the culture hasn’t. Mamata’s show of public defiance and disruption, owes its genealogy to the CPI(M), whose cadres were well tutored in disruptive and dissident tactics. Mamata has only taken over from where the CPM left off.

But how and when did the CPM vacate that space in the first place? Why did it leave the hallowed, if somewhat hollowed communist chimera and embrace what, by any accounts, is pure capitalism? Was it externally driven — the collapse of the Soviet Union, the changing economic landscape in China or Vietnam — or did it have an internal, purely domestic impetus? No doubt the old communist dreams of those countries had helped the CPI(M) dangle the carrot of a great future to its followers. Bengal had seen its industries vanish and the impoverished population bought into the CPI(M)’s grand project.

Part of the Party’s political base was in the industrial wastelands where people were left jobless due to the flight of capital. The other part were the farmers who joined the CPI(M) in the hope of transforming their lives; after the Green revolution had bypassed them.

To keep its rural and mofussil base intact, the CPM had to show itself to be anti-metropolitan, which meant attacking computerisation and taking English out of primary education. The result? Bengal’s present crumbled under the weight of a future that would never come. The CPI(M) stood by paternalistically, guarding a generation that grew up totally unsure of itself and its place in the world.

But, the world was changing outside and with it, India was experiencing convulsions, too. As other states began prospering once reforms were instituted, there were those in the CPI(M) who realised that the myth of a prosperous agrarian Bengal would be unsustainable for long. To make sure the state grew out of stagnancy, it had to change tracks and embrace speedy industrialisation. Which meant a change in its party culture — the strikes, the bandhs and the violence that had become hallmarks of the CPM’s style of functioning.

Also, by the mid-nineties, the Left parties’ vote share started dwindling from a healthy 40 per cent that it had enjoyed in the 80s. In fact, at any time during the nineties, a united opposition could have dislodged the CPI(M). Some party leaders quickly saw the writing on the wall. They realised that globalisation was raising expectations even among its own faithful. Younger Bengalis did not see merit in the party’s anti-technology stance. There was a real danger that the party would become irrelevant. The future was already here; there was no time to lose.

Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee was quick on the uptake and saw that the future of his party was not in peddling empty aphorisms to the hoi polloi. It was in making peace and working alongside the middle class. Braving the objections of his colleagues, especially at the centre, he has forged on, wooing capital from within and outside the country. The middle-class shifted to him in droves.

The danger is that he may have left his traditional bases open to others like Mamata, who has spotted the chinks in the party’s armour. Not only has she studied the CPM’s political language carefully, she has gauged —perhaps correctly — that there are still sections in the rural hinterland who may not be in thrall of rapid industrialisation. Like Banquo’s ghost, the CPI(M)’s old dreams refuse to fade away.

Now, the poor have found solace with Mamata and her ilk. Mamata on her part has occupied the anti-industry ground and she is finding support and traction. Both sides have exchanged garbs. Meanwhile, Bengal’s future glory seems to be in permanent limbo.

Shukla Sen writes:
Singur: The Emperors Have No Clothes
January 12, 2007
How much more will The Hindu defend the Marxist Government of West Bengal? For over a month, the campaign to paint the Marxist Government white has breached all decent limits of "fearless, unbiased" reporting. Not content with the 22 pages it has everyday, The Hindu also wants to use the tiny "Letters to the Editor" column to propagate or rather thrust its views upon readers. Similar to the cry of Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee that since all the available land is under cultivation they are forced to encroach upon agricultural land for industrialization, The Hindu seems to say that since all the available space is either filled with news or advertisements (or even Rs 13-per-Sq-cm obituaries), it has no option but to forcibly intrude into the only available space on the paper, the "Letters to the Editor" columns.
Look at this piece that was published two days ago.
The report that six persons died in clashes in Nandigram, West Bengal, following rumours of land acquisition for a Special Economic Zone, is disturbing.
"Rumors"? What rumors? When you turn two pages you find where Mr. Bhattacharjee admitted that the Haldia Development Authority did issue a notice to acquire land and the said authority is headed by a CPI(M) MP. Why publish letters that are factually incorrect?
Incidentally, all the letters are from people who are more that 2000 kms from West Bengal. What a representative collection of letters!
As if that was not enough, yesterday's edition carries another letter toeing the line of The Hindu and coming from a non-West Bengal location.
The death of six persons in clashes instigated by some organisations in Nandigram is unfortunate. The fact that these organisations played up rumours of land acquisition saying the West Bengal Government had issued eviction notices, when the reality is that it has not even completed the identification of lands, shows their vested interest.
The other letter in the column too supports the Marxists. Readers often look towards the letters to learn the dissenting or the alternative points of view. In the first place, the reporting on the Singur issue has been very one-sided. Ms. Medha Patkar and Ms. Arundhati Roy, who usually get lavish space, are now given single-column insignificant coverage. By publishing letters that just mimic the articles, The Hindu is forcing regular readers like me to look for alternative sources of news.
The fine line between your beliefs and the truth is always sacrosanct. In this editorial, where they term Mamata Banerjee's fast as "high-wire theatrics" and "meaningless" , has breached that line. The editorial, which also commends Mr. Bhattacharjee' s handling of the issue, give us an FAQ on Singur.
What are the key facts about Singur? The State Government went about acquiring the land sought by Tata Motors not by dispossessing the people on the highly fragmented land, but by seeking their consent through offering compensation that was significantly higher than the market price.
The moot issue is not the price but the consent of the landowners and rehabilitation and that has been consciously eclipsed.
The biggest lie that Chief Minister Bhattacharjee has been repeatedly telling is that the lands have been acquired with the consent of the landowners. But the "Final Report on Singur", available on the website of the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation, reveals a different story.
Consent under section 11(2) is a means of involvement of the citizen in determination of award. However, non-submission of consent in writing in terms of Section 11(2) does not prevent the Collector from declaring the award and acquiring the land. For those landowners who do not submit consent in writing under Section 11 (2), the Collector shall proceed under Section 11(1) and declare the award and such awardees will not receive the additional 10%.
Hence, irrespective of the landowner's consent, the lands have been acquired by the West Bengal Government. The consents that were obtained before the calculation of award are called "Pre-Award Consents," which is quite logi

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]]>Marxist Halucinationhttp://palashbiswas.blog.co.uk/2007/01/13/marxist_halucination~1550681/2007-01-13T19:09:55+01:00 <p>Marxist Halucination<br> Palash Biswas</p> <p>( Pl Publish the matter with latest update and send a copy. contact: Palash C Biswas, Gostokanan, Sodepur, Kolkata- 700110. India. Phone: 91-33-25659551).</p> <p>MACBETH </p> <p>Is this a dagger which I see before me,<br> The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee.<br> I have thee not, and yet I see thee still.<br> Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible<br> To feeling as to sight? or art thou but<br> A dagger of the mind, a false creation,<br> Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain?<br> I see thee yet, in form as palpable<br> As this which now I draw.<br> Thou marshall'st me the way that I was going;<br> And such an instrument I was to use.<br> Mine eyes are made the fools o' the other senses,<br> Or else worth all the rest; I see thee still,<br> And on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood,<br> Which was not so before. There's no such thing:<br> It is the bloody business which informs<br> Thus to mine eyes. Now o'er the one halfworld<br> Nature seems dead, and wicked dreams abuse<br> The curtain'd sleep; witchcraft celebrates<br> Pale Hecate's offerings, and wither'd murder,<br> Alarum'd by his sentinel, the wolf,<br> Whose howl's his watch, thus with his stealthy pace.<br> With Tarquin's ravishing strides, towards his design<br> Moves like a ghost. Thou sure and firm-set earth,<br> Hear not my steps, which way they walk, for fear<br> Thy very stones prate of my whereabout,<br> And take the present horror from the time,<br> Which now suits with it. Whiles I threat, he lives:<br> Words to the heat of deeds too cold breath gives.</p> <p>A bell rings</p> <p>I go, and it is done; the bell invites me.<br> Hear it not, Duncan; for it is a knell<br> That summons thee to heaven or to hell.</p> <p>( From Macbeth by william Shakespear)</p> <p>My father Pulin Kumar Biswas never believed communists after Telengana and Dhiri Block betrayal. During seventies, while I was engaged in students` movement and later in Uttarakhand sangharsha Vahini, he would never listen any reference to ideology. Rather he sounded like George Bernard Shaw who said, `"The Apple Cart exposes the unreality of both democracy and royalty as our idealists conceive them." In fact, The Apple Cart is a treatise on the impossibility of any kind of government. Democracy, autocracy, and monarchy are all making the best of a bad situation, and none of them is doing very well. Shaw is no anarchist; he simply wants us to recognize, as King Magnus does, the invisible shackles that trip government and turn it into a farce. Shaw wrote in the `Preface to Apple Cart’, Besides, the conflict is not really between royalty and democracy.<br> It is between both and plutocracy, which, having destroyed the<br> royal power by frank force under democratic pretexts, has bought<br> and swallowed democracy. Money talks: money prints: money<br> broadcasts: money reigns; and kings and labor leaders alike have to<br> register its decrees, and even, by a staggering paradox, to finance<br> its enterprises and guarantee its profits. Democracy is no longer<br> bought: it is bilked. Ministers who are Socialists to the backbone<br> are as helpless in the grip of Breakages Limited as its acknowledged<br> henchmen: from the moment when they attain to what is with<br> unintentional irony called power (meaning the drudgery of carrying<br> on for the plutocrats) they no longer dare even to talk of<br> nationalizing any industry, however socially vital, that has a<br> farthing of profit for plutocracy still left in it, or that can be<br> made to yield a farthing for it by subsidies.’</p> <p>Ideology sounds always good. It was good enough in Soviet Union and in the entire communist world. What happened , it is history.</p> <p>I was just born and I have simply no memory of Dhimri Block uprising in Himalayan terai. but I had enough opportunity to witness the trail and victimisation. In late sixties the communists in terai played the role of landbrokers in the same way as buddha is doing it in West Bengal on full scale. In our Bengali Refugee areas the communist villages were Netaji Nagar, Vijay Nagar, Pipulia, Chandipur, etc. Most of the communist peasants in these villages lost their land and leaders had their hand.<br> When Bengali refugees settled in MP, Maharashtra, Andhra and Orrissa were planning to launch Marichjhapi agitaion, my father Pulin Kumar Biswas went to Mana Camp and tried to convince the refugees that it will be a folly to depend on the communist leaders in West Bengal. Jyoti Basu had visited Vilai and ram chatterjee went to mana to mobilise the agitation. Since my father has a very good relations with ND Tiwari and KC pant, the rfugee leaders did not believe him . He was the president of all India Bengali Refugee committe. He was mishandled and was saved by police. My father came back to Nainital and no refugee joined this Matrichjhapi movement under his influence ie UP, Bihar and Assam. What happened is Marichjhapi genocide by the Jyoti Basu government. I also protested the movement purely on ecological ground as I believed that sundar Van must be protected and Marichjhapi won`t solve the refugee problem.<br> My father was very sad that no refugee movement could be mobilised in bengal and he held left responsible for this.</p> <p>My father died in 2001. I still have faith in communist ideologybut I see the picture of ideological betrayal very clear. Sumit Sarkar and Tanika Sarkar always supported CPI-M and they are out to lodge their protest on indiscriminate land garbbing. Mahashweta Devi, arundhati Roy, Aparna Sen, Meeratul Naher, Ratan Basu Majumdar and the entire Bengal intellegentia is known for its left ideology. Even Medha Patekar launched so many movements with left countrywide. Now everyone is against left. Why? so everyone turns to be Naxalite!</p> <p>On friday, Aparna sen and Shaoli Mitra led a demonstration by intellectuals. Participants were:Arpita Ghosh, Sunand Sanyal, Kaushik Chattopadhyaya, Pratul chakrabarti,Chaitali Dutt, Tarun Nashkar, Gauri Bandopadhyay, Anadi Basu, Kaushik Ghosh, Meeratun naher, Kakoli Majumdar, Kalyan sengupta, Ratan Basu Majumdar, Debbrata Panda, Apurba Biswas, Prashant Sikdar, Kartik saha, Siddikullah Chaudhari, ashok Samanta, tapan roychoudhari, ajanta Ghosh, Swaraj Sengupta and many more.</p> <p>Buddhadev and CPI-M leaders were alleging that Jamaje Ulema Hind is misleading peasant with Naxalites. Leftists accused of communalism against Jamate Ul Hind. The party and governement could not speak to naxalites but the chief minister talked to Jamat leaders with other prominent Muslim leaders to convince tyhe Muslim Vote Bank.</p> <p>Thus, capitalist development, globalisation, industrilisation, party, Marxist ideology, vote bank, popular progressive image, altogether caught Buddhadev in a situation of Macbeth`s Halucination and this is Marxist Halucination.Buddha simply ignores Left, right, Centre. </p> <p> The Left and its allies may have fought for stopping use of agricultural land for Special Economic Zones (SEZ) but in West Bengal, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee says it's impossible to conform to the Centre's stipulation. JSW Steel, which signed an MoU with the Bengal government, would need around 4,800 acres for the 10-million tonne steel plant. According to the government, not more than 100 acres of farmland could be acquired. However, the JSW deal was an exception and in fact the proposed industrial projects would eat up a substantial portion of agricultural land in the state. Even the fertile tracts will have to be sacrificed. </p> <p>The Left Front wants use of multicrop land for SEZ restricted at 10 per cent, but Bhattacharjee says departures are bound to happen in Bengal."I think it is not possible to apply in our state because 62 per cent is agricultural land and at least 70 to 80 per cent is fertile land. But we'll compensate by improving the productivity of land we have," says Bhattacharjee.</p> <p>Singur is a case in point. While dated government records show barely 10 per cent of the acquired 997-acre plot yielded more than one crop a year, villagers claim exactly the opposite. </p> <p>After months of debate, government officials admit productivity of land had improved since records were last updated, and the 10 per cent figure wasn't correct.</p> <p>After Singur and Nandigram, partners of the CPM have distanced themselves from Bhattacharjee. And with departures happening from hallowed political beliefs of the Left Front, building a consensus amongst allies wouldn't be easy. </p> <p>Bhattacharya did not commit 'big blunder', says Yechuri. Here you are! The JNU based 21st century leadership which have no grassroots like Sunderaiya, Namboodaripad, Pramod Dasgupta, Jyoti Basu, surjeet, have chosen to support the erring chief minister and are quite in a hurry to annihilate the party support base. Yechuri replied: 'What she has given is being inquired into by the government and till now 350 acres of what she claims as part of the acquired land is outside of this land. The affidavits that have been filed do not fall under the purview of the acquired land... 350 acres is entirely from outside.' </p> <p>Yechuri also insisted in an interview to Karan Thapar on CNN-IBN that the West Bengal government used force to take over land from farmers in Singur village for a Tata car project.</p> <p>Fervently and repeatedly and at times angrily, the Rajya Sabha MP said Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya had not admitted to committing a 'big blunder' in Nandigram where violence sparked by angry farmers led to four deaths.'There is no blunder ... I am sorry. Don't quote to me what appears in the press. I know what he said,' Yechuri said.</p> <p>Pointed out reports where Bhattacharya is quoted as saying that the Nandigram violence happened 'because of our mistake ... it was a big blunder', Yechuri snapped: 'It was not said to journalists. They all picked it up from god knows where.'</p> <p>Instead, Yechuri said: 'The Haldia Development Authority issued some instruction which was not its mandate. That instruction is the cause for a lot of confusion. 'Please go by his - written statement which is available on the web and where he says it was - the - Development Authority which has no authority on this issue.'</p> <p>On Singur, where land acquisition by the government led to a prolonged hunger strike by Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee, the CPI-M MP said the party had actually brought to the fore the question of compensation paid to farmers 'to the national agenda'.'The compensation we are giving in Singur is the best and the most exemplary. And now everybody will have to follow suit.'</p> <p>The state government says that 954 acres of the required 997 in Singur has been voluntarily surrendered. But Mamata Banerjee claims the owners of 464 acres, 46 percent of the total, have filed affidavits in court asserting they have refused to sell their land and refused to accept compensation.</p> <p>Yechuri replied: 'What she has given is being inquired into by the government and till now 350 acres of what she claims as part of the acquired land is outside of this land. The affidavits that have been filed do not fall under the purview of the acquired land... 350 acres is entirely from outside.'</p> <p>Asked to comment on charges that violence was used against farmers and people in Singur, he said: 'I contest very, very strongly that all of this happened through brute force. When Mamata Banerjee and Medha Patkar were there on dharna, you had people queuing up to collect compensation cheques. Why? Why are they accepting this package?'</p> <p>Another village braces for land fight </p> <p>NARESH JANA writes in Telegraph, Kolkata</p> <p>Mahishadal, Jan. 11: A procession of 500 villagers threaded its way yesterday along National Highway-41 in East Midnapore’s Mahishadal to express solidarity with the Nandigram farmers in their agitation against acquisition of land.</p> <p>The villagers have their own reason to rally against acquisition of farmland for industry. A special economic zone and biotechnology park, scheduled to come up in Haldia, spills over to Mahishadal, about 120 km from Calcutta.</p> <p>The Haldia Development Authority has identified 13 mouzas measuring 24 sq km for acquisition.</p> <p>“The farmers in Nandigram have showed us how to build up a movement against land acquisition. We will prevent land acquisition in Mahishadal, too,” said 24-year-old Uttam Shau, a farmer who owns four bighas in Dakshin Kashimnagar, and one of those leading the procession at Garughata.</p> <p>Haldia Development Authority chairman and Tamluk MP Lakshman Seth, however, said the quantum of land to be acquired and the land map were yet to be drawn up. “We have only identified the mouzas.”</p> <p>A notification similar to the one which led to the flare-up in Nandigram was sent by the Haldia Development Authority to the block development office in Mahishadal on December 28 last year.</p> <p>“We came to know about the land acquisition preparations on September 13 last year when the block development officer was in the process of drawing up a list of the mouzas. We immediately set up a committee to build up a movement,” said Tapan Maity, the local committee secretary of the SUCI in Mahishadal and convener of the Jami Banchao Bastu Banchao Committee.</p> <p>Maity said the committee was set up with active participation of the local SUCI, Trinamul Congress and even the CPI. Both the pradhans of Itamogra-I and Itamogra-II gram panchayats belong to the CPI and the party is a dominant force at the panchayat level.</p> <p>“People have voted me to power for seven consecutive terms. If I don’t participate in the movement, it will be a betrayal on my part,” said Sudhanshu Sekhar Barik, pradhan of Itamogra-II.</p> <p>The CPI panchayat samity member of Mahishadal, Nirmal Kumar Das, is one of the assistant secretaries of the committee.</p> <p> Medha to Nandigram: Don’t drop guard against ‘Yuddhadeb’ </p> <p>Express News Service </p> <p>Kolkata, January 12: After a bitter struggle with the police for the past two days Medha Patkar finally reached Nandigram on Friday afternoon. Along with environmentalist Swami Agnivesh and some other leaders, the social activist addressed a meeting of farmers, protesting against the state governments proposed land acquisition drive for a SEZ project in the area. Patkar warned the villagers in Nandigram that there was no reason to slacken the vigil against the government machinery’s move to acquire land, for the attack will come in a different form. </p> <p>Dubbing Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee as “Yuddhadeb,” Patkar said Nandigram has shown the rest of the country how to resist the government’s “ill-conceived steps”. She said though the government has retracted for the time being, it is definitely not the end of the struggle for the villagers. She also exhorted the women of Nandigram to mount a vigil since the attack will now come “in a different form” — the lure of money. When the monetary bait comes, families, she warned, may split down the middle. </p> <p>The women, thus, will have to guard against such moves, she said. Patkar said the 80,000 families of Nandigram were enough to ward off any future attack, provided the people remained united as they are at present. </p> <p>Telling the locals that there is no need to take up arms, she said the human cordon would be enough to thwart the government’s land acquisition efforts. </p> <p>The anti-Narmada dam agitation leader said her demonstration in West Bengal is an eye opener. Though she has till date organised several movements in Maharashtra, the Marxist government’s response to her agitation against land acquisition in Singur and Nandigram was totally unexpected, she added. </p> <p>Meanwhile, a close associate of Patkar said there was no reply from CPI(M) state secretary Biman Bose, against whom she had served a defamation notice. The spokesman for National Alliance for People Movement said Patkar would return to Nagpur temporarily but would be back soon.</p> <p>Nandigram students rise against principal </p> <p>ibnlive.com<br> Posted Saturday , January 13, 2007 at 16:47</p> <p>NANDIGRAM CONCERNS: Farmers have been resisting land acquisitions for setting up an SEZ.</p> <p>New Delhi: The unrest in Nandigram in West Bengal took a different turn when students and their parents of a school locked up the Headmaster for closing the school without any notice and allowing the Communist Party of India (CPI) to hold a meeting in the school premises.When students arrived at the Benoy Bandhupur Kandu Parash primary school, they found it shut and saw that CPI West Bengal state secretary Manju Majumdar was holding a meeting there with around 200 people.After the meeting, the students and their parents locked the Headmaster Bidesh Patra in his room.</p> <p>Majumdar told PTI that the CPI had asked the headmaster for permission to hold the meeting and thought it unfortunate that the headmaster had not issued any notice to the students or their guardians that the school would be closed.</p> <p>Nandigram had witnessed a seesaw battle on early Sunday morning between CPM supporters and protesting farmers, who were resisting land acquisitions for setting up an SEZ for the Salim group of Indonesia.</p> <p>AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL Public Statement</p> <p>AI Index: ASA 20/004/2007<br> (Public)<br> News Service No: 006 </p> <p>11 January 2007</p> <p>India: Deaths in West Bengal during protest against<br> new industrial project</p> <p>As protests by farming communities fearing<br> displacement from their land as a result of a new<br> industrial project continue to lead to violence in<br> West Bengal (Eastern India), Amnesty International is<br> concerned at reports that state officials may be<br> responsible for, or complicit in, human rights abuses<br> including torture and the death or injury of<br> protestors following the use of excessive and<br> unnecessary force.</p> <p>At least seven people were reported killed and at<br> least 20 others injured since 7 January in continuing<br> violence in Nandigram, Eastern Midnapore district,<br> West Bengal where farmers are protesting an initiative<br> by the Bengal state government to acquire land for a<br> new industrial project. Among those killed was a<br> 14-year-old boy.</p> <p>Violent clashes in Nandigram reportedly involved<br> members of the local Krishjami Raksha Committee (Save<br> Farmland Committee) and persons linked to the<br> Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), which leads<br> West Bengal’s Left Front government and is seeking to<br> accelerate the development of industrial projects in<br> the state.</p> <p>Human rights organisations allege that the farmers<br> were attacked by armed men affiliated to the CPI-M<br> acting in complicity with the police. The reports say<br> the attackers fired at the farmers and branded some of<br> them with hot iron rods as “punishment” for protesting<br> against the industrial project. There have been<br> reports of farmers carrying out attacks on local CPI-M<br> offices in the area, forcing them to flee elsewhere.</p> <p>In this context, Amnesty International urges the<br> Government of West Bengal to:</p> <p>order an impartial and independent inquiry into the<br> Nandigram violence, promptly make the findings public<br> and prosecute those accused of violence;</p> <p>ensure that all state officials, including police<br> personnel, who are suspected of being responsible for<br> human rights violations, including excessive use of<br> force, torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading<br> treatment are prosecuted;</p> <p>release those detained without any specific criminal<br> charges at Nandigram and ensure that activists and<br> other individuals engaged in peaceful protests should<br> be able to do so without fear of violence, harassment<br> or false accusation of involvement in criminal<br> activities.</p> <p>Amnesty International believes that full consultations<br> about the human rights impact of economic decisions<br> with those to be affected are vital means through<br> which human rights are safeguarded in the context of<br> development. In this respect, the organisation calls<br> on the Government of West Bengal to:</p> <p>announce and implement a consistent policy of full<br> consultation with local populations before any<br> development which could affect their livelihood can<br> take place and</p> <p>ensure that, where populations are resettled, there is<br> just, adequate and culturally-sensitiv e<br> rehabilitation, resettlement and reparation for those<br> affected.</p> <p>Background<br> Since 3 January 2007, Nandigram has witnessed protests<br> by local farmers after they came to know about a<br> notification issued by authorities at the neighbouring<br> Haldia port identifying their lands as sites to be<br> acquired for the new chemical production project. This<br> notification has since been withdrawn by the West<br> Bengal government which has stated it would “exercise<br> caution” while going ahead with the project.</p> <p>The project reportedly requires at least 4,000<br> hectares of land for setting up a Special Economic<br> Zone (SEZ) which would be jointly developed as a<br> chemical hub by the state-owned Industrial Development<br> Corporation and the Indonesia-based Salem group of<br> companies. Another SEZ promoted by the same group is<br> also reportedly planned in the Haldia area.</p> <p>The protests at Nandigram followed unrest in Singur<br> (West Bengal) in December 2006, when opposition<br> parties and a number of farmers threatened with<br> displacement by a state government move to acquire<br> farm land for a Tata Motors’ automobile manufacturing<br> project prompted demonstrations. The West Bengal state<br> government plans to set up at least six other major<br> industrial projects, including SEZs, in the state,<br> necessitating the acquiring of at least 10,000<br> hectares of land.</p> <p>In a bid to boost national economic growth, India has<br> been promoting SEZs across the country. The policy of<br> acquiring land for such industrial projects has<br> sparked protests from local communities fearing land<br> displacement and threats to their sustainable<br> livelihood.</p> <p>~~<br> Joe Athialy<br> Campaigns and Communication Coordinator<br> Amnesty International India</p> <p>Consent for 960 acres in Singur, a telegraph story:<br> - Govt publishes details of landowners who have no objection to Tata Motors project, Mamata cries foul<br> Calcutta, Jan. 12: The government today published a detailed list of plots totalling 960.13 acres that were acquired for Tata Motors with the consent of landowners in Singur, but Mamata Banerjee branded it a lie. The list trashes Trinamul Congress’s claim that 464 acres out of the 997.11 acres required for the Tata project was forcibly acquired. The government issued a release today saying that the details on Singur were available on its official site <a href="http://www.wbgov.com.">www.wbgov.com.</a> </p> <p>The 372-page list contains the names of over 15,000 people in five Singur mouzas — Bajemelia, Beraberi, Khasherbheri, Singherbheri and Gopalnagar — who consented to the acquisition, their plot areas and khatian (holding) numbers. </p> <p>Land minister Abdur Rezzak Mollah said: “We have published a detailed list of those who have given consent to the Tata project. So, Trinamul’s claims that 464 acres were forcibly acquired are untenable.”</p> <p>“The information on the website is false and we shall come out with our own list detailing the names of farmers whose land was forcibly acquired for the project,” a Trinamul leader quoted Mamata as saying tonight. </p> <p>Trinamul MP Mukul Roy said the party has already submitted to the governor documents that show 464 acres had been taken away without owners’ consent.</p> <p>The government, however, had said earlier that the list contained names of many whose land had not been acquired at all as they were outside the area earmarked for the small-car plant.</p> <p>Officials in the commerce and industries department said tonight that the website would speak for itself about the government’s assertion on consent from a majority of the farmers. </p> <p>“Let Trinamul come out with its list, people will understand which one is correct,” an official added. </p> <p>Becharam Manna, the convener of the Save Farmland Committee, said he has begun mobilising people for a fresh round of protests. “We are least bothered about the government’s claims. The people here know what is what. We shall meet tomorrow to chart the course of our action,” he said.</p> <p>My game is red , a DNA analysis by Sayandeb Chowdhury :<br> Thursday, January 11, 2007 23:59 IST</p> <p>The only inspiration for the opposition in Bengal is CPI(M)’s flawed past</p> <p>The game of realpolitik involves a hidden streak of the unsaid and the unuttered, which does not show up on camera in two-second bites. But certain historical junctures bring to the surface those fault lines and ironies. The Singur and Nandigram issues have all the makings of a conflict that can force open those fault lines in Bengal. </p> <p>There is no certainty that anytime soon, Mamata Banerjee’s madness, like that of King George the Fifth, will surrender to the voices of reason. It is similarly unlikely that CPI(M) will let the Tatas run away from the state like their brethren did in the sixties and seventies. Big capital, frightened by the spectre of communism, had then sought shelter in Mumbai and elsewhere. </p> <p>But old cultures die hard; in Bengal politics, often they don’t. So in a display of supreme irony, now the Leftists are the flag-bearers of capital and Mamata is the obstructer-in-chief, eyeing the vast rural base of the CPI(M). </p> <p>The style and maybe the substance have transmuted. But the culture hasn’t. Mamata’s show of public defiance and disruption, owes its genealogy to the CPI(M), whose cadres were well tutored in disruptive and dissident tactics. Mamata has only taken over from where the CPM left off.</p> <p>But how and when did the CPM vacate that space in the first place? Why did it leave the hallowed, if somewhat hollowed communist chimera and embrace what, by any accounts, is pure capitalism? Was it externally driven — the collapse of the Soviet Union, the changing economic landscape in China or Vietnam — or did it have an internal, purely domestic impetus? No doubt the old communist dreams of those countries had helped the CPI(M) dangle the carrot of a great future to its followers. Bengal had seen its industries vanish and the impoverished population bought into the CPI(M)’s grand project. </p> <p>Part of the Party’s political base was in the industrial wastelands where people were left jobless due to the flight of capital. The other part were the farmers who joined the CPI(M) in the hope of transforming their lives; after the Green revolution had bypassed them. </p> <p>To keep its rural and mofussil base intact, the CPM had to show itself to be anti-metropolitan, which meant attacking computerisation and taking English out of primary education. The result? Bengal’s present crumbled under the weight of a future that would never come. The CPI(M) stood by paternalistically, guarding a generation that grew up totally unsure of itself and its place in the world. </p> <p>But, the world was changing outside and with it, India was experiencing convulsions, too. As other states began prospering once reforms were instituted, there were those in the CPI(M) who realised that the myth of a prosperous agrarian Bengal would be unsustainable for long. To make sure the state grew out of stagnancy, it had to change tracks and embrace speedy industrialisation. Which meant a change in its party culture — the strikes, the bandhs and the violence that had become hallmarks of the CPM’s style of functioning. </p> <p>Also, by the mid-nineties, the Left parties’ vote share started dwindling from a healthy 40 per cent that it had enjoyed in the 80s. In fact, at any time during the nineties, a united opposition could have dislodged the CPI(M). Some party leaders quickly saw the writing on the wall. They realised that globalisation was raising expectations even among its own faithful. Younger Bengalis did not see merit in the party’s anti-technology stance. There was a real danger that the party would become irrelevant. The future was already here; there was no time to lose. </p> <p>Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee was quick on the uptake and saw that the future of his party was not in peddling empty aphorisms to the hoi polloi. It was in making peace and working alongside the middle class. Braving the objections of his colleagues, especially at the centre, he has forged on, wooing capital from within and outside the country. The middle-class shifted to him in droves. </p> <p>The danger is that he may have left his traditional bases open to others like Mamata, who has spotted the chinks in the party’s armour. Not only has she studied the CPM’s political language carefully, she has gauged —perhaps correctly — that there are still sections in the rural hinterland who may not be in thrall of rapid industrialisation. Like Banquo’s ghost, the CPI(M)’s old dreams refuse to fade away. </p> <p>Now, the poor have found solace with Mamata and her ilk. Mamata on her part has occupied the anti-industry ground and she is finding support and traction. Both sides have exchanged garbs. Meanwhile, Bengal’s future glory seems to be in permanent limbo.</p> <p>Shukla Sen writes:<br> Singur: The Emperors Have No Clothes<br> January 12, 2007<br> How much more will The Hindu defend the Marxist Government of West Bengal? For over a month, the campaign to paint the Marxist Government white has breached all decent limits of "fearless, unbiased" reporting. Not content with the 22 pages it has everyday, The Hindu also wants to use the tiny "Letters to the Editor" column to propagate or rather thrust its views upon readers. Similar to the cry of Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee that since all the available land is under cultivation they are forced to encroach upon agricultural land for industrialization, The Hindu seems to say that since all the available space is either filled with news or advertisements (or even Rs 13-per-Sq-cm obituaries), it has no option but to forcibly intrude into the only available space on the paper, the "Letters to the Editor" columns.<br> Look at this piece that was published two days ago.<br> The report that six persons died in clashes in Nandigram, West Bengal, following rumours of land acquisition for a Special Economic Zone, is disturbing.<br> "Rumors"? What rumors? When you turn two pages you find where Mr. Bhattacharjee admitted that the Haldia Development Authority did issue a notice to acquire land and the said authority is headed by a CPI(M) MP. Why publish letters that are factually incorrect?<br> Incidentally, all the letters are from people who are more that 2000 kms from West Bengal. What a representative collection of letters!<br> As if that was not enough, yesterday's edition carries another letter toeing the line of The Hindu and coming from a non-West Bengal location.<br> The death of six persons in clashes instigated by some organisations in Nandigram is unfortunate. The fact that these organisations played up rumours of land acquisition saying the West Bengal Government had issued eviction notices, when the reality is that it has not even completed the identification of lands, shows their vested interest.<br> The other letter in the column too supports the Marxists. Readers often look towards the letters to learn the dissenting or the alternative points of view. In the first place, the reporting on the Singur issue has been very one-sided. Ms. Medha Patkar and Ms. Arundhati Roy, who usually get lavish space, are now given single-column insignificant coverage. By publishing letters that just mimic the articles, The Hindu is forcing regular readers like me to look for alternative sources of news.<br> The fine line between your beliefs and the truth is always sacrosanct. In this editorial, where they term Mamata Banerjee's fast as "high-wire theatrics" and "meaningless" , has breached that line. The editorial, which also commends Mr. Bhattacharjee' s handling of the issue, give us an FAQ on Singur.<br> What are the key facts about Singur? The State Government went about acquiring the land sought by Tata Motors not by dispossessing the people on the highly fragmented land, but by seeking their consent through offering compensation that was significantly higher than the market price.<br> The moot issue is not the price but the consent of the landowners and rehabilitation and that has been consciously eclipsed.<br> The biggest lie that Chief Minister Bhattacharjee has been repeatedly telling is that the lands have been acquired with the consent of the landowners. But the "Final Report on Singur", available on the website of the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation, reveals a different story.<br> Consent under section 11(2) is a means of involvement of the citizen in determination of award. However, non-submission of consent in writing in terms of Section 11(2) does not prevent the Collector from declaring the award and acquiring the land. For those landowners who do not submit consent in writing under Section 11 (2), the Collector shall proceed under Section 11(1) and declare the award and such awardees will not receive the additional 10%.<br> Hence, irrespective of the landowner's consent, the lands have been acquired by the West Bengal Government. The consents that were obtained before the calculation of award are called "Pre-Award Consents," which is quite logi </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://palashbiswas.blog.co.uk/2007/01/13/marxist_halucination~1550681/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>Marxist Halucination
Palash Biswas

( Pl Publish the matter with latest update and send a copy. contact: Palash C Biswas, Gostokanan, Sodepur, Kolkata- 700110. India. Phone: 91-33-25659551).

MACBETH

Is this a dagger which I see before me,
The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee.
I have thee not, and yet I see thee still.
Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible
To feeling as to sight? or art thou but
A dagger of the mind, a false creation,
Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain?
I see thee yet, in form as palpable
As this which now I draw.
Thou marshall'st me the way that I was going;
And such an instrument I was to use.
Mine eyes are made the fools o' the other senses,
Or else worth all the rest; I see thee still,
And on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood,
Which was not so before. There's no such thing:
It is the bloody business which informs
Thus to mine eyes. Now o'er the one halfworld
Nature seems dead, and wicked dreams abuse
The curtain'd sleep; witchcraft celebrates
Pale Hecate's offerings, and wither'd murder,
Alarum'd by his sentinel, the wolf,
Whose howl's his watch, thus with his stealthy pace.
With Tarquin's ravishing strides, towards his design
Moves like a ghost. Thou sure and firm-set earth,
Hear not my steps, which way they walk, for fear
Thy very stones prate of my whereabout,
And take the present horror from the time,
Which now suits with it. Whiles I threat, he lives:
Words to the heat of deeds too cold breath gives.

A bell rings

I go, and it is done; the bell invites me.
Hear it not, Duncan; for it is a knell
That summons thee to heaven or to hell.

( From Macbeth by william Shakespear)

My father Pulin Kumar Biswas never believed communists after Telengana and Dhiri Block betrayal. During seventies, while I was engaged in students` movement and later in Uttarakhand sangharsha Vahini, he would never listen any reference to ideology. Rather he sounded like George Bernard Shaw who said, `"The Apple Cart exposes the unreality of both democracy and royalty as our idealists conceive them." In fact, The Apple Cart is a treatise on the impossibility of any kind of government. Democracy, autocracy, and monarchy are all making the best of a bad situation, and none of them is doing very well. Shaw is no anarchist; he simply wants us to recognize, as King Magnus does, the invisible shackles that trip government and turn it into a farce. Shaw wrote in the `Preface to Apple Cart’, Besides, the conflict is not really between royalty and democracy.
It is between both and plutocracy, which, having destroyed the
royal power by frank force under democratic pretexts, has bought
and swallowed democracy. Money talks: money prints: money
broadcasts: money reigns; and kings and labor leaders alike have to
register its decrees, and even, by a staggering paradox, to finance
its enterprises and guarantee its profits. Democracy is no longer
bought: it is bilked. Ministers who are Socialists to the backbone
are as helpless in the grip of Breakages Limited as its acknowledged
henchmen: from the moment when they attain to what is with
unintentional irony called power (meaning the drudgery of carrying
on for the plutocrats) they no longer dare even to talk of
nationalizing any industry, however socially vital, that has a
farthing of profit for plutocracy still left in it, or that can be
made to yield a farthing for it by subsidies.’

Ideology sounds always good. It was good enough in Soviet Union and in the entire communist world. What happened , it is history.

I was just born and I have simply no memory of Dhimri Block uprising in Himalayan terai. but I had enough opportunity to witness the trail and victimisation. In late sixties the communists in terai played the role of landbrokers in the same way as buddha is doing it in West Bengal on full scale. In our Bengali Refugee areas the communist villages were Netaji Nagar, Vijay Nagar, Pipulia, Chandipur, etc. Most of the communist peasants in these villages lost their land and leaders had their hand.
When Bengali refugees settled in MP, Maharashtra, Andhra and Orrissa were planning to launch Marichjhapi agitaion, my father Pulin Kumar Biswas went to Mana Camp and tried to convince the refugees that it will be a folly to depend on the communist leaders in West Bengal. Jyoti Basu had visited Vilai and ram chatterjee went to mana to mobilise the agitation. Since my father has a very good relations with ND Tiwari and KC pant, the rfugee leaders did not believe him . He was the president of all India Bengali Refugee committe. He was mishandled and was saved by police. My father came back to Nainital and no refugee joined this Matrichjhapi movement under his influence ie UP, Bihar and Assam. What happened is Marichjhapi genocide by the Jyoti Basu government. I also protested the movement purely on ecological ground as I believed that sundar Van must be protected and Marichjhapi won`t solve the refugee problem.
My father was very sad that no refugee movement could be mobilised in bengal and he held left responsible for this.

My father died in 2001. I still have faith in communist ideologybut I see the picture of ideological betrayal very clear. Sumit Sarkar and Tanika Sarkar always supported CPI-M and they are out to lodge their protest on indiscriminate land garbbing. Mahashweta Devi, arundhati Roy, Aparna Sen, Meeratul Naher, Ratan Basu Majumdar and the entire Bengal intellegentia is known for its left ideology. Even Medha Patekar launched so many movements with left countrywide. Now everyone is against left. Why? so everyone turns to be Naxalite!

On friday, Aparna sen and Shaoli Mitra led a demonstration by intellectuals. Participants were:Arpita Ghosh, Sunand Sanyal, Kaushik Chattopadhyaya, Pratul chakrabarti,Chaitali Dutt, Tarun Nashkar, Gauri Bandopadhyay, Anadi Basu, Kaushik Ghosh, Meeratun naher, Kakoli Majumdar, Kalyan sengupta, Ratan Basu Majumdar, Debbrata Panda, Apurba Biswas, Prashant Sikdar, Kartik saha, Siddikullah Chaudhari, ashok Samanta, tapan roychoudhari, ajanta Ghosh, Swaraj Sengupta and many more.

Buddhadev and CPI-M leaders were alleging that Jamaje Ulema Hind is misleading peasant with Naxalites. Leftists accused of communalism against Jamate Ul Hind. The party and governement could not speak to naxalites but the chief minister talked to Jamat leaders with other prominent Muslim leaders to convince tyhe Muslim Vote Bank.

Thus, capitalist development, globalisation, industrilisation, party, Marxist ideology, vote bank, popular progressive image, altogether caught Buddhadev in a situation of Macbeth`s Halucination and this is Marxist Halucination.Buddha simply ignores Left, right, Centre.

The Left and its allies may have fought for stopping use of agricultural land for Special Economic Zones (SEZ) but in West Bengal, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee says it's impossible to conform to the Centre's stipulation. JSW Steel, which signed an MoU with the Bengal government, would need around 4,800 acres for the 10-million tonne steel plant. According to the government, not more than 100 acres of farmland could be acquired. However, the JSW deal was an exception and in fact the proposed industrial projects would eat up a substantial portion of agricultural land in the state. Even the fertile tracts will have to be sacrificed.

The Left Front wants use of multicrop land for SEZ restricted at 10 per cent, but Bhattacharjee says departures are bound to happen in Bengal."I think it is not possible to apply in our state because 62 per cent is agricultural land and at least 70 to 80 per cent is fertile land. But we'll compensate by improving the productivity of land we have," says Bhattacharjee.

Singur is a case in point. While dated government records show barely 10 per cent of the acquired 997-acre plot yielded more than one crop a year, villagers claim exactly the opposite.

After months of debate, government officials admit productivity of land had improved since records were last updated, and the 10 per cent figure wasn't correct.

After Singur and Nandigram, partners of the CPM have distanced themselves from Bhattacharjee. And with departures happening from hallowed political beliefs of the Left Front, building a consensus amongst allies wouldn't be easy.

Bhattacharya did not commit 'big blunder', says Yechuri. Here you are! The JNU based 21st century leadership which have no grassroots like Sunderaiya, Namboodaripad, Pramod Dasgupta, Jyoti Basu, surjeet, have chosen to support the erring chief minister and are quite in a hurry to annihilate the party support base. Yechuri replied: 'What she has given is being inquired into by the government and till now 350 acres of what she claims as part of the acquired land is outside of this land. The affidavits that have been filed do not fall under the purview of the acquired land... 350 acres is entirely from outside.'

Yechuri also insisted in an interview to Karan Thapar on CNN-IBN that the West Bengal government used force to take over land from farmers in Singur village for a Tata car project.

Fervently and repeatedly and at times angrily, the Rajya Sabha MP said Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya had not admitted to committing a 'big blunder' in Nandigram where violence sparked by angry farmers led to four deaths.'There is no blunder ... I am sorry. Don't quote to me what appears in the press. I know what he said,' Yechuri said.

Pointed out reports where Bhattacharya is quoted as saying that the Nandigram violence happened 'because of our mistake ... it was a big blunder', Yechuri snapped: 'It was not said to journalists. They all picked it up from god knows where.'

Instead, Yechuri said: 'The Haldia Development Authority issued some instruction which was not its mandate. That instruction is the cause for a lot of confusion. 'Please go by his - written statement which is available on the web and where he says it was - the - Development Authority which has no authority on this issue.'

On Singur, where land acquisition by the government led to a prolonged hunger strike by Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee, the CPI-M MP said the party had actually brought to the fore the question of compensation paid to farmers 'to the national agenda'.'The compensation we are giving in Singur is the best and the most exemplary. And now everybody will have to follow suit.'

The state government says that 954 acres of the required 997 in Singur has been voluntarily surrendered. But Mamata Banerjee claims the owners of 464 acres, 46 percent of the total, have filed affidavits in court asserting they have refused to sell their land and refused to accept compensation.

Yechuri replied: 'What she has given is being inquired into by the government and till now 350 acres of what she claims as part of the acquired land is outside of this land. The affidavits that have been filed do not fall under the purview of the acquired land... 350 acres is entirely from outside.'

Asked to comment on charges that violence was used against farmers and people in Singur, he said: 'I contest very, very strongly that all of this happened through brute force. When Mamata Banerjee and Medha Patkar were there on dharna, you had people queuing up to collect compensation cheques. Why? Why are they accepting this package?'

Another village braces for land fight

NARESH JANA writes in Telegraph, Kolkata

Mahishadal, Jan. 11: A procession of 500 villagers threaded its way yesterday along National Highway-41 in East Midnapore’s Mahishadal to express solidarity with the Nandigram farmers in their agitation against acquisition of land.

The villagers have their own reason to rally against acquisition of farmland for industry. A special economic zone and biotechnology park, scheduled to come up in Haldia, spills over to Mahishadal, about 120 km from Calcutta.

The Haldia Development Authority has identified 13 mouzas measuring 24 sq km for acquisition.

“The farmers in Nandigram have showed us how to build up a movement against land acquisition. We will prevent land acquisition in Mahishadal, too,” said 24-year-old Uttam Shau, a farmer who owns four bighas in Dakshin Kashimnagar, and one of those leading the procession at Garughata.

Haldia Development Authority chairman and Tamluk MP Lakshman Seth, however, said the quantum of land to be acquired and the land map were yet to be drawn up. “We have only identified the mouzas.”

A notification similar to the one which led to the flare-up in Nandigram was sent by the Haldia Development Authority to the block development office in Mahishadal on December 28 last year.

“We came to know about the land acquisition preparations on September 13 last year when the block development officer was in the process of drawing up a list of the mouzas. We immediately set up a committee to build up a movement,” said Tapan Maity, the local committee secretary of the SUCI in Mahishadal and convener of the Jami Banchao Bastu Banchao Committee.

Maity said the committee was set up with active participation of the local SUCI, Trinamul Congress and even the CPI. Both the pradhans of Itamogra-I and Itamogra-II gram panchayats belong to the CPI and the party is a dominant force at the panchayat level.

“People have voted me to power for seven consecutive terms. If I don’t participate in the movement, it will be a betrayal on my part,” said Sudhanshu Sekhar Barik, pradhan of Itamogra-II.

The CPI panchayat samity member of Mahishadal, Nirmal Kumar Das, is one of the assistant secretaries of the committee.

Medha to Nandigram: Don’t drop guard against ‘Yuddhadeb’

Express News Service

Kolkata, January 12: After a bitter struggle with the police for the past two days Medha Patkar finally reached Nandigram on Friday afternoon. Along with environmentalist Swami Agnivesh and some other leaders, the social activist addressed a meeting of farmers, protesting against the state governments proposed land acquisition drive for a SEZ project in the area. Patkar warned the villagers in Nandigram that there was no reason to slacken the vigil against the government machinery’s move to acquire land, for the attack will come in a different form.

Dubbing Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee as “Yuddhadeb,” Patkar said Nandigram has shown the rest of the country how to resist the government’s “ill-conceived steps”. She said though the government has retracted for the time being, it is definitely not the end of the struggle for the villagers. She also exhorted the women of Nandigram to mount a vigil since the attack will now come “in a different form” — the lure of money. When the monetary bait comes, families, she warned, may split down the middle.

The women, thus, will have to guard against such moves, she said. Patkar said the 80,000 families of Nandigram were enough to ward off any future attack, provided the people remained united as they are at present.

Telling the locals that there is no need to take up arms, she said the human cordon would be enough to thwart the government’s land acquisition efforts.

The anti-Narmada dam agitation leader said her demonstration in West Bengal is an eye opener. Though she has till date organised several movements in Maharashtra, the Marxist government’s response to her agitation against land acquisition in Singur and Nandigram was totally unexpected, she added.

Meanwhile, a close associate of Patkar said there was no reply from CPI(M) state secretary Biman Bose, against whom she had served a defamation notice. The spokesman for National Alliance for People Movement said Patkar would return to Nagpur temporarily but would be back soon.

Nandigram students rise against principal

ibnlive.com
Posted Saturday , January 13, 2007 at 16:47

NANDIGRAM CONCERNS: Farmers have been resisting land acquisitions for setting up an SEZ.

New Delhi: The unrest in Nandigram in West Bengal took a different turn when students and their parents of a school locked up the Headmaster for closing the school without any notice and allowing the Communist Party of India (CPI) to hold a meeting in the school premises.When students arrived at the Benoy Bandhupur Kandu Parash primary school, they found it shut and saw that CPI West Bengal state secretary Manju Majumdar was holding a meeting there with around 200 people.After the meeting, the students and their parents locked the Headmaster Bidesh Patra in his room.

Majumdar told PTI that the CPI had asked the headmaster for permission to hold the meeting and thought it unfortunate that the headmaster had not issued any notice to the students or their guardians that the school would be closed.

Nandigram had witnessed a seesaw battle on early Sunday morning between CPM supporters and protesting farmers, who were resisting land acquisitions for setting up an SEZ for the Salim group of Indonesia.

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL Public Statement

AI Index: ASA 20/004/2007
(Public)
News Service No: 006

11 January 2007

India: Deaths in West Bengal during protest against
new industrial project

As protests by farming communities fearing
displacement from their land as a result of a new
industrial project continue to lead to violence in
West Bengal (Eastern India), Amnesty International is
concerned at reports that state officials may be
responsible for, or complicit in, human rights abuses
including torture and the death or injury of
protestors following the use of excessive and
unnecessary force.

At least seven people were reported killed and at
least 20 others injured since 7 January in continuing
violence in Nandigram, Eastern Midnapore district,
West Bengal where farmers are protesting an initiative
by the Bengal state government to acquire land for a
new industrial project. Among those killed was a
14-year-old boy.

Violent clashes in Nandigram reportedly involved
members of the local Krishjami Raksha Committee (Save
Farmland Committee) and persons linked to the
Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), which leads
West Bengal’s Left Front government and is seeking to
accelerate the development of industrial projects in
the state.

Human rights organisations allege that the farmers
were attacked by armed men affiliated to the CPI-M
acting in complicity with the police. The reports say
the attackers fired at the farmers and branded some of
them with hot iron rods as “punishment” for protesting
against the industrial project. There have been
reports of farmers carrying out attacks on local CPI-M
offices in the area, forcing them to flee elsewhere.

In this context, Amnesty International urges the
Government of West Bengal to:

order an impartial and independent inquiry into the
Nandigram violence, promptly make the findings public
and prosecute those accused of violence;

ensure that all state officials, including police
personnel, who are suspected of being responsible for
human rights violations, including excessive use of
force, torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading
treatment are prosecuted;

release those detained without any specific criminal
charges at Nandigram and ensure that activists and
other individuals engaged in peaceful protests should
be able to do so without fear of violence, harassment
or false accusation of involvement in criminal
activities.

Amnesty International believes that full consultations
about the human rights impact of economic decisions
with those to be affected are vital means through
which human rights are safeguarded in the context of
development. In this respect, the organisation calls
on the Government of West Bengal to:

announce and implement a consistent policy of full
consultation with local populations before any
development which could affect their livelihood can
take place and

ensure that, where populations are resettled, there is
just, adequate and culturally-sensitiv e
rehabilitation, resettlement and reparation for those
affected.

Background
Since 3 January 2007, Nandigram has witnessed protests
by local farmers after they came to know about a
notification issued by authorities at the neighbouring
Haldia port identifying their lands as sites to be
acquired for the new chemical production project. This
notification has since been withdrawn by the West
Bengal government which has stated it would “exercise
caution” while going ahead with the project.

The project reportedly requires at least 4,000
hectares of land for setting up a Special Economic
Zone (SEZ) which would be jointly developed as a
chemical hub by the state-owned Industrial Development
Corporation and the Indonesia-based Salem group of
companies. Another SEZ promoted by the same group is
also reportedly planned in the Haldia area.

The protests at Nandigram followed unrest in Singur
(West Bengal) in December 2006, when opposition
parties and a number of farmers threatened with
displacement by a state government move to acquire
farm land for a Tata Motors’ automobile manufacturing
project prompted demonstrations. The West Bengal state
government plans to set up at least six other major
industrial projects, including SEZs, in the state,
necessitating the acquiring of at least 10,000
hectares of land.

In a bid to boost national economic growth, India has
been promoting SEZs across the country. The policy of
acquiring land for such industrial projects has
sparked protests from local communities fearing land
displacement and threats to their sustainable
livelihood.

~~
Joe Athialy
Campaigns and Communication Coordinator
Amnesty International India

Consent for 960 acres in Singur, a telegraph story:
- Govt publishes details of landowners who have no objection to Tata Motors project, Mamata cries foul
Calcutta, Jan. 12: The government today published a detailed list of plots totalling 960.13 acres that were acquired for Tata Motors with the consent of landowners in Singur, but Mamata Banerjee branded it a lie. The list trashes Trinamul Congress’s claim that 464 acres out of the 997.11 acres required for the Tata project was forcibly acquired. The government issued a release today saying that the details on Singur were available on its official site www.wbgov.com.

The 372-page list contains the names of over 15,000 people in five Singur mouzas — Bajemelia, Beraberi, Khasherbheri, Singherbheri and Gopalnagar — who consented to the acquisition, their plot areas and khatian (holding) numbers.

Land minister Abdur Rezzak Mollah said: “We have published a detailed list of those who have given consent to the Tata project. So, Trinamul’s claims that 464 acres were forcibly acquired are untenable.”

“The information on the website is false and we shall come out with our own list detailing the names of farmers whose land was forcibly acquired for the project,” a Trinamul leader quoted Mamata as saying tonight.

Trinamul MP Mukul Roy said the party has already submitted to the governor documents that show 464 acres had been taken away without owners’ consent.

The government, however, had said earlier that the list contained names of many whose land had not been acquired at all as they were outside the area earmarked for the small-car plant.

Officials in the commerce and industries department said tonight that the website would speak for itself about the government’s assertion on consent from a majority of the farmers.

“Let Trinamul come out with its list, people will understand which one is correct,” an official added.

Becharam Manna, the convener of the Save Farmland Committee, said he has begun mobilising people for a fresh round of protests. “We are least bothered about the government’s claims. The people here know what is what. We shall meet tomorrow to chart the course of our action,” he said.

My game is red , a DNA analysis by Sayandeb Chowdhury :
Thursday, January 11, 2007 23:59 IST

The only inspiration for the opposition in Bengal is CPI(M)’s flawed past

The game of realpolitik involves a hidden streak of the unsaid and the unuttered, which does not show up on camera in two-second bites. But certain historical junctures bring to the surface those fault lines and ironies. The Singur and Nandigram issues have all the makings of a conflict that can force open those fault lines in Bengal.

There is no certainty that anytime soon, Mamata Banerjee’s madness, like that of King George the Fifth, will surrender to the voices of reason. It is similarly unlikely that CPI(M) will let the Tatas run away from the state like their brethren did in the sixties and seventies. Big capital, frightened by the spectre of communism, had then sought shelter in Mumbai and elsewhere.

But old cultures die hard; in Bengal politics, often they don’t. So in a display of supreme irony, now the Leftists are the flag-bearers of capital and Mamata is the obstructer-in-chief, eyeing the vast rural base of the CPI(M).

The style and maybe the substance have transmuted. But the culture hasn’t. Mamata’s show of public defiance and disruption, owes its genealogy to the CPI(M), whose cadres were well tutored in disruptive and dissident tactics. Mamata has only taken over from where the CPM left off.

But how and when did the CPM vacate that space in the first place? Why did it leave the hallowed, if somewhat hollowed communist chimera and embrace what, by any accounts, is pure capitalism? Was it externally driven — the collapse of the Soviet Union, the changing economic landscape in China or Vietnam — or did it have an internal, purely domestic impetus? No doubt the old communist dreams of those countries had helped the CPI(M) dangle the carrot of a great future to its followers. Bengal had seen its industries vanish and the impoverished population bought into the CPI(M)’s grand project.

Part of the Party’s political base was in the industrial wastelands where people were left jobless due to the flight of capital. The other part were the farmers who joined the CPI(M) in the hope of transforming their lives; after the Green revolution had bypassed them.

To keep its rural and mofussil base intact, the CPM had to show itself to be anti-metropolitan, which meant attacking computerisation and taking English out of primary education. The result? Bengal’s present crumbled under the weight of a future that would never come. The CPI(M) stood by paternalistically, guarding a generation that grew up totally unsure of itself and its place in the world.

But, the world was changing outside and with it, India was experiencing convulsions, too. As other states began prospering once reforms were instituted, there were those in the CPI(M) who realised that the myth of a prosperous agrarian Bengal would be unsustainable for long. To make sure the state grew out of stagnancy, it had to change tracks and embrace speedy industrialisation. Which meant a change in its party culture — the strikes, the bandhs and the violence that had become hallmarks of the CPM’s style of functioning.

Also, by the mid-nineties, the Left parties’ vote share started dwindling from a healthy 40 per cent that it had enjoyed in the 80s. In fact, at any time during the nineties, a united opposition could have dislodged the CPI(M). Some party leaders quickly saw the writing on the wall. They realised that globalisation was raising expectations even among its own faithful. Younger Bengalis did not see merit in the party’s anti-technology stance. There was a real danger that the party would become irrelevant. The future was already here; there was no time to lose.

Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee was quick on the uptake and saw that the future of his party was not in peddling empty aphorisms to the hoi polloi. It was in making peace and working alongside the middle class. Braving the objections of his colleagues, especially at the centre, he has forged on, wooing capital from within and outside the country. The middle-class shifted to him in droves.

The danger is that he may have left his traditional bases open to others like Mamata, who has spotted the chinks in the party’s armour. Not only has she studied the CPM’s political language carefully, she has gauged —perhaps correctly — that there are still sections in the rural hinterland who may not be in thrall of rapid industrialisation. Like Banquo’s ghost, the CPI(M)’s old dreams refuse to fade away.

Now, the poor have found solace with Mamata and her ilk. Mamata on her part has occupied the anti-industry ground and she is finding support and traction. Both sides have exchanged garbs. Meanwhile, Bengal’s future glory seems to be in permanent limbo.

Shukla Sen writes:
Singur: The Emperors Have No Clothes
January 12, 2007
How much more will The Hindu defend the Marxist Government of West Bengal? For over a month, the campaign to paint the Marxist Government white has breached all decent limits of "fearless, unbiased" reporting. Not content with the 22 pages it has everyday, The Hindu also wants to use the tiny "Letters to the Editor" column to propagate or rather thrust its views upon readers. Similar to the cry of Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee that since all the available land is under cultivation they are forced to encroach upon agricultural land for industrialization, The Hindu seems to say that since all the available space is either filled with news or advertisements (or even Rs 13-per-Sq-cm obituaries), it has no option but to forcibly intrude into the only available space on the paper, the "Letters to the Editor" columns.
Look at this piece that was published two days ago.
The report that six persons died in clashes in Nandigram, West Bengal, following rumours of land acquisition for a Special Economic Zone, is disturbing.
"Rumors"? What rumors? When you turn two pages you find where Mr. Bhattacharjee admitted that the Haldia Development Authority did issue a notice to acquire land and the said authority is headed by a CPI(M) MP. Why publish letters that are factually incorrect?
Incidentally, all the letters are from people who are more that 2000 kms from West Bengal. What a representative collection of letters!
As if that was not enough, yesterday's edition carries another letter toeing the line of The Hindu and coming from a non-West Bengal location.
The death of six persons in clashes instigated by some organisations in Nandigram is unfortunate. The fact that these organisations played up rumours of land acquisition saying the West Bengal Government had issued eviction notices, when the reality is that it has not even completed the identification of lands, shows their vested interest.
The other letter in the column too supports the Marxists. Readers often look towards the letters to learn the dissenting or the alternative points of view. In the first place, the reporting on the Singur issue has been very one-sided. Ms. Medha Patkar and Ms. Arundhati Roy, who usually get lavish space, are now given single-column insignificant coverage. By publishing letters that just mimic the articles, The Hindu is forcing regular readers like me to look for alternative sources of news.
The fine line between your beliefs and the truth is always sacrosanct. In this editorial, where they term Mamata Banerjee's fast as "high-wire theatrics" and "meaningless" , has breached that line. The editorial, which also commends Mr. Bhattacharjee' s handling of the issue, give us an FAQ on Singur.
What are the key facts about Singur? The State Government went about acquiring the land sought by Tata Motors not by dispossessing the people on the highly fragmented land, but by seeking their consent through offering compensation that was significantly higher than the market price.
The moot issue is not the price but the consent of the landowners and rehabilitation and that has been consciously eclipsed.
The biggest lie that Chief Minister Bhattacharjee has been repeatedly telling is that the lands have been acquired with the consent of the landowners. But the "Final Report on Singur", available on the website of the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation, reveals a different story.
Consent under section 11(2) is a means of involvement of the citizen in determination of award. However, non-submission of consent in writing in terms of Section 11(2) does not prevent the Collector from declaring the award and acquiring the land. For those landowners who do not submit consent in writing under Section 11 (2), the Collector shall proceed under Section 11(1) and declare the award and such awardees will not receive the additional 10%.
Hence, irrespective of the landowner's consent, the lands have been acquired by the West Bengal Government. The consents that were obtained before the calculation of award are called "Pre-Award Consents," which is quite logi

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]]>Nirmal, We Wanted A Better Worldhttp://palashbiswas.blog.co.uk/2007/01/13/nirmal_we_wanted_a_better_world~1549721/2007-01-13T15:02:03+01:00 <p>Nirmal, We Wanted a Better World </p> <p>Palash Biswas</p> <p>(Contact: Palash Biswas, c/o Mrs Arati Roy, Gostokanan, Sodepur, Kolkata- 700110, India. Phone: 91-33-2565-9551)</p> <p>Medha patekar went to nandigram today and blamed CPI-M for the Genocide.</p> <p>and I have to write on my friend.</p> <p>Nirmal. Nirmal joshi, a friend , a comrade is no more. He died on 24 October. He was sick for long time. My sweet home Nainital is situated perhaps in another galaxy. We have so many E-Groups, mobiles and net, but we did not know the news. I had to attend the birthday party of Golu, the lovely small boy , my friend film director Rajiv Kumar`s son last Sunday. We met in south kolkata in his new flat. Director Joshy Joseph and a bunch of young filmmakers and technitians were present. We discussed nandigram, Singur, Bangladesh, Refugee movement, my father, globalisation and American corporate Imperialism. But we could not discuss on our home Nainital or Uttrakhand. We have no news, no feedback, no phonecall from Nainital. No body informed us that Nirmal is not there to participate in any hot debate on our favourite topics as he used to do in seventies during our collegedays, during emergency and Chipko Andolan, during Nasha nahee Rozgar do. He won`t be there to enact again , `Thank You Mr Glad’.<br> On monday only, I recieved a copy of Nainital samachar and got the news. I informed rajiv. We were stunned that a friend born in 1956 went away for ever so silently. Nirmal was never silent. We shared a single quilt in Girda`s room with Girda, Mohan, Prim, Pushpa and Nirmal. We shared single cup of tea during rehersals of Yugmanch. We shared a bottle of wine in chilly night in Nainital.Everyone had to have a chuski. We discussed the world strolling on Malroad beside the splendid Naini Lake in winter nights amid snowfall. We discussed Marx and Mao, Gandhi and Lohia, Classics written worldwide and the contemporary world. We discussed our dreams. We discussed every moment a better uttarakhand , a better india and a better world.<br> What Uttarakhand we have got! What a world is this!</p> <p>During emergency, we were students in degree classes in Nainital. Mohan alias Kapilesh Bhoj and me went to Mathura and Kota during winter vacation to attend writers` secret meetings. We used to have our study circles on Snow Peak or Tiffin Top. Nainital samchar was yet to publish. In DSB college we had Mahendra Singh Pal, the students` Union President, Raja Bahuguna, Sher Singh Naulia, Bhagirath Lal, the most versatile actor Zahoor Alam, Suresh Arya, Kashi Singh Airy and many more who represent Uttarakhand assembly nowadays.Pradip Tamta, now a Congress MLA , was our ideological leader.He was most agressive. Mohan and me were considerd intellectuals in the group as we used to write regularly.At that time we were room partners in Bengal Hotel Nainital as we left the house of Tara Chandra tripathi, our guide and teacher. </p> <p>We knew Girda as a poet and a very good director actor.We had no interaction with Rajiv Lochan sah or Shekhar Pathak at that time. DD Pant was our Vice chacellor who launched Uttarakhand Kranti Dal later and kash emerged the leader. </p> <p>Tamta came to our room and introduced Nirmal, an MA student in political science.His father was the head clerk in our DSB college and we had serious doubts about Nirmal`s commitment. Very soon he proved to be more committed. We had secret meetings in Kashipur, Gularbhoj and Dineshpur in terai. We had regular study circles. We were fighting against emergency. Raja Bahuguna joined us at this point. He shifted to new founded Uttaraghand Sangharsh Vahini with us from Janata Dal. Earlier he had been Nainital district Youth Congress President. He left Congress during May, 1977 elections.</p> <p>During Chipko movement and just after Nainital Club Fire, the entire group was together with Almora friends Vipin Tripathi, shamsher singh Bisht and chandra Sekhar Bhatt, PC Tiwari and many more. nirmal was most active among us.nainital samachar, Nainital, Ramje Inter College Almora, Someshwar, Dwarahat, Tehri, Uttarkashi and the toatl Uttarakhan along with terai became our centres of activity. We often were involved in heated discussion. Niramal, Girda, Vipin Chacha and Me were the most vocal. Harish Pant, Zahoor Alam, Shamsher, Rajiv Lochan, Pawan Rakesh, Shekhar Pathak, dr Ajay rawat and Dr Chandresh Shastri were very logical. We always dominated.</p> <p> We decided the layout and content of Nainital Samachar and tyhe editorial team had to surrender. Outsiders like Naveen Joshi from Lucknow were the regular visitors. Pankaj Bisht, Biren dangwal, kunwar Prasoon, sundar Lal Bahuguna, jawaqhar Lal kaul, Anand swaroop Verma, himanshu Joshi, Diva Bhatt and others interupted us sometimes.<br> Uma Bahtt was married to Shekhar and she became the most silent and active worker. She played the host role for us the anarchists. We danced together on the occassion of Rajiv`s marriage. We may not forget all those days. rajiv Kumar came from Pantnagar and became a part of us. We played dramas by Badal Sarkar and the director was BB karanth. We played Trishanku with BM shah.</p> <p>During Thank You Mr Glad our team was attacked in Ramje college by RSS goons. Nirmal was thrashed. He played the patnaik role in the play. He was not an actor as zahoor and our Yugmanch friends were. But he acted very well. The wife of Patnaik was enacted by Pushpa. Nirmal`s father was not ready to agree their marriage as Nirmal was a Kumauni Brahmin and Pushpa , a Thakur titled Bisht. Bua Pushpa and Nirmal passed those challanges very well. both of them were established lawyers in Nainital Highcourt.<br> Me and savita went to Nainital just after our marraige. We met Nirmal and Pushpa for the last time then in May, 1983.<br> Nirmal changed a lot. He was drinking too muich and was availabl only in the Boat club. thus, I could not meet him for years. same was the case with friends in Nainital. We listened that Nirmal is changing once again. he is prepared to play a second innings in the mass movement.</p> <p>We needed you so much.<br> As we discussed so much, here are some updates worldwide.</p> <p>U'Khand: Min, MLA violate code of conduct</p> <p>Dehradun, Jan 12: With the issuing of notification for the Assembly polls in Uttarakhand, model code of conduct has been implemented in the hilly state to ensure free and fair elections.</p> <p>According to the Sahara Samay channel, as many as three cases of violation of code of conduct have been registered. One state minister and an MLA have also been found involved in it.Police sources told Sahara Samay that chargesheet has been prepared in two such cases of violation. </p> <p>Meanwhile, legal professionals opine that chargesheet can't bar the political leaders from contesting the polls.</p> <p> U.S. Embassy in Athens Is Attacked<br> ATHENS, Jan. 12 — Shortly before sunrise today, a missile ripped through the United States embassy here, causing minor damage to the building but no injuries. The missile was fired from the street over a 10-foot high security wall, smashing the glass in front of the embassy and spraying debris inside.</p> <p>An investigator, seen through broken glass, looked for evidence inside the embassy.<br> “We have yet to locate the staging area of this rocket attack,” said Assimakis Golfas, the head police chief of the greater Athens area. “We are scouring the region, mainly buildings across from the embassy.”</p> <p>Vyron Polydoras, the public order minister, said an anonymous caller, claiming to be a member of the Revolutionary Struggle terror group, had telephoned a local security company to claim responsibility for the attack, which occurred just before 6:00 a.m.</p> <p>“We’re investigating whether in fact this claim is true,” Mr. Polydoras said after visiting the site.</p> <p>Charles Ries, the American ambassador, said this morning that the embassy had not been warned of an attack.“We can’t speculate who’s behind this,” Mr. Ries told reporters. “Still, treat it as a very serious attack. There can be no justification for such a senseless act of violence.”</p> <p>Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, in Washington, was awakened to the news that the embassy in Greece “was under attack,” an embassy official said.</p> <p>The embassy said in a statement that it was hit by a missile. Mr. Ries said that the site was not occupied at the time of the attack and that it was now a crime scene under investigation by Greek authorities.Revolutionary Struggle, a Marxist group with strong anti-American sentiments, emerged in 2003, bombing an Athens courthouse complex. </p> <p>The group remains the most active Greek terror organization since the downfall of the country’s most deadly urban guerrilla group, November 17, blamed for killing 23 people — including American, British and Turkish officials — and for dozens of bomb attacks.</p> <p>Today’s hit against the United States mission was not unprecedented.</p> <p>On Feb. 15, 1996, an anti-tank rocket hit an outside wall of the embassy, damaging three diplomatic vehicles. While no group claimed responsibility, American officials believe the attack was committed by November 17.The November 17 guerrilla group was dismantled in 2002. Since then, however, a string of copycat terror cells have emerged, striking government buildings and foreign business interests.</p> <p>This morning’s attack forced the embassy to re-evaluate its security, already among the tightest at American diplomatic missions.The mission is surrounded by a high steel fence. Guards are posted at every entrance and at street corners around it.</p> <p>Authorities this morning were searching apartment buildings near the embassy, a hospital and a nearby construction site for evidence that could explain how terrorists managed to penetrate the capital’s most guarded district and attack the mission.Local residents called in to state television saying they had felt the powerful explosion, which shattered windows in the front of the building.</p> <p>This morning’s explosion snarled traffic for more than three hours, as scores of policemen cordoned off streets around the embassy. Police helicopters monitored the sky, circling over the building.</p> <p>A strong anti-American sentiment runs through a segment of the Greek population. Still, senior Greek government officials condemned the attack.</p> <p>“Such actions in the past have had a very heavy cost for the country — moral, financial and for the international standing of the country,” said Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis, who visited the embassy after the blast. “The Greek government is determined to undertake every effort to not allow such phenomena to be repeated in the future.” </p> <p>Bangladeshi president swears in successor<br> By Peter Fosterand Matthew Moore<br> Bangladesh's president has appointed a former central bank governor to succeed him as leader of the country's interim administration, in a further effort to curb the political revolt destabilising the country.Iajuddin Ahmed has also lifted a night curfew imposed yesterday, when he agreed to postpone this month's general election in the face of international diplomatic pressure. But a state of emergency remains in place across the country, with 60,000 troops patrolling the streets. Media freedom is restricted, and people are banned from criticising the government and its activities.</p> <p>The Foreign Office has warned Britons not to travel to the country unless absolutely necessary.</p> <p>The election postponement came after three weeks of intensifying street clashes during which more than 40 people have died as Bangladesh's main opposition parties accuse the outgoing administration of attempting to rig the election. </p> <p>Mr Ahmed's resignation as head of the administration yesterday has been seen as a much-needed effort to halt the violence and reach out to political groups opposed to him.</p> <p>Today he swore in Fakhruddin Ahmed, a former central bank governor, to succeed him, in a ceremony broadcast live on state television.</p> <p>For the past four months the outgoing prime minister, Khaleda Zia, has been locked in a bitter face-off with her long-time rival Sheikh Hasina, herself a former prime minister, who leads the 19-party opposition alliance.</p> <p>The two women bear a deep personal animosity, which diplomats blame for the increasing impasse that has paralysed Bangladesh since Mrs Zia's term of office expired last October. </p> <p>Last month in an exclusive interview with The Daily Telegraph, Anwar Choudhury, Britain's High Commissioner to Bangladesh, raised the spectre of "unconstitutional intervention" by the army in a country which has had 19 assorted coups since it gained independence from Pakistan in 1971. </p> <p>Leader quits as poll stalls in Bangladesh<br> Bruce Loudon<br> BANGLADESH was plunged into turmoil last night as President Iajuddin Ahmed declared a state of emergency, quit as head of the interim Government and postponed elections that have sparked months of violence and scores of deaths.While more than 60,000 troops fanned out across the country to enforce a night curfew and tough media curbs were introduced, there were fears of a military coup.<br> But the 19-party opposition Awami League, which has led massive street protests, proclaimed Mr Ahmed's U-turn "a victory for the people" -- promoting hope of peaceful, fair polls. "That is certainly the optimistic view and it may be the case. But there are plenty of reasons to be more pessimistic. The road ahead is full of stumbling blocks," an analyst in Dhaka said. </p> <p>A senior diplomat at a Western embassy said: "The army could move, who knows? But on balance, ironically, things probably look a bit better today than they did yesterday." </p> <p>Lurking in the shadows are Islamic fundamentalist groups that support al-Qa'ida, and which many see as the potential beneficiaries of disruption to Bangladesh's democratic institutions. </p> <p>Mr Ahmed, a white-haired former judge who has been Bangladesh's ribbon-cutting head of state since 2002, appointed himself at the end of October to head of the supposedly non-partisan caretaker Government, which is constitutionally required 90 days before a general election is held. </p> <p>This followed the failure of the governing Bangladesh Nationalist Party, led by Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, and the Awami League, led by her arch-rival, Sheik Hasina Wajid, to agree on someone to head the interim administration or the Electoral Commission, which runs the polling. </p> <p>The pressure on Mr Ahmed intensified this week when the Awami League announced it would boycott the January 22 poll. Mr Ahmed tried to tough it out. But after a meeting with thecommanders of the three branches of the armed forces, he declared a state of emergency and resigned.</p> <p>Talks fail, fear reigns in Nandigram </p> <p> Nandigram (West Bengal): Even while West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee plans the road ahead, the people of Nandigram continue to live in camps and in fear of displacement.<br> For instance, a waiter in a hotel in Haldia, Lalmohan Pramanik, lives 50 kilometre away in Nandigram. Until a couple of months ago, he used to commute from home everyday but now he doesn't dare to go to his family."I can't go home because of the unrest there. I'm the sole bread earner in my family and if I get killed my family will be in deep trouble," he says.</p> <p>There were obvious signs of people of Nandigram planning an upheaval, but the police chose to ignore them till January 3.And now even by engaging all political parties in peace talks, the administration can't make headway.</p> <p>The last round of negotiations failed because farmers felt that the administration wouldn't go half way, so repair of roads and bridges has been pushed back by a few more days."We have lost faith in the Police and the administration because we are being attacked by CPI-M cadres in police uniform. It's for them that so many peasants have lost their lives," said a resident of the village, Sheikh Farooq Abdullah.Such is the threat perception that a makeshift public announcement system is being set up to warn villagers of a possible police entry. </p> <p>And though the Chief Minister has admitted to an administrative blunder in Nandigram and put land acquisition there on hold, farmers are not yet sure about the government's intentions.</p> <p>Thanks to the failed talks at the all-party meeting, restoration of civic infrastructure still remains a far cry in Nandigram. With villagers constantly living in the fear of losing their lives, the Chief Minister needs to do much more than give out assurances of tearing up notices to restore some faith among the peasants in Nandigram. </p> <p>Child soldiers in hiding in Somalia after recent violence</p> <p>MOGADISHU, Somalia: Adirisaq Khalid Ahmed was shining shoes in Mogadishu's labyrinthine marketplace when a soldier from Islamic movement approached, asking him to join up.</p> <p>Ahmed, all of 16 years old, said yes.</p> <p>Two months later, the Islamic militia has been driven from power and an unknown number of young soldiers like Ahmed are hiding in and around the capital, some of them wounded and too frightened to leave their homes.</p> <p>Interviews with several boys as young as 14 who said they fought in the recent weeks of violence in Somalia lend credence to accusations that children have been recruited for battle in this chaotic Horn of Africa nation. The government and the Islamic movement have denied recruiting child soldiers, but Christian Balslev-Olesen, UNICEF's Somalia representative, said Friday that witness accounts suggest otherwise.</p> <p>"I fought with the enemy and was shot," Ahmed told The Associated Press from his home, where his uncle is helping him recover from gunshots to his back and thigh. He spoke on condition that he not be photographed for fear of reprisals from the government, which with the help of Ethiopian troops drove the Islamic movement fighters out of Mogadishu and much of southern Somalia two weeks ago. He also fears Somalis who resent the strict interpretation of Islam that had been imposed by the Islamic movement, known as the Council of Islamic Courts .</p> <p>Medha Patkar now heads for Nandigram</p> <p>Kolkata, Jan 12 (IANS) Social activist Medha Patkar left for Nandigram in West Bengal Friday to address people resisting land acquisition for a special economic zone (SEZ).Patkar was freed on bail Thursday after she was arrested a day earlier for trying to visit Singur, the focal point of mass protests against a car project.The Narmada Bachao Andolan leader also filed a petition against the West Bengal Police for her arrest besides a defamation suit against Left Front leader Biman Bose for linking her to the Nandigram flare up.</p> <p>Medha Patkar, produced in Alipore police court here Thursday, was released on unconditional bail.</p> <p>Even as no untoward incident has been reported from Nandigram for the past two days, after days of clashes and deaths, the situation remained tense in the area where an all-party meeting on peace efforts had failed Thursday. </p> <p>Land acquisition: LR Act to be applied at Nandigram </p> <p>Express News Service </p> <p>Kolkata, January 11: The state government will no longer apply the West Bengal Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (WBIIDC) Act of 1974 at Nandigram where the government faced stiff opposition from local farmers after Haldia Development Authority (HDA) issued notices to acquire land for a proposed SEZ. The Act empowers WBIIDC to acquire land at any place for setting up industries. WBIIDC on its part can empower any state agency to acquire land for the same purpose. According to this Act, the government can acquire land anywhere for public purpose within 15 days. The Salim Group of Indonesia is setting up a multi-product SEZ at Nandigram and a chemical hub at Haldia in a total area of 22,500 acres of land. </p> <p>The government instead is going to apply the land acquisition Act of 1894, called Act One, for acquiring the land at Nandigram. According to this Act, notice for land acquisition can be issued only by the district magistrate. ‘‘Act One (the LR Act) is more transparent and there is more scope for the redressal of people’s grievances,’’ Abdur Rezaq Mollah, minister for land and land reforms, today said. He also said that the people of Nandigram panicked after they saw what happened at Singur. ‘‘People were tense when they saw the turn of events at Singur and they panicked when they saw the notices,’’ the minister said. </p> <p>Four people died when clashes erupted last week between the CPI-M supporters and those who were opposed to land acquisition there. The chief minister later admitted that the government’s decision was a hasty one and they had made a mistake by doing so. He also said that the government would go in for the land acquisition process only after consulting people at all levels, even if it takes months.</p> <p>West Bengal set to welcome mega investments from Bhushan<br> PRINCE MATHEWS THOMAS</p> <p>TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ FRIDAY, JANUARY 12, 2007 03:35:35 AM] </p> <p>MUMBAI: New Delhi-based Bhushan Steel and Strips (BSSL) plans to set up a 2 million tonne per annum (mtpa) steel plant in West Bengal to cash in on the growing demand for steel in India. The company is in talks with the state government and expects to sign the memorandum of understanding within a couple of months, MD Neeraj Singal told ET. </p> <p>The talks also include plans to set up a thermal power project of 1,000 MW. The project will be implemented by the company’s unlisted subsidiary Bhushan Energy. </p> <p>“We have identified the location for the projects and it will be near a coal pit-head. Talks are also on for a captive coal block,” added Mr Singal. Though he declined to disclose the amount of investment, industry estimates put the total investment at about Rs 10,000 crore. “About Rs 4,000 crore of investment is needed for each 1,000 MW of power,” said an analyst. </p> <p>The company is at present, implementing a 2.2 million tonne steel project in Orissa with an investment of Rs 5,000 crore. “The first phase of the Orissa project, with a capacity of 500,000 tonnes, will be completed by March this year. The whole project should be completed by 2009,” said CFO Nittin Johari. The company’s stock rose 3.6% to Rs 395 on the BSE on Thursday. The metal index on the exchange was up 1.9%. </p> <p>Incidentally, JSW Steel, the second-largest private steel manufacturer in the country on Thursday announced a “Development Agreement” with the West Bengal government for setting up a 10 million tonne steel plant in the state at an investment of Rs 35,000 crore. The project will be implemented by a special purpose joint venture company, with the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation and the West Bengal Mineral Development and Trading Corporation. The Sajjan Jindal-company will hold 89% stake in the JV. </p> <p>The two developments, according to industry experts, indicates that West Bengal following in the footsteps of Orissa, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand who have signed a slew of MoUs. BSSL’s project in Orissa is credited to be the first to be signed by the Orissa government. </p> <p>The company claims to have one of the largest captive held coal mines in the country with reserves of 330 million tonnes. BSSL is also implementing a 2,000 MW thermal power project in the state. “Work on the first phase of 300 MW has begun and we are nearing financial closure,” said Mr Singal. </p> <p>Bengal CM takes notes from Singur</p> <p>West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has learned a tough lesson his state readies to welcome at least Rs25,000 crore in investments. CNBC-TV18 reports.</p> <p>Resistance from opposition parties and lack of consensus amongst the CPI-M's allies wouldn't come in the way of Bengal's drive for industrialisation. That's what Bhattacharjee said in an exclusive interview to the TV18 Network. </p> <p>And to overcome farmer resistance of the kind he encountered in Singur and Nandigram, the state government must work in tandem with the CPI-M… that's the lesson the chief minister has learnt from Singur.</p> <p>Bhattacharjee says, "Of course the government and the party have to work together in one voice. The party is mobilising the local people and trying to persuade them and now 95 per cent of the people have voluntarily given consent. It's a unique thing; it's never happened in any part of the country."</p> <p>Indeed, landowners of Singur have been compensated well; tenants too have got something. But what happens to agricultural workers? They have got nothing as yet. But the chief minister says they too need not despair.</p> <p>"The major problem is with agricultural workers. Now we have engaged them in various construction activities like the construction of roads, fencing, and they will also be engaged in the construction of the factory. They will be engaged in the factories, if not the main factory, in the ancillary units," he said.</p> <p>Bengal, according to Bhattacharjee, would receive at least Rs25,000 crore in investments this year. There are three steel plants and six Special Economic Zones in the pipeline. </p> <p>But providing land for the proposed projects wouldn't be easy because 62 per cent of the state is under cultivation, and agriculture still accounts for nearly 26 per cent of Bengal's economy.</p> <p> Asia : Guarded optimism, but no big outcomes expected from Pranab visit </p> <p>Posted by admin on 2007/1/12 11:33:43<br> Islamabad, Jan 12 (IANS) Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee arrives on his first official visit to Pakistan Saturday amid guarded optimism on both sides that disputes over the Sir Creek marshland and the Siachen glacier may be resolved in the near future. However, both sides are realistic not to expect any immediate breakthrough on the Kashmir issue.</p> <p>The ostensible purpose of Mukherjee's visit here is to invite Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf to attend the 14th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit to be held in New Delhi in April this year.</p> <p>But Mukherjee's trip - the first by him to Pakistan - has taken on the dimensions of a diplomatic event that is being keenly watched on both sides of the border with the two sides expected to take their dialogue forward on the contentious issue of Kashmir, that has reportedly made some progress in back-channel talks.</p> <p>Mukherjee will hold talks with his Pakistani counterpart Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri Saturday to review the third round of composite dialogue between the two countries including security, Kashmir, Siachen, confidence building measures and trade, but from India's point of view the key concern would be continuing cross-border terrorism in which Pakistan is suspected to have a hand.</p> <p>In the spirit of new realism in their engagement, foreign office officials on both sides have already sounded out that there would be "no breakthroughs or big outcomes" in the talks that Mukherjee will have with the Pakistani leadership here but what is being watched keenly is the creation of positive atmospherics and the bridging of trust deficit to resolve more difficult issues.</p> <p>Mukherjee, say Indian officials, will use the opportunity to convey concerns over the resurgence of Taliban in Afghanistan and west Pakistan that has links with militancy in India.</p> <p>This will be in fact the first high-level political contact between the two countries after they set up a trailblazing institutional anti-terror mechanism in November last year in the aftermath of the July 11 multiple bombings in Mumbai that India blamed on Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence.</p> <p>Sources told IANS that the first meeting of the mechanism will be held in New Delhi shortly and possible dates would be discussed between both sides.</p> <p>"It is not in anybody's interest to see the rebirth of the Taliban. Obviously a major mindset change is required. And considering that US assistant secretary of state Richard Boucher is in Islamabad today from his trip to Kabul, we will be just reiterating the same points that he would have made," said a senior Indian government source who did not want to be identified.</p> <p>In a development that is sure to strengthen India's case, the US Senate Select committee on Intelligence dubbed Pakistan a hub of the Al-Qaeda and its global network and said its leaders enjoyed a "secure hideout" in this country.</p> <p>Interestingly, this is the first high-level visit from India after Musharraf came out with his four-point proposal consisting of a joint supervisory mechanism, self-governance, demilitarisation and making the Line of Control (LoC) irrelevant that fuelled speculation that some sort of understanding or deal on Kashmir might be possible in the future.</p> <p>In his talks with Musharraf, Mukherjee is also likely to convey India's desire to have a treaty of peace, security and friendship with Pakistan, as articulated by Manmohan Singh recently in his famous speech from the holy city of Amritsar.</p> <p>Two issues on which there are likely to be forward movement are the demarcation of maritime boundary by resolving Sir Creek and the dispute over the Siachen glacier. Pakistan may hint at accommodating India's demand for authenticating actual ground position line as a precondition for demilitarisation of what is known as the world's highest battlefield.</p> <p>"The minister's visit is expected to take this matter further and let's see what comes out," said an Indian foreign ministry official.</p> <p>If there is a breakthrough on any of these issues, it could set the stage for Manmohan Singh's visit to Pakistan later this year.</p> <p> Trinamool bid to strengthen Left link to fight CPI(M)<br> Kolkata, Jan. 12 (PTI): The Trinamool Congress is looking forward for support from Left partners, particularly Naxalites, to carry forward its movement against acquisition of agricultural land for industrial purpose. </p> <p>The Trinamool Congress today felicitated leaders of three Left groups for taking an 'active role' in the programmes of the party-led farmers committee to protest land acquisition at Singur and to 'protect the farmers' cause at Nandigram. </p> <p>"Our Left partners in the alliance are helping us to overcome our weaknesses," said Trinamool Congress leader Madan Mitra. </p> <p>"We are gaining from our Left friends to take forward our movement for the farmers' cause," Mitra said. </p> <p>"A new dimension has been added to the movement because of this partnership. It is a new platform for mass movement which is being spearheaded by the Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee." </p> <p>Members of the CPI-ML State Organising Committee and CPI-ML New Democracy were felicitated at the function at the compound of the party headquarters. </p> <p>Among Left partners in the Trinamool Congress-led Singur Krishi Jami Rakshya Committee (Save Farmland Committee) is the Party for Democratic Socialism whose leader Samir Patitunda was also felicitated. </p> <p>Two other Left parties outside the CPI(M)-led Left Front - SUCI and CPI-ML Liberation have not joined the Mamata-led agitation despite SUCI being the joint convenor of the committee in Singur.</p> <p>Blair backs Bush's plan</p> <p>Friday, January 12, 2007 (Lympstone):British Prime Minister Tony Blair said on Thursday he supported the US decision to send 21,500 more troops to Iraq, but stressed Britain had no need to deploy additional forces.Blair, speaking in an interview with a local television station in southwestern England, said the United States and Britain remained in step on their policy over Iraq. </p> <p>"Well, given the conditions in Baghdad at the moment, I think it makes sense for them to increase the number of their forces, provided it's to back up an increasing Iraqi capability.</p> <p>He further added that increasing capability would not just be in terms of their own armed forces, but also in terms of reconstruction, reconciliation, and development.</p> <p>Bush's decision and an ongoing joint Iraqi-British operation to tackle insurgents in the southern city of Basra shared the aim of transferring security duties to local forces, Blair added.</p> <p>"We have a different situation down in Basra, because the conditions are different, we don't have the same type of sectarian fighting, we don't have Al Qaida operating in the same way," Blair said.</p> <p> NATO troops wound civilian in Afghanistan</p> <p>NDTV Correspondent</p> <p>Friday, January 12, 2007 (Kabul):NATO-led troops shot and wounded an Afghan civilian whose vehicle failed to heed warnings to stop as it approached their convoy in southern Afghanistan, the alliance said on Thursday.The troops with NATO's International Stabilisation and Assistance Force in Zabul province "gave clear signals for the driver to stop, including the use of warning shots, however the vehicle refused to halt," the statement said.</p> <p>"ISAF forces eventually fired upon the vehicle, unfortunately wounding one local national," it said.</p> <p>The alliance said it regrets the shooting. An investigation into the incident was launched, the statement said. </p> <p>NATO said last week that it killed too many Afghan civilians during fighting last yea </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://palashbiswas.blog.co.uk/2007/01/13/nirmal_we_wanted_a_better_world~1549721/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>Nirmal, We Wanted a Better World

Palash Biswas

(Contact: Palash Biswas, c/o Mrs Arati Roy, Gostokanan, Sodepur, Kolkata- 700110, India. Phone: 91-33-2565-9551)

Medha patekar went to nandigram today and blamed CPI-M for the Genocide.

and I have to write on my friend.

Nirmal. Nirmal joshi, a friend , a comrade is no more. He died on 24 October. He was sick for long time. My sweet home Nainital is situated perhaps in another galaxy. We have so many E-Groups, mobiles and net, but we did not know the news. I had to attend the birthday party of Golu, the lovely small boy , my friend film director Rajiv Kumar`s son last Sunday. We met in south kolkata in his new flat. Director Joshy Joseph and a bunch of young filmmakers and technitians were present. We discussed nandigram, Singur, Bangladesh, Refugee movement, my father, globalisation and American corporate Imperialism. But we could not discuss on our home Nainital or Uttrakhand. We have no news, no feedback, no phonecall from Nainital. No body informed us that Nirmal is not there to participate in any hot debate on our favourite topics as he used to do in seventies during our collegedays, during emergency and Chipko Andolan, during Nasha nahee Rozgar do. He won`t be there to enact again , `Thank You Mr Glad’.
On monday only, I recieved a copy of Nainital samachar and got the news. I informed rajiv. We were stunned that a friend born in 1956 went away for ever so silently. Nirmal was never silent. We shared a single quilt in Girda`s room with Girda, Mohan, Prim, Pushpa and Nirmal. We shared single cup of tea during rehersals of Yugmanch. We shared a bottle of wine in chilly night in Nainital.Everyone had to have a chuski. We discussed the world strolling on Malroad beside the splendid Naini Lake in winter nights amid snowfall. We discussed Marx and Mao, Gandhi and Lohia, Classics written worldwide and the contemporary world. We discussed our dreams. We discussed every moment a better uttarakhand , a better india and a better world.
What Uttarakhand we have got! What a world is this!

During emergency, we were students in degree classes in Nainital. Mohan alias Kapilesh Bhoj and me went to Mathura and Kota during winter vacation to attend writers` secret meetings. We used to have our study circles on Snow Peak or Tiffin Top. Nainital samchar was yet to publish. In DSB college we had Mahendra Singh Pal, the students` Union President, Raja Bahuguna, Sher Singh Naulia, Bhagirath Lal, the most versatile actor Zahoor Alam, Suresh Arya, Kashi Singh Airy and many more who represent Uttarakhand assembly nowadays.Pradip Tamta, now a Congress MLA , was our ideological leader.He was most agressive. Mohan and me were considerd intellectuals in the group as we used to write regularly.At that time we were room partners in Bengal Hotel Nainital as we left the house of Tara Chandra tripathi, our guide and teacher.

We knew Girda as a poet and a very good director actor.We had no interaction with Rajiv Lochan sah or Shekhar Pathak at that time. DD Pant was our Vice chacellor who launched Uttarakhand Kranti Dal later and kash emerged the leader.

Tamta came to our room and introduced Nirmal, an MA student in political science.His father was the head clerk in our DSB college and we had serious doubts about Nirmal`s commitment. Very soon he proved to be more committed. We had secret meetings in Kashipur, Gularbhoj and Dineshpur in terai. We had regular study circles. We were fighting against emergency. Raja Bahuguna joined us at this point. He shifted to new founded Uttaraghand Sangharsh Vahini with us from Janata Dal. Earlier he had been Nainital district Youth Congress President. He left Congress during May, 1977 elections.

During Chipko movement and just after Nainital Club Fire, the entire group was together with Almora friends Vipin Tripathi, shamsher singh Bisht and chandra Sekhar Bhatt, PC Tiwari and many more. nirmal was most active among us.nainital samachar, Nainital, Ramje Inter College Almora, Someshwar, Dwarahat, Tehri, Uttarkashi and the toatl Uttarakhan along with terai became our centres of activity. We often were involved in heated discussion. Niramal, Girda, Vipin Chacha and Me were the most vocal. Harish Pant, Zahoor Alam, Shamsher, Rajiv Lochan, Pawan Rakesh, Shekhar Pathak, dr Ajay rawat and Dr Chandresh Shastri were very logical. We always dominated.

We decided the layout and content of Nainital Samachar and tyhe editorial team had to surrender. Outsiders like Naveen Joshi from Lucknow were the regular visitors. Pankaj Bisht, Biren dangwal, kunwar Prasoon, sundar Lal Bahuguna, jawaqhar Lal kaul, Anand swaroop Verma, himanshu Joshi, Diva Bhatt and others interupted us sometimes.
Uma Bahtt was married to Shekhar and she became the most silent and active worker. She played the host role for us the anarchists. We danced together on the occassion of Rajiv`s marriage. We may not forget all those days. rajiv Kumar came from Pantnagar and became a part of us. We played dramas by Badal Sarkar and the director was BB karanth. We played Trishanku with BM shah.

During Thank You Mr Glad our team was attacked in Ramje college by RSS goons. Nirmal was thrashed. He played the patnaik role in the play. He was not an actor as zahoor and our Yugmanch friends were. But he acted very well. The wife of Patnaik was enacted by Pushpa. Nirmal`s father was not ready to agree their marriage as Nirmal was a Kumauni Brahmin and Pushpa , a Thakur titled Bisht. Bua Pushpa and Nirmal passed those challanges very well. both of them were established lawyers in Nainital Highcourt.
Me and savita went to Nainital just after our marraige. We met Nirmal and Pushpa for the last time then in May, 1983.
Nirmal changed a lot. He was drinking too muich and was availabl only in the Boat club. thus, I could not meet him for years. same was the case with friends in Nainital. We listened that Nirmal is changing once again. he is prepared to play a second innings in the mass movement.

We needed you so much.
As we discussed so much, here are some updates worldwide.

U'Khand: Min, MLA violate code of conduct

Dehradun, Jan 12: With the issuing of notification for the Assembly polls in Uttarakhand, model code of conduct has been implemented in the hilly state to ensure free and fair elections.

According to the Sahara Samay channel, as many as three cases of violation of code of conduct have been registered. One state minister and an MLA have also been found involved in it.Police sources told Sahara Samay that chargesheet has been prepared in two such cases of violation.

Meanwhile, legal professionals opine that chargesheet can't bar the political leaders from contesting the polls.

U.S. Embassy in Athens Is Attacked
ATHENS, Jan. 12 — Shortly before sunrise today, a missile ripped through the United States embassy here, causing minor damage to the building but no injuries. The missile was fired from the street over a 10-foot high security wall, smashing the glass in front of the embassy and spraying debris inside.

An investigator, seen through broken glass, looked for evidence inside the embassy.
“We have yet to locate the staging area of this rocket attack,” said Assimakis Golfas, the head police chief of the greater Athens area. “We are scouring the region, mainly buildings across from the embassy.”

Vyron Polydoras, the public order minister, said an anonymous caller, claiming to be a member of the Revolutionary Struggle terror group, had telephoned a local security company to claim responsibility for the attack, which occurred just before 6:00 a.m.

“We’re investigating whether in fact this claim is true,” Mr. Polydoras said after visiting the site.

Charles Ries, the American ambassador, said this morning that the embassy had not been warned of an attack.“We can’t speculate who’s behind this,” Mr. Ries told reporters. “Still, treat it as a very serious attack. There can be no justification for such a senseless act of violence.”

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, in Washington, was awakened to the news that the embassy in Greece “was under attack,” an embassy official said.

The embassy said in a statement that it was hit by a missile. Mr. Ries said that the site was not occupied at the time of the attack and that it was now a crime scene under investigation by Greek authorities.Revolutionary Struggle, a Marxist group with strong anti-American sentiments, emerged in 2003, bombing an Athens courthouse complex.

The group remains the most active Greek terror organization since the downfall of the country’s most deadly urban guerrilla group, November 17, blamed for killing 23 people — including American, British and Turkish officials — and for dozens of bomb attacks.

Today’s hit against the United States mission was not unprecedented.

On Feb. 15, 1996, an anti-tank rocket hit an outside wall of the embassy, damaging three diplomatic vehicles. While no group claimed responsibility, American officials believe the attack was committed by November 17.The November 17 guerrilla group was dismantled in 2002. Since then, however, a string of copycat terror cells have emerged, striking government buildings and foreign business interests.

This morning’s attack forced the embassy to re-evaluate its security, already among the tightest at American diplomatic missions.The mission is surrounded by a high steel fence. Guards are posted at every entrance and at street corners around it.

Authorities this morning were searching apartment buildings near the embassy, a hospital and a nearby construction site for evidence that could explain how terrorists managed to penetrate the capital’s most guarded district and attack the mission.Local residents called in to state television saying they had felt the powerful explosion, which shattered windows in the front of the building.

This morning’s explosion snarled traffic for more than three hours, as scores of policemen cordoned off streets around the embassy. Police helicopters monitored the sky, circling over the building.

A strong anti-American sentiment runs through a segment of the Greek population. Still, senior Greek government officials condemned the attack.

“Such actions in the past have had a very heavy cost for the country — moral, financial and for the international standing of the country,” said Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis, who visited the embassy after the blast. “The Greek government is determined to undertake every effort to not allow such phenomena to be repeated in the future.”

Bangladeshi president swears in successor
By Peter Fosterand Matthew Moore
Bangladesh's president has appointed a former central bank governor to succeed him as leader of the country's interim administration, in a further effort to curb the political revolt destabilising the country.Iajuddin Ahmed has also lifted a night curfew imposed yesterday, when he agreed to postpone this month's general election in the face of international diplomatic pressure. But a state of emergency remains in place across the country, with 60,000 troops patrolling the streets. Media freedom is restricted, and people are banned from criticising the government and its activities.

The Foreign Office has warned Britons not to travel to the country unless absolutely necessary.

The election postponement came after three weeks of intensifying street clashes during which more than 40 people have died as Bangladesh's main opposition parties accuse the outgoing administration of attempting to rig the election.

Mr Ahmed's resignation as head of the administration yesterday has been seen as a much-needed effort to halt the violence and reach out to political groups opposed to him.

Today he swore in Fakhruddin Ahmed, a former central bank governor, to succeed him, in a ceremony broadcast live on state television.

For the past four months the outgoing prime minister, Khaleda Zia, has been locked in a bitter face-off with her long-time rival Sheikh Hasina, herself a former prime minister, who leads the 19-party opposition alliance.

The two women bear a deep personal animosity, which diplomats blame for the increasing impasse that has paralysed Bangladesh since Mrs Zia's term of office expired last October.

Last month in an exclusive interview with The Daily Telegraph, Anwar Choudhury, Britain's High Commissioner to Bangladesh, raised the spectre of "unconstitutional intervention" by the army in a country which has had 19 assorted coups since it gained independence from Pakistan in 1971.

Leader quits as poll stalls in Bangladesh
Bruce Loudon
BANGLADESH was plunged into turmoil last night as President Iajuddin Ahmed declared a state of emergency, quit as head of the interim Government and postponed elections that have sparked months of violence and scores of deaths.While more than 60,000 troops fanned out across the country to enforce a night curfew and tough media curbs were introduced, there were fears of a military coup.
But the 19-party opposition Awami League, which has led massive street protests, proclaimed Mr Ahmed's U-turn "a victory for the people" -- promoting hope of peaceful, fair polls. "That is certainly the optimistic view and it may be the case. But there are plenty of reasons to be more pessimistic. The road ahead is full of stumbling blocks," an analyst in Dhaka said.

A senior diplomat at a Western embassy said: "The army could move, who knows? But on balance, ironically, things probably look a bit better today than they did yesterday."

Lurking in the shadows are Islamic fundamentalist groups that support al-Qa'ida, and which many see as the potential beneficiaries of disruption to Bangladesh's democratic institutions.

Mr Ahmed, a white-haired former judge who has been Bangladesh's ribbon-cutting head of state since 2002, appointed himself at the end of October to head of the supposedly non-partisan caretaker Government, which is constitutionally required 90 days before a general election is held.

This followed the failure of the governing Bangladesh Nationalist Party, led by Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, and the Awami League, led by her arch-rival, Sheik Hasina Wajid, to agree on someone to head the interim administration or the Electoral Commission, which runs the polling.

The pressure on Mr Ahmed intensified this week when the Awami League announced it would boycott the January 22 poll. Mr Ahmed tried to tough it out. But after a meeting with thecommanders of the three branches of the armed forces, he declared a state of emergency and resigned.

Talks fail, fear reigns in Nandigram

Nandigram (West Bengal): Even while West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee plans the road ahead, the people of Nandigram continue to live in camps and in fear of displacement.
For instance, a waiter in a hotel in Haldia, Lalmohan Pramanik, lives 50 kilometre away in Nandigram. Until a couple of months ago, he used to commute from home everyday but now he doesn't dare to go to his family."I can't go home because of the unrest there. I'm the sole bread earner in my family and if I get killed my family will be in deep trouble," he says.

There were obvious signs of people of Nandigram planning an upheaval, but the police chose to ignore them till January 3.And now even by engaging all political parties in peace talks, the administration can't make headway.

The last round of negotiations failed because farmers felt that the administration wouldn't go half way, so repair of roads and bridges has been pushed back by a few more days."We have lost faith in the Police and the administration because we are being attacked by CPI-M cadres in police uniform. It's for them that so many peasants have lost their lives," said a resident of the village, Sheikh Farooq Abdullah.Such is the threat perception that a makeshift public announcement system is being set up to warn villagers of a possible police entry.

And though the Chief Minister has admitted to an administrative blunder in Nandigram and put land acquisition there on hold, farmers are not yet sure about the government's intentions.

Thanks to the failed talks at the all-party meeting, restoration of civic infrastructure still remains a far cry in Nandigram. With villagers constantly living in the fear of losing their lives, the Chief Minister needs to do much more than give out assurances of tearing up notices to restore some faith among the peasants in Nandigram.

Child soldiers in hiding in Somalia after recent violence

MOGADISHU, Somalia: Adirisaq Khalid Ahmed was shining shoes in Mogadishu's labyrinthine marketplace when a soldier from Islamic movement approached, asking him to join up.

Ahmed, all of 16 years old, said yes.

Two months later, the Islamic militia has been driven from power and an unknown number of young soldiers like Ahmed are hiding in and around the capital, some of them wounded and too frightened to leave their homes.

Interviews with several boys as young as 14 who said they fought in the recent weeks of violence in Somalia lend credence to accusations that children have been recruited for battle in this chaotic Horn of Africa nation. The government and the Islamic movement have denied recruiting child soldiers, but Christian Balslev-Olesen, UNICEF's Somalia representative, said Friday that witness accounts suggest otherwise.

"I fought with the enemy and was shot," Ahmed told The Associated Press from his home, where his uncle is helping him recover from gunshots to his back and thigh. He spoke on condition that he not be photographed for fear of reprisals from the government, which with the help of Ethiopian troops drove the Islamic movement fighters out of Mogadishu and much of southern Somalia two weeks ago. He also fears Somalis who resent the strict interpretation of Islam that had been imposed by the Islamic movement, known as the Council of Islamic Courts .

Medha Patkar now heads for Nandigram

Kolkata, Jan 12 (IANS) Social activist Medha Patkar left for Nandigram in West Bengal Friday to address people resisting land acquisition for a special economic zone (SEZ).Patkar was freed on bail Thursday after she was arrested a day earlier for trying to visit Singur, the focal point of mass protests against a car project.The Narmada Bachao Andolan leader also filed a petition against the West Bengal Police for her arrest besides a defamation suit against Left Front leader Biman Bose for linking her to the Nandigram flare up.

Medha Patkar, produced in Alipore police court here Thursday, was released on unconditional bail.

Even as no untoward incident has been reported from Nandigram for the past two days, after days of clashes and deaths, the situation remained tense in the area where an all-party meeting on peace efforts had failed Thursday.

Land acquisition: LR Act to be applied at Nandigram

Express News Service

Kolkata, January 11: The state government will no longer apply the West Bengal Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (WBIIDC) Act of 1974 at Nandigram where the government faced stiff opposition from local farmers after Haldia Development Authority (HDA) issued notices to acquire land for a proposed SEZ. The Act empowers WBIIDC to acquire land at any place for setting up industries. WBIIDC on its part can empower any state agency to acquire land for the same purpose. According to this Act, the government can acquire land anywhere for public purpose within 15 days. The Salim Group of Indonesia is setting up a multi-product SEZ at Nandigram and a chemical hub at Haldia in a total area of 22,500 acres of land.

The government instead is going to apply the land acquisition Act of 1894, called Act One, for acquiring the land at Nandigram. According to this Act, notice for land acquisition can be issued only by the district magistrate. ‘‘Act One (the LR Act) is more transparent and there is more scope for the redressal of people’s grievances,’’ Abdur Rezaq Mollah, minister for land and land reforms, today said. He also said that the people of Nandigram panicked after they saw what happened at Singur. ‘‘People were tense when they saw the turn of events at Singur and they panicked when they saw the notices,’’ the minister said.

Four people died when clashes erupted last week between the CPI-M supporters and those who were opposed to land acquisition there. The chief minister later admitted that the government’s decision was a hasty one and they had made a mistake by doing so. He also said that the government would go in for the land acquisition process only after consulting people at all levels, even if it takes months.

West Bengal set to welcome mega investments from Bhushan
PRINCE MATHEWS THOMAS

TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ FRIDAY, JANUARY 12, 2007 03:35:35 AM]

MUMBAI: New Delhi-based Bhushan Steel and Strips (BSSL) plans to set up a 2 million tonne per annum (mtpa) steel plant in West Bengal to cash in on the growing demand for steel in India. The company is in talks with the state government and expects to sign the memorandum of understanding within a couple of months, MD Neeraj Singal told ET.

The talks also include plans to set up a thermal power project of 1,000 MW. The project will be implemented by the company’s unlisted subsidiary Bhushan Energy.

“We have identified the location for the projects and it will be near a coal pit-head. Talks are also on for a captive coal block,” added Mr Singal. Though he declined to disclose the amount of investment, industry estimates put the total investment at about Rs 10,000 crore. “About Rs 4,000 crore of investment is needed for each 1,000 MW of power,” said an analyst.

The company is at present, implementing a 2.2 million tonne steel project in Orissa with an investment of Rs 5,000 crore. “The first phase of the Orissa project, with a capacity of 500,000 tonnes, will be completed by March this year. The whole project should be completed by 2009,” said CFO Nittin Johari. The company’s stock rose 3.6% to Rs 395 on the BSE on Thursday. The metal index on the exchange was up 1.9%.

Incidentally, JSW Steel, the second-largest private steel manufacturer in the country on Thursday announced a “Development Agreement” with the West Bengal government for setting up a 10 million tonne steel plant in the state at an investment of Rs 35,000 crore. The project will be implemented by a special purpose joint venture company, with the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation and the West Bengal Mineral Development and Trading Corporation. The Sajjan Jindal-company will hold 89% stake in the JV.

The two developments, according to industry experts, indicates that West Bengal following in the footsteps of Orissa, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand who have signed a slew of MoUs. BSSL’s project in Orissa is credited to be the first to be signed by the Orissa government.

The company claims to have one of the largest captive held coal mines in the country with reserves of 330 million tonnes. BSSL is also implementing a 2,000 MW thermal power project in the state. “Work on the first phase of 300 MW has begun and we are nearing financial closure,” said Mr Singal.

Bengal CM takes notes from Singur

West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has learned a tough lesson his state readies to welcome at least Rs25,000 crore in investments. CNBC-TV18 reports.

Resistance from opposition parties and lack of consensus amongst the CPI-M's allies wouldn't come in the way of Bengal's drive for industrialisation. That's what Bhattacharjee said in an exclusive interview to the TV18 Network.

And to overcome farmer resistance of the kind he encountered in Singur and Nandigram, the state government must work in tandem with the CPI-M… that's the lesson the chief minister has learnt from Singur.

Bhattacharjee says, "Of course the government and the party have to work together in one voice. The party is mobilising the local people and trying to persuade them and now 95 per cent of the people have voluntarily given consent. It's a unique thing; it's never happened in any part of the country."

Indeed, landowners of Singur have been compensated well; tenants too have got something. But what happens to agricultural workers? They have got nothing as yet. But the chief minister says they too need not despair.

"The major problem is with agricultural workers. Now we have engaged them in various construction activities like the construction of roads, fencing, and they will also be engaged in the construction of the factory. They will be engaged in the factories, if not the main factory, in the ancillary units," he said.

Bengal, according to Bhattacharjee, would receive at least Rs25,000 crore in investments this year. There are three steel plants and six Special Economic Zones in the pipeline.

But providing land for the proposed projects wouldn't be easy because 62 per cent of the state is under cultivation, and agriculture still accounts for nearly 26 per cent of Bengal's economy.

Asia : Guarded optimism, but no big outcomes expected from Pranab visit

Posted by admin on 2007/1/12 11:33:43
Islamabad, Jan 12 (IANS) Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee arrives on his first official visit to Pakistan Saturday amid guarded optimism on both sides that disputes over the Sir Creek marshland and the Siachen glacier may be resolved in the near future. However, both sides are realistic not to expect any immediate breakthrough on the Kashmir issue.

The ostensible purpose of Mukherjee's visit here is to invite Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf to attend the 14th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit to be held in New Delhi in April this year.

But Mukherjee's trip - the first by him to Pakistan - has taken on the dimensions of a diplomatic event that is being keenly watched on both sides of the border with the two sides expected to take their dialogue forward on the contentious issue of Kashmir, that has reportedly made some progress in back-channel talks.

Mukherjee will hold talks with his Pakistani counterpart Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri Saturday to review the third round of composite dialogue between the two countries including security, Kashmir, Siachen, confidence building measures and trade, but from India's point of view the key concern would be continuing cross-border terrorism in which Pakistan is suspected to have a hand.

In the spirit of new realism in their engagement, foreign office officials on both sides have already sounded out that there would be "no breakthroughs or big outcomes" in the talks that Mukherjee will have with the Pakistani leadership here but what is being watched keenly is the creation of positive atmospherics and the bridging of trust deficit to resolve more difficult issues.

Mukherjee, say Indian officials, will use the opportunity to convey concerns over the resurgence of Taliban in Afghanistan and west Pakistan that has links with militancy in India.

This will be in fact the first high-level political contact between the two countries after they set up a trailblazing institutional anti-terror mechanism in November last year in the aftermath of the July 11 multiple bombings in Mumbai that India blamed on Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence.

Sources told IANS that the first meeting of the mechanism will be held in New Delhi shortly and possible dates would be discussed between both sides.

"It is not in anybody's interest to see the rebirth of the Taliban. Obviously a major mindset change is required. And considering that US assistant secretary of state Richard Boucher is in Islamabad today from his trip to Kabul, we will be just reiterating the same points that he would have made," said a senior Indian government source who did not want to be identified.

In a development that is sure to strengthen India's case, the US Senate Select committee on Intelligence dubbed Pakistan a hub of the Al-Qaeda and its global network and said its leaders enjoyed a "secure hideout" in this country.

Interestingly, this is the first high-level visit from India after Musharraf came out with his four-point proposal consisting of a joint supervisory mechanism, self-governance, demilitarisation and making the Line of Control (LoC) irrelevant that fuelled speculation that some sort of understanding or deal on Kashmir might be possible in the future.

In his talks with Musharraf, Mukherjee is also likely to convey India's desire to have a treaty of peace, security and friendship with Pakistan, as articulated by Manmohan Singh recently in his famous speech from the holy city of Amritsar.

Two issues on which there are likely to be forward movement are the demarcation of maritime boundary by resolving Sir Creek and the dispute over the Siachen glacier. Pakistan may hint at accommodating India's demand for authenticating actual ground position line as a precondition for demilitarisation of what is known as the world's highest battlefield.

"The minister's visit is expected to take this matter further and let's see what comes out," said an Indian foreign ministry official.

If there is a breakthrough on any of these issues, it could set the stage for Manmohan Singh's visit to Pakistan later this year.

Trinamool bid to strengthen Left link to fight CPI(M)
Kolkata, Jan. 12 (PTI): The Trinamool Congress is looking forward for support from Left partners, particularly Naxalites, to carry forward its movement against acquisition of agricultural land for industrial purpose.

The Trinamool Congress today felicitated leaders of three Left groups for taking an 'active role' in the programmes of the party-led farmers committee to protest land acquisition at Singur and to 'protect the farmers' cause at Nandigram.

"Our Left partners in the alliance are helping us to overcome our weaknesses," said Trinamool Congress leader Madan Mitra.

"We are gaining from our Left friends to take forward our movement for the farmers' cause," Mitra said.

"A new dimension has been added to the movement because of this partnership. It is a new platform for mass movement which is being spearheaded by the Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee."

Members of the CPI-ML State Organising Committee and CPI-ML New Democracy were felicitated at the function at the compound of the party headquarters.

Among Left partners in the Trinamool Congress-led Singur Krishi Jami Rakshya Committee (Save Farmland Committee) is the Party for Democratic Socialism whose leader Samir Patitunda was also felicitated.

Two other Left parties outside the CPI(M)-led Left Front - SUCI and CPI-ML Liberation have not joined the Mamata-led agitation despite SUCI being the joint convenor of the committee in Singur.

Blair backs Bush's plan

Friday, January 12, 2007 (Lympstone):British Prime Minister Tony Blair said on Thursday he supported the US decision to send 21,500 more troops to Iraq, but stressed Britain had no need to deploy additional forces.Blair, speaking in an interview with a local television station in southwestern England, said the United States and Britain remained in step on their policy over Iraq.

"Well, given the conditions in Baghdad at the moment, I think it makes sense for them to increase the number of their forces, provided it's to back up an increasing Iraqi capability.

He further added that increasing capability would not just be in terms of their own armed forces, but also in terms of reconstruction, reconciliation, and development.

Bush's decision and an ongoing joint Iraqi-British operation to tackle insurgents in the southern city of Basra shared the aim of transferring security duties to local forces, Blair added.

"We have a different situation down in Basra, because the conditions are different, we don't have the same type of sectarian fighting, we don't have Al Qaida operating in the same way," Blair said.

NATO troops wound civilian in Afghanistan

NDTV Correspondent

Friday, January 12, 2007 (Kabul):NATO-led troops shot and wounded an Afghan civilian whose vehicle failed to heed warnings to stop as it approached their convoy in southern Afghanistan, the alliance said on Thursday.The troops with NATO's International Stabilisation and Assistance Force in Zabul province "gave clear signals for the driver to stop, including the use of warning shots, however the vehicle refused to halt," the statement said.

"ISAF forces eventually fired upon the vehicle, unfortunately wounding one local national," it said.

The alliance said it regrets the shooting. An investigation into the incident was launched, the statement said.

NATO said last week that it killed too many Afghan civilians during fighting last yea

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]]>Nirmal, We Wanted A Better Worldhttp://palashbiswas.blog.co.uk/2007/01/13/nirmal_we_wanted_a_better_world~1549720/2007-01-13T15:01:45+01:00 <p>Nirmal, We Wanted a Better World </p> <p>Palash Biswas</p> <p>(Contact: Palash Biswas, c/o Mrs Arati Roy, Gostokanan, Sodepur, Kolkata- 700110, India. Phone: 91-33-2565-9551)</p> <p>Medha patekar went to nandigram today and blamed CPI-M for the Genocide.</p> <p>and I have to write on my friend.</p> <p>Nirmal. Nirmal joshi, a friend , a comrade is no more. He died on 24 October. He was sick for long time. My sweet home Nainital is situated perhaps in another galaxy. We have so many E-Groups, mobiles and net, but we did not know the news. I had to attend the birthday party of Golu, the lovely small boy , my friend film director Rajiv Kumar`s son last Sunday. We met in south kolkata in his new flat. Director Joshy Joseph and a bunch of young filmmakers and technitians were present. We discussed nandigram, Singur, Bangladesh, Refugee movement, my father, globalisation and American corporate Imperialism. But we could not discuss on our home Nainital or Uttrakhand. We have no news, no feedback, no phonecall from Nainital. No body informed us that Nirmal is not there to participate in any hot debate on our favourite topics as he used to do in seventies during our collegedays, during emergency and Chipko Andolan, during Nasha nahee Rozgar do. He won`t be there to enact again , `Thank You Mr Glad’.<br> On monday only, I recieved a copy of Nainital samachar and got the news. I informed rajiv. We were stunned that a friend born in 1956 went away for ever so silently. Nirmal was never silent. We shared a single quilt in Girda`s room with Girda, Mohan, Prim, Pushpa and Nirmal. We shared single cup of tea during rehersals of Yugmanch. We shared a bottle of wine in chilly night in Nainital.Everyone had to have a chuski. We discussed the world strolling on Malroad beside the splendid Naini Lake in winter nights amid snowfall. We discussed Marx and Mao, Gandhi and Lohia, Classics written worldwide and the contemporary world. We discussed our dreams. We discussed every moment a better uttarakhand , a better india and a better world.<br> What Uttarakhand we have got! What a world is this!</p> <p>During emergency, we were students in degree classes in Nainital. Mohan alias Kapilesh Bhoj and me went to Mathura and Kota during winter vacation to attend writers` secret meetings. We used to have our study circles on Snow Peak or Tiffin Top. Nainital samchar was yet to publish. In DSB college we had Mahendra Singh Pal, the students` Union President, Raja Bahuguna, Sher Singh Naulia, Bhagirath Lal, the most versatile actor Zahoor Alam, Suresh Arya, Kashi Singh Airy and many more who represent Uttarakhand assembly nowadays.Pradip Tamta, now a Congress MLA , was our ideological leader.He was most agressive. Mohan and me were considerd intellectuals in the group as we used to write regularly.At that time we were room partners in Bengal Hotel Nainital as we left the house of Tara Chandra tripathi, our guide and teacher. </p> <p>We knew Girda as a poet and a very good director actor.We had no interaction with Rajiv Lochan sah or Shekhar Pathak at that time. DD Pant was our Vice chacellor who launched Uttarakhand Kranti Dal later and kash emerged the leader. </p> <p>Tamta came to our room and introduced Nirmal, an MA student in political science.His father was the head clerk in our DSB college and we had serious doubts about Nirmal`s commitment. Very soon he proved to be more committed. We had secret meetings in Kashipur, Gularbhoj and Dineshpur in terai. We had regular study circles. We were fighting against emergency. Raja Bahuguna joined us at this point. He shifted to new founded Uttaraghand Sangharsh Vahini with us from Janata Dal. Earlier he had been Nainital district Youth Congress President. He left Congress during May, 1977 elections.</p> <p>During Chipko movement and just after Nainital Club Fire, the entire group was together with Almora friends Vipin Tripathi, shamsher singh Bisht and chandra Sekhar Bhatt, PC Tiwari and many more. nirmal was most active among us.nainital samachar, Nainital, Ramje Inter College Almora, Someshwar, Dwarahat, Tehri, Uttarkashi and the toatl Uttarakhan along with terai became our centres of activity. We often were involved in heated discussion. Niramal, Girda, Vipin Chacha and Me were the most vocal. Harish Pant, Zahoor Alam, Shamsher, Rajiv Lochan, Pawan Rakesh, Shekhar Pathak, dr Ajay rawat and Dr Chandresh Shastri were very logical. We always dominated.</p> <p> We decided the layout and content of Nainital Samachar and tyhe editorial team had to surrender. Outsiders like Naveen Joshi from Lucknow were the regular visitors. Pankaj Bisht, Biren dangwal, kunwar Prasoon, sundar Lal Bahuguna, jawaqhar Lal kaul, Anand swaroop Verma, himanshu Joshi, Diva Bhatt and others interupted us sometimes.<br> Uma Bahtt was married to Shekhar and she became the most silent and active worker. She played the host role for us the anarchists. We danced together on the occassion of Rajiv`s marriage. We may not forget all those days. rajiv Kumar came from Pantnagar and became a part of us. We played dramas by Badal Sarkar and the director was BB karanth. We played Trishanku with BM shah.</p> <p>During Thank You Mr Glad our team was attacked in Ramje college by RSS goons. Nirmal was thrashed. He played the patnaik role in the play. He was not an actor as zahoor and our Yugmanch friends were. But he acted very well. The wife of Patnaik was enacted by Pushpa. Nirmal`s father was not ready to agree their marriage as Nirmal was a Kumauni Brahmin and Pushpa , a Thakur titled Bisht. Bua Pushpa and Nirmal passed those challanges very well. both of them were established lawyers in Nainital Highcourt.<br> Me and savita went to Nainital just after our marraige. We met Nirmal and Pushpa for the last time then in May, 1983.<br> Nirmal changed a lot. He was drinking too muich and was availabl only in the Boat club. thus, I could not meet him for years. same was the case with friends in Nainital. We listened that Nirmal is changing once again. he is prepared to play a second innings in the mass movement.</p> <p>We needed you so much.<br> As we discussed so much, here are some updates worldwide.</p> <p>U'Khand: Min, MLA violate code of conduct</p> <p>Dehradun, Jan 12: With the issuing of notification for the Assembly polls in Uttarakhand, model code of conduct has been implemented in the hilly state to ensure free and fair elections.</p> <p>According to the Sahara Samay channel, as many as three cases of violation of code of conduct have been registered. One state minister and an MLA have also been found involved in it.Police sources told Sahara Samay that chargesheet has been prepared in two such cases of violation. </p> <p>Meanwhile, legal professionals opine that chargesheet can't bar the political leaders from contesting the polls.</p> <p> U.S. Embassy in Athens Is Attacked<br> ATHENS, Jan. 12 — Shortly before sunrise today, a missile ripped through the United States embassy here, causing minor damage to the building but no injuries. The missile was fired from the street over a 10-foot high security wall, smashing the glass in front of the embassy and spraying debris inside.</p> <p>An investigator, seen through broken glass, looked for evidence inside the embassy.<br> “We have yet to locate the staging area of this rocket attack,” said Assimakis Golfas, the head police chief of the greater Athens area. “We are scouring the region, mainly buildings across from the embassy.”</p> <p>Vyron Polydoras, the public order minister, said an anonymous caller, claiming to be a member of the Revolutionary Struggle terror group, had telephoned a local security company to claim responsibility for the attack, which occurred just before 6:00 a.m.</p> <p>“We’re investigating whether in fact this claim is true,” Mr. Polydoras said after visiting the site.</p> <p>Charles Ries, the American ambassador, said this morning that the embassy had not been warned of an attack.“We can’t speculate who’s behind this,” Mr. Ries told reporters. “Still, treat it as a very serious attack. There can be no justification for such a senseless act of violence.”</p> <p>Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, in Washington, was awakened to the news that the embassy in Greece “was under attack,” an embassy official said.</p> <p>The embassy said in a statement that it was hit by a missile. Mr. Ries said that the site was not occupied at the time of the attack and that it was now a crime scene under investigation by Greek authorities.Revolutionary Struggle, a Marxist group with strong anti-American sentiments, emerged in 2003, bombing an Athens courthouse complex. </p> <p>The group remains the most active Greek terror organization since the downfall of the country’s most deadly urban guerrilla group, November 17, blamed for killing 23 people — including American, British and Turkish officials — and for dozens of bomb attacks.</p> <p>Today’s hit against the United States mission was not unprecedented.</p> <p>On Feb. 15, 1996, an anti-tank rocket hit an outside wall of the embassy, damaging three diplomatic vehicles. While no group claimed responsibility, American officials believe the attack was committed by November 17.The November 17 guerrilla group was dismantled in 2002. Since then, however, a string of copycat terror cells have emerged, striking government buildings and foreign business interests.</p> <p>This morning’s attack forced the embassy to re-evaluate its security, already among the tightest at American diplomatic missions.The mission is surrounded by a high steel fence. Guards are posted at every entrance and at street corners around it.</p> <p>Authorities this morning were searching apartment buildings near the embassy, a hospital and a nearby construction site for evidence that could explain how terrorists managed to penetrate the capital’s most guarded district and attack the mission.Local residents called in to state television saying they had felt the powerful explosion, which shattered windows in the front of the building.</p> <p>This morning’s explosion snarled traffic for more than three hours, as scores of policemen cordoned off streets around the embassy. Police helicopters monitored the sky, circling over the building.</p> <p>A strong anti-American sentiment runs through a segment of the Greek population. Still, senior Greek government officials condemned the attack.</p> <p>“Such actions in the past have had a very heavy cost for the country — moral, financial and for the international standing of the country,” said Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis, who visited the embassy after the blast. “The Greek government is determined to undertake every effort to not allow such phenomena to be repeated in the future.” </p> <p>Bangladeshi president swears in successor<br> By Peter Fosterand Matthew Moore<br> Bangladesh's president has appointed a former central bank governor to succeed him as leader of the country's interim administration, in a further effort to curb the political revolt destabilising the country.Iajuddin Ahmed has also lifted a night curfew imposed yesterday, when he agreed to postpone this month's general election in the face of international diplomatic pressure. But a state of emergency remains in place across the country, with 60,000 troops patrolling the streets. Media freedom is restricted, and people are banned from criticising the government and its activities.</p> <p>The Foreign Office has warned Britons not to travel to the country unless absolutely necessary.</p> <p>The election postponement came after three weeks of intensifying street clashes during which more than 40 people have died as Bangladesh's main opposition parties accuse the outgoing administration of attempting to rig the election. </p> <p>Mr Ahmed's resignation as head of the administration yesterday has been seen as a much-needed effort to halt the violence and reach out to political groups opposed to him.</p> <p>Today he swore in Fakhruddin Ahmed, a former central bank governor, to succeed him, in a ceremony broadcast live on state television.</p> <p>For the past four months the outgoing prime minister, Khaleda Zia, has been locked in a bitter face-off with her long-time rival Sheikh Hasina, herself a former prime minister, who leads the 19-party opposition alliance.</p> <p>The two women bear a deep personal animosity, which diplomats blame for the increasing impasse that has paralysed Bangladesh since Mrs Zia's term of office expired last October. </p> <p>Last month in an exclusive interview with The Daily Telegraph, Anwar Choudhury, Britain's High Commissioner to Bangladesh, raised the spectre of "unconstitutional intervention" by the army in a country which has had 19 assorted coups since it gained independence from Pakistan in 1971. </p> <p>Leader quits as poll stalls in Bangladesh<br> Bruce Loudon<br> BANGLADESH was plunged into turmoil last night as President Iajuddin Ahmed declared a state of emergency, quit as head of the interim Government and postponed elections that have sparked months of violence and scores of deaths.While more than 60,000 troops fanned out across the country to enforce a night curfew and tough media curbs were introduced, there were fears of a military coup.<br> But the 19-party opposition Awami League, which has led massive street protests, proclaimed Mr Ahmed's U-turn "a victory for the people" -- promoting hope of peaceful, fair polls. "That is certainly the optimistic view and it may be the case. But there are plenty of reasons to be more pessimistic. The road ahead is full of stumbling blocks," an analyst in Dhaka said. </p> <p>A senior diplomat at a Western embassy said: "The army could move, who knows? But on balance, ironically, things probably look a bit better today than they did yesterday." </p> <p>Lurking in the shadows are Islamic fundamentalist groups that support al-Qa'ida, and which many see as the potential beneficiaries of disruption to Bangladesh's democratic institutions. </p> <p>Mr Ahmed, a white-haired former judge who has been Bangladesh's ribbon-cutting head of state since 2002, appointed himself at the end of October to head of the supposedly non-partisan caretaker Government, which is constitutionally required 90 days before a general election is held. </p> <p>This followed the failure of the governing Bangladesh Nationalist Party, led by Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, and the Awami League, led by her arch-rival, Sheik Hasina Wajid, to agree on someone to head the interim administration or the Electoral Commission, which runs the polling. </p> <p>The pressure on Mr Ahmed intensified this week when the Awami League announced it would boycott the January 22 poll. Mr Ahmed tried to tough it out. But after a meeting with thecommanders of the three branches of the armed forces, he declared a state of emergency and resigned.</p> <p>Talks fail, fear reigns in Nandigram </p> <p> Nandigram (West Bengal): Even while West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee plans the road ahead, the people of Nandigram continue to live in camps and in fear of displacement.<br> For instance, a waiter in a hotel in Haldia, Lalmohan Pramanik, lives 50 kilometre away in Nandigram. Until a couple of months ago, he used to commute from home everyday but now he doesn't dare to go to his family."I can't go home because of the unrest there. I'm the sole bread earner in my family and if I get killed my family will be in deep trouble," he says.</p> <p>There were obvious signs of people of Nandigram planning an upheaval, but the police chose to ignore them till January 3.And now even by engaging all political parties in peace talks, the administration can't make headway.</p> <p>The last round of negotiations failed because farmers felt that the administration wouldn't go half way, so repair of roads and bridges has been pushed back by a few more days."We have lost faith in the Police and the administration because we are being attacked by CPI-M cadres in police uniform. It's for them that so many peasants have lost their lives," said a resident of the village, Sheikh Farooq Abdullah.Such is the threat perception that a makeshift public announcement system is being set up to warn villagers of a possible police entry. </p> <p>And though the Chief Minister has admitted to an administrative blunder in Nandigram and put land acquisition there on hold, farmers are not yet sure about the government's intentions.</p> <p>Thanks to the failed talks at the all-party meeting, restoration of civic infrastructure still remains a far cry in Nandigram. With villagers constantly living in the fear of losing their lives, the Chief Minister needs to do much more than give out assurances of tearing up notices to restore some faith among the peasants in Nandigram. </p> <p>Child soldiers in hiding in Somalia after recent violence</p> <p>MOGADISHU, Somalia: Adirisaq Khalid Ahmed was shining shoes in Mogadishu's labyrinthine marketplace when a soldier from Islamic movement approached, asking him to join up.</p> <p>Ahmed, all of 16 years old, said yes.</p> <p>Two months later, the Islamic militia has been driven from power and an unknown number of young soldiers like Ahmed are hiding in and around the capital, some of them wounded and too frightened to leave their homes.</p> <p>Interviews with several boys as young as 14 who said they fought in the recent weeks of violence in Somalia lend credence to accusations that children have been recruited for battle in this chaotic Horn of Africa nation. The government and the Islamic movement have denied recruiting child soldiers, but Christian Balslev-Olesen, UNICEF's Somalia representative, said Friday that witness accounts suggest otherwise.</p> <p>"I fought with the enemy and was shot," Ahmed told The Associated Press from his home, where his uncle is helping him recover from gunshots to his back and thigh. He spoke on condition that he not be photographed for fear of reprisals from the government, which with the help of Ethiopian troops drove the Islamic movement fighters out of Mogadishu and much of southern Somalia two weeks ago. He also fears Somalis who resent the strict interpretation of Islam that had been imposed by the Islamic movement, known as the Council of Islamic Courts .</p> <p>Medha Patkar now heads for Nandigram</p> <p>Kolkata, Jan 12 (IANS) Social activist Medha Patkar left for Nandigram in West Bengal Friday to address people resisting land acquisition for a special economic zone (SEZ).Patkar was freed on bail Thursday after she was arrested a day earlier for trying to visit Singur, the focal point of mass protests against a car project.The Narmada Bachao Andolan leader also filed a petition against the West Bengal Police for her arrest besides a defamation suit against Left Front leader Biman Bose for linking her to the Nandigram flare up.</p> <p>Medha Patkar, produced in Alipore police court here Thursday, was released on unconditional bail.</p> <p>Even as no untoward incident has been reported from Nandigram for the past two days, after days of clashes and deaths, the situation remained tense in the area where an all-party meeting on peace efforts had failed Thursday. </p> <p>Land acquisition: LR Act to be applied at Nandigram </p> <p>Express News Service </p> <p>Kolkata, January 11: The state government will no longer apply the West Bengal Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (WBIIDC) Act of 1974 at Nandigram where the government faced stiff opposition from local farmers after Haldia Development Authority (HDA) issued notices to acquire land for a proposed SEZ. The Act empowers WBIIDC to acquire land at any place for setting up industries. WBIIDC on its part can empower any state agency to acquire land for the same purpose. According to this Act, the government can acquire land anywhere for public purpose within 15 days. The Salim Group of Indonesia is setting up a multi-product SEZ at Nandigram and a chemical hub at Haldia in a total area of 22,500 acres of land. </p> <p>The government instead is going to apply the land acquisition Act of 1894, called Act One, for acquiring the land at Nandigram. According to this Act, notice for land acquisition can be issued only by the district magistrate. ‘‘Act One (the LR Act) is more transparent and there is more scope for the redressal of people’s grievances,’’ Abdur Rezaq Mollah, minister for land and land reforms, today said. He also said that the people of Nandigram panicked after they saw what happened at Singur. ‘‘People were tense when they saw the turn of events at Singur and they panicked when they saw the notices,’’ the minister said. </p> <p>Four people died when clashes erupted last week between the CPI-M supporters and those who were opposed to land acquisition there. The chief minister later admitted that the government’s decision was a hasty one and they had made a mistake by doing so. He also said that the government would go in for the land acquisition process only after consulting people at all levels, even if it takes months.</p> <p>West Bengal set to welcome mega investments from Bhushan<br> PRINCE MATHEWS THOMAS</p> <p>TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ FRIDAY, JANUARY 12, 2007 03:35:35 AM] </p> <p>MUMBAI: New Delhi-based Bhushan Steel and Strips (BSSL) plans to set up a 2 million tonne per annum (mtpa) steel plant in West Bengal to cash in on the growing demand for steel in India. The company is in talks with the state government and expects to sign the memorandum of understanding within a couple of months, MD Neeraj Singal told ET. </p> <p>The talks also include plans to set up a thermal power project of 1,000 MW. The project will be implemented by the company’s unlisted subsidiary Bhushan Energy. </p> <p>“We have identified the location for the projects and it will be near a coal pit-head. Talks are also on for a captive coal block,” added Mr Singal. Though he declined to disclose the amount of investment, industry estimates put the total investment at about Rs 10,000 crore. “About Rs 4,000 crore of investment is needed for each 1,000 MW of power,” said an analyst. </p> <p>The company is at present, implementing a 2.2 million tonne steel project in Orissa with an investment of Rs 5,000 crore. “The first phase of the Orissa project, with a capacity of 500,000 tonnes, will be completed by March this year. The whole project should be completed by 2009,” said CFO Nittin Johari. The company’s stock rose 3.6% to Rs 395 on the BSE on Thursday. The metal index on the exchange was up 1.9%. </p> <p>Incidentally, JSW Steel, the second-largest private steel manufacturer in the country on Thursday announced a “Development Agreement” with the West Bengal government for setting up a 10 million tonne steel plant in the state at an investment of Rs 35,000 crore. The project will be implemented by a special purpose joint venture company, with the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation and the West Bengal Mineral Development and Trading Corporation. The Sajjan Jindal-company will hold 89% stake in the JV. </p> <p>The two developments, according to industry experts, indicates that West Bengal following in the footsteps of Orissa, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand who have signed a slew of MoUs. BSSL’s project in Orissa is credited to be the first to be signed by the Orissa government. </p> <p>The company claims to have one of the largest captive held coal mines in the country with reserves of 330 million tonnes. BSSL is also implementing a 2,000 MW thermal power project in the state. “Work on the first phase of 300 MW has begun and we are nearing financial closure,” said Mr Singal. </p> <p>Bengal CM takes notes from Singur</p> <p>West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has learned a tough lesson his state readies to welcome at least Rs25,000 crore in investments. CNBC-TV18 reports.</p> <p>Resistance from opposition parties and lack of consensus amongst the CPI-M's allies wouldn't come in the way of Bengal's drive for industrialisation. That's what Bhattacharjee said in an exclusive interview to the TV18 Network. </p> <p>And to overcome farmer resistance of the kind he encountered in Singur and Nandigram, the state government must work in tandem with the CPI-M… that's the lesson the chief minister has learnt from Singur.</p> <p>Bhattacharjee says, "Of course the government and the party have to work together in one voice. The party is mobilising the local people and trying to persuade them and now 95 per cent of the people have voluntarily given consent. It's a unique thing; it's never happened in any part of the country."</p> <p>Indeed, landowners of Singur have been compensated well; tenants too have got something. But what happens to agricultural workers? They have got nothing as yet. But the chief minister says they too need not despair.</p> <p>"The major problem is with agricultural workers. Now we have engaged them in various construction activities like the construction of roads, fencing, and they will also be engaged in the construction of the factory. They will be engaged in the factories, if not the main factory, in the ancillary units," he said.</p> <p>Bengal, according to Bhattacharjee, would receive at least Rs25,000 crore in investments this year. There are three steel plants and six Special Economic Zones in the pipeline. </p> <p>But providing land for the proposed projects wouldn't be easy because 62 per cent of the state is under cultivation, and agriculture still accounts for nearly 26 per cent of Bengal's economy.</p> <p> Asia : Guarded optimism, but no big outcomes expected from Pranab visit </p> <p>Posted by admin on 2007/1/12 11:33:43<br> Islamabad, Jan 12 (IANS) Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee arrives on his first official visit to Pakistan Saturday amid guarded optimism on both sides that disputes over the Sir Creek marshland and the Siachen glacier may be resolved in the near future. However, both sides are realistic not to expect any immediate breakthrough on the Kashmir issue.</p> <p>The ostensible purpose of Mukherjee's visit here is to invite Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf to attend the 14th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit to be held in New Delhi in April this year.</p> <p>But Mukherjee's trip - the first by him to Pakistan - has taken on the dimensions of a diplomatic event that is being keenly watched on both sides of the border with the two sides expected to take their dialogue forward on the contentious issue of Kashmir, that has reportedly made some progress in back-channel talks.</p> <p>Mukherjee will hold talks with his Pakistani counterpart Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri Saturday to review the third round of composite dialogue between the two countries including security, Kashmir, Siachen, confidence building measures and trade, but from India's point of view the key concern would be continuing cross-border terrorism in which Pakistan is suspected to have a hand.</p> <p>In the spirit of new realism in their engagement, foreign office officials on both sides have already sounded out that there would be "no breakthroughs or big outcomes" in the talks that Mukherjee will have with the Pakistani leadership here but what is being watched keenly is the creation of positive atmospherics and the bridging of trust deficit to resolve more difficult issues.</p> <p>Mukherjee, say Indian officials, will use the opportunity to convey concerns over the resurgence of Taliban in Afghanistan and west Pakistan that has links with militancy in India.</p> <p>This will be in fact the first high-level political contact between the two countries after they set up a trailblazing institutional anti-terror mechanism in November last year in the aftermath of the July 11 multiple bombings in Mumbai that India blamed on Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence.</p> <p>Sources told IANS that the first meeting of the mechanism will be held in New Delhi shortly and possible dates would be discussed between both sides.</p> <p>"It is not in anybody's interest to see the rebirth of the Taliban. Obviously a major mindset change is required. And considering that US assistant secretary of state Richard Boucher is in Islamabad today from his trip to Kabul, we will be just reiterating the same points that he would have made," said a senior Indian government source who did not want to be identified.</p> <p>In a development that is sure to strengthen India's case, the US Senate Select committee on Intelligence dubbed Pakistan a hub of the Al-Qaeda and its global network and said its leaders enjoyed a "secure hideout" in this country.</p> <p>Interestingly, this is the first high-level visit from India after Musharraf came out with his four-point proposal consisting of a joint supervisory mechanism, self-governance, demilitarisation and making the Line of Control (LoC) irrelevant that fuelled speculation that some sort of understanding or deal on Kashmir might be possible in the future.</p> <p>In his talks with Musharraf, Mukherjee is also likely to convey India's desire to have a treaty of peace, security and friendship with Pakistan, as articulated by Manmohan Singh recently in his famous speech from the holy city of Amritsar.</p> <p>Two issues on which there are likely to be forward movement are the demarcation of maritime boundary by resolving Sir Creek and the dispute over the Siachen glacier. Pakistan may hint at accommodating India's demand for authenticating actual ground position line as a precondition for demilitarisation of what is known as the world's highest battlefield.</p> <p>"The minister's visit is expected to take this matter further and let's see what comes out," said an Indian foreign ministry official.</p> <p>If there is a breakthrough on any of these issues, it could set the stage for Manmohan Singh's visit to Pakistan later this year.</p> <p> Trinamool bid to strengthen Left link to fight CPI(M)<br> Kolkata, Jan. 12 (PTI): The Trinamool Congress is looking forward for support from Left partners, particularly Naxalites, to carry forward its movement against acquisition of agricultural land for industrial purpose. </p> <p>The Trinamool Congress today felicitated leaders of three Left groups for taking an 'active role' in the programmes of the party-led farmers committee to protest land acquisition at Singur and to 'protect the farmers' cause at Nandigram. </p> <p>"Our Left partners in the alliance are helping us to overcome our weaknesses," said Trinamool Congress leader Madan Mitra. </p> <p>"We are gaining from our Left friends to take forward our movement for the farmers' cause," Mitra said. </p> <p>"A new dimension has been added to the movement because of this partnership. It is a new platform for mass movement which is being spearheaded by the Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee." </p> <p>Members of the CPI-ML State Organising Committee and CPI-ML New Democracy were felicitated at the function at the compound of the party headquarters. </p> <p>Among Left partners in the Trinamool Congress-led Singur Krishi Jami Rakshya Committee (Save Farmland Committee) is the Party for Democratic Socialism whose leader Samir Patitunda was also felicitated. </p> <p>Two other Left parties outside the CPI(M)-led Left Front - SUCI and CPI-ML Liberation have not joined the Mamata-led agitation despite SUCI being the joint convenor of the committee in Singur.</p> <p>Blair backs Bush's plan</p> <p>Friday, January 12, 2007 (Lympstone):British Prime Minister Tony Blair said on Thursday he supported the US decision to send 21,500 more troops to Iraq, but stressed Britain had no need to deploy additional forces.Blair, speaking in an interview with a local television station in southwestern England, said the United States and Britain remained in step on their policy over Iraq. </p> <p>"Well, given the conditions in Baghdad at the moment, I think it makes sense for them to increase the number of their forces, provided it's to back up an increasing Iraqi capability.</p> <p>He further added that increasing capability would not just be in terms of their own armed forces, but also in terms of reconstruction, reconciliation, and development.</p> <p>Bush's decision and an ongoing joint Iraqi-British operation to tackle insurgents in the southern city of Basra shared the aim of transferring security duties to local forces, Blair added.</p> <p>"We have a different situation down in Basra, because the conditions are different, we don't have the same type of sectarian fighting, we don't have Al Qaida operating in the same way," Blair said.</p> <p> NATO troops wound civilian in Afghanistan</p> <p>NDTV Correspondent</p> <p>Friday, January 12, 2007 (Kabul):NATO-led troops shot and wounded an Afghan civilian whose vehicle failed to heed warnings to stop as it approached their convoy in southern Afghanistan, the alliance said on Thursday.The troops with NATO's International Stabilisation and Assistance Force in Zabul province "gave clear signals for the driver to stop, including the use of warning shots, however the vehicle refused to halt," the statement said.</p> <p>"ISAF forces eventually fired upon the vehicle, unfortunately wounding one local national," it said.</p> <p>The alliance said it regrets the shooting. An investigation into the incident was launched, the statement said. </p> <p>NATO said last week that it killed too many Afghan civilians during fighting last yea </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://palashbiswas.blog.co.uk/2007/01/13/nirmal_we_wanted_a_better_world~1549720/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>Nirmal, We Wanted a Better World

Palash Biswas

(Contact: Palash Biswas, c/o Mrs Arati Roy, Gostokanan, Sodepur, Kolkata- 700110, India. Phone: 91-33-2565-9551)

Medha patekar went to nandigram today and blamed CPI-M for the Genocide.

and I have to write on my friend.

Nirmal. Nirmal joshi, a friend , a comrade is no more. He died on 24 October. He was sick for long time. My sweet home Nainital is situated perhaps in another galaxy. We have so many E-Groups, mobiles and net, but we did not know the news. I had to attend the birthday party of Golu, the lovely small boy , my friend film director Rajiv Kumar`s son last Sunday. We met in south kolkata in his new flat. Director Joshy Joseph and a bunch of young filmmakers and technitians were present. We discussed nandigram, Singur, Bangladesh, Refugee movement, my father, globalisation and American corporate Imperialism. But we could not discuss on our home Nainital or Uttrakhand. We have no news, no feedback, no phonecall from Nainital. No body informed us that Nirmal is not there to participate in any hot debate on our favourite topics as he used to do in seventies during our collegedays, during emergency and Chipko Andolan, during Nasha nahee Rozgar do. He won`t be there to enact again , `Thank You Mr Glad’.
On monday only, I recieved a copy of Nainital samachar and got the news. I informed rajiv. We were stunned that a friend born in 1956 went away for ever so silently. Nirmal was never silent. We shared a single quilt in Girda`s room with Girda, Mohan, Prim, Pushpa and Nirmal. We shared single cup of tea during rehersals of Yugmanch. We shared a bottle of wine in chilly night in Nainital.Everyone had to have a chuski. We discussed the world strolling on Malroad beside the splendid Naini Lake in winter nights amid snowfall. We discussed Marx and Mao, Gandhi and Lohia, Classics written worldwide and the contemporary world. We discussed our dreams. We discussed every moment a better uttarakhand , a better india and a better world.
What Uttarakhand we have got! What a world is this!

During emergency, we were students in degree classes in Nainital. Mohan alias Kapilesh Bhoj and me went to Mathura and Kota during winter vacation to attend writers` secret meetings. We used to have our study circles on Snow Peak or Tiffin Top. Nainital samchar was yet to publish. In DSB college we had Mahendra Singh Pal, the students` Union President, Raja Bahuguna, Sher Singh Naulia, Bhagirath Lal, the most versatile actor Zahoor Alam, Suresh Arya, Kashi Singh Airy and many more who represent Uttarakhand assembly nowadays.Pradip Tamta, now a Congress MLA , was our ideological leader.He was most agressive. Mohan and me were considerd intellectuals in the group as we used to write regularly.At that time we were room partners in Bengal Hotel Nainital as we left the house of Tara Chandra tripathi, our guide and teacher.

We knew Girda as a poet and a very good director actor.We had no interaction with Rajiv Lochan sah or Shekhar Pathak at that time. DD Pant was our Vice chacellor who launched Uttarakhand Kranti Dal later and kash emerged the leader.

Tamta came to our room and introduced Nirmal, an MA student in political science.His father was the head clerk in our DSB college and we had serious doubts about Nirmal`s commitment. Very soon he proved to be more committed. We had secret meetings in Kashipur, Gularbhoj and Dineshpur in terai. We had regular study circles. We were fighting against emergency. Raja Bahuguna joined us at this point. He shifted to new founded Uttaraghand Sangharsh Vahini with us from Janata Dal. Earlier he had been Nainital district Youth Congress President. He left Congress during May, 1977 elections.

During Chipko movement and just after Nainital Club Fire, the entire group was together with Almora friends Vipin Tripathi, shamsher singh Bisht and chandra Sekhar Bhatt, PC Tiwari and many more. nirmal was most active among us.nainital samachar, Nainital, Ramje Inter College Almora, Someshwar, Dwarahat, Tehri, Uttarkashi and the toatl Uttarakhan along with terai became our centres of activity. We often were involved in heated discussion. Niramal, Girda, Vipin Chacha and Me were the most vocal. Harish Pant, Zahoor Alam, Shamsher, Rajiv Lochan, Pawan Rakesh, Shekhar Pathak, dr Ajay rawat and Dr Chandresh Shastri were very logical. We always dominated.

We decided the layout and content of Nainital Samachar and tyhe editorial team had to surrender. Outsiders like Naveen Joshi from Lucknow were the regular visitors. Pankaj Bisht, Biren dangwal, kunwar Prasoon, sundar Lal Bahuguna, jawaqhar Lal kaul, Anand swaroop Verma, himanshu Joshi, Diva Bhatt and others interupted us sometimes.
Uma Bahtt was married to Shekhar and she became the most silent and active worker. She played the host role for us the anarchists. We danced together on the occassion of Rajiv`s marriage. We may not forget all those days. rajiv Kumar came from Pantnagar and became a part of us. We played dramas by Badal Sarkar and the director was BB karanth. We played Trishanku with BM shah.

During Thank You Mr Glad our team was attacked in Ramje college by RSS goons. Nirmal was thrashed. He played the patnaik role in the play. He was not an actor as zahoor and our Yugmanch friends were. But he acted very well. The wife of Patnaik was enacted by Pushpa. Nirmal`s father was not ready to agree their marriage as Nirmal was a Kumauni Brahmin and Pushpa , a Thakur titled Bisht. Bua Pushpa and Nirmal passed those challanges very well. both of them were established lawyers in Nainital Highcourt.
Me and savita went to Nainital just after our marraige. We met Nirmal and Pushpa for the last time then in May, 1983.
Nirmal changed a lot. He was drinking too muich and was availabl only in the Boat club. thus, I could not meet him for years. same was the case with friends in Nainital. We listened that Nirmal is changing once again. he is prepared to play a second innings in the mass movement.

We needed you so much.
As we discussed so much, here are some updates worldwide.

U'Khand: Min, MLA violate code of conduct

Dehradun, Jan 12: With the issuing of notification for the Assembly polls in Uttarakhand, model code of conduct has been implemented in the hilly state to ensure free and fair elections.

According to the Sahara Samay channel, as many as three cases of violation of code of conduct have been registered. One state minister and an MLA have also been found involved in it.Police sources told Sahara Samay that chargesheet has been prepared in two such cases of violation.

Meanwhile, legal professionals opine that chargesheet can't bar the political leaders from contesting the polls.

U.S. Embassy in Athens Is Attacked
ATHENS, Jan. 12 — Shortly before sunrise today, a missile ripped through the United States embassy here, causing minor damage to the building but no injuries. The missile was fired from the street over a 10-foot high security wall, smashing the glass in front of the embassy and spraying debris inside.

An investigator, seen through broken glass, looked for evidence inside the embassy.
“We have yet to locate the staging area of this rocket attack,” said Assimakis Golfas, the head police chief of the greater Athens area. “We are scouring the region, mainly buildings across from the embassy.”

Vyron Polydoras, the public order minister, said an anonymous caller, claiming to be a member of the Revolutionary Struggle terror group, had telephoned a local security company to claim responsibility for the attack, which occurred just before 6:00 a.m.

“We’re investigating whether in fact this claim is true,” Mr. Polydoras said after visiting the site.

Charles Ries, the American ambassador, said this morning that the embassy had not been warned of an attack.“We can’t speculate who’s behind this,” Mr. Ries told reporters. “Still, treat it as a very serious attack. There can be no justification for such a senseless act of violence.”

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, in Washington, was awakened to the news that the embassy in Greece “was under attack,” an embassy official said.

The embassy said in a statement that it was hit by a missile. Mr. Ries said that the site was not occupied at the time of the attack and that it was now a crime scene under investigation by Greek authorities.Revolutionary Struggle, a Marxist group with strong anti-American sentiments, emerged in 2003, bombing an Athens courthouse complex.

The group remains the most active Greek terror organization since the downfall of the country’s most deadly urban guerrilla group, November 17, blamed for killing 23 people — including American, British and Turkish officials — and for dozens of bomb attacks.

Today’s hit against the United States mission was not unprecedented.

On Feb. 15, 1996, an anti-tank rocket hit an outside wall of the embassy, damaging three diplomatic vehicles. While no group claimed responsibility, American officials believe the attack was committed by November 17.The November 17 guerrilla group was dismantled in 2002. Since then, however, a string of copycat terror cells have emerged, striking government buildings and foreign business interests.

This morning’s attack forced the embassy to re-evaluate its security, already among the tightest at American diplomatic missions.The mission is surrounded by a high steel fence. Guards are posted at every entrance and at street corners around it.

Authorities this morning were searching apartment buildings near the embassy, a hospital and a nearby construction site for evidence that could explain how terrorists managed to penetrate the capital’s most guarded district and attack the mission.Local residents called in to state television saying they had felt the powerful explosion, which shattered windows in the front of the building.

This morning’s explosion snarled traffic for more than three hours, as scores of policemen cordoned off streets around the embassy. Police helicopters monitored the sky, circling over the building.

A strong anti-American sentiment runs through a segment of the Greek population. Still, senior Greek government officials condemned the attack.

“Such actions in the past have had a very heavy cost for the country — moral, financial and for the international standing of the country,” said Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis, who visited the embassy after the blast. “The Greek government is determined to undertake every effort to not allow such phenomena to be repeated in the future.”

Bangladeshi president swears in successor
By Peter Fosterand Matthew Moore
Bangladesh's president has appointed a former central bank governor to succeed him as leader of the country's interim administration, in a further effort to curb the political revolt destabilising the country.Iajuddin Ahmed has also lifted a night curfew imposed yesterday, when he agreed to postpone this month's general election in the face of international diplomatic pressure. But a state of emergency remains in place across the country, with 60,000 troops patrolling the streets. Media freedom is restricted, and people are banned from criticising the government and its activities.

The Foreign Office has warned Britons not to travel to the country unless absolutely necessary.

The election postponement came after three weeks of intensifying street clashes during which more than 40 people have died as Bangladesh's main opposition parties accuse the outgoing administration of attempting to rig the election.

Mr Ahmed's resignation as head of the administration yesterday has been seen as a much-needed effort to halt the violence and reach out to political groups opposed to him.

Today he swore in Fakhruddin Ahmed, a former central bank governor, to succeed him, in a ceremony broadcast live on state television.

For the past four months the outgoing prime minister, Khaleda Zia, has been locked in a bitter face-off with her long-time rival Sheikh Hasina, herself a former prime minister, who leads the 19-party opposition alliance.

The two women bear a deep personal animosity, which diplomats blame for the increasing impasse that has paralysed Bangladesh since Mrs Zia's term of office expired last October.

Last month in an exclusive interview with The Daily Telegraph, Anwar Choudhury, Britain's High Commissioner to Bangladesh, raised the spectre of "unconstitutional intervention" by the army in a country which has had 19 assorted coups since it gained independence from Pakistan in 1971.

Leader quits as poll stalls in Bangladesh
Bruce Loudon
BANGLADESH was plunged into turmoil last night as President Iajuddin Ahmed declared a state of emergency, quit as head of the interim Government and postponed elections that have sparked months of violence and scores of deaths.While more than 60,000 troops fanned out across the country to enforce a night curfew and tough media curbs were introduced, there were fears of a military coup.
But the 19-party opposition Awami League, which has led massive street protests, proclaimed Mr Ahmed's U-turn "a victory for the people" -- promoting hope of peaceful, fair polls. "That is certainly the optimistic view and it may be the case. But there are plenty of reasons to be more pessimistic. The road ahead is full of stumbling blocks," an analyst in Dhaka said.

A senior diplomat at a Western embassy said: "The army could move, who knows? But on balance, ironically, things probably look a bit better today than they did yesterday."

Lurking in the shadows are Islamic fundamentalist groups that support al-Qa'ida, and which many see as the potential beneficiaries of disruption to Bangladesh's democratic institutions.

Mr Ahmed, a white-haired former judge who has been Bangladesh's ribbon-cutting head of state since 2002, appointed himself at the end of October to head of the supposedly non-partisan caretaker Government, which is constitutionally required 90 days before a general election is held.

This followed the failure of the governing Bangladesh Nationalist Party, led by Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, and the Awami League, led by her arch-rival, Sheik Hasina Wajid, to agree on someone to head the interim administration or the Electoral Commission, which runs the polling.

The pressure on Mr Ahmed intensified this week when the Awami League announced it would boycott the January 22 poll. Mr Ahmed tried to tough it out. But after a meeting with thecommanders of the three branches of the armed forces, he declared a state of emergency and resigned.

Talks fail, fear reigns in Nandigram

Nandigram (West Bengal): Even while West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee plans the road ahead, the people of Nandigram continue to live in camps and in fear of displacement.
For instance, a waiter in a hotel in Haldia, Lalmohan Pramanik, lives 50 kilometre away in Nandigram. Until a couple of months ago, he used to commute from home everyday but now he doesn't dare to go to his family."I can't go home because of the unrest there. I'm the sole bread earner in my family and if I get killed my family will be in deep trouble," he says.

There were obvious signs of people of Nandigram planning an upheaval, but the police chose to ignore them till January 3.And now even by engaging all political parties in peace talks, the administration can't make headway.

The last round of negotiations failed because farmers felt that the administration wouldn't go half way, so repair of roads and bridges has been pushed back by a few more days."We have lost faith in the Police and the administration because we are being attacked by CPI-M cadres in police uniform. It's for them that so many peasants have lost their lives," said a resident of the village, Sheikh Farooq Abdullah.Such is the threat perception that a makeshift public announcement system is being set up to warn villagers of a possible police entry.

And though the Chief Minister has admitted to an administrative blunder in Nandigram and put land acquisition there on hold, farmers are not yet sure about the government's intentions.

Thanks to the failed talks at the all-party meeting, restoration of civic infrastructure still remains a far cry in Nandigram. With villagers constantly living in the fear of losing their lives, the Chief Minister needs to do much more than give out assurances of tearing up notices to restore some faith among the peasants in Nandigram.

Child soldiers in hiding in Somalia after recent violence

MOGADISHU, Somalia: Adirisaq Khalid Ahmed was shining shoes in Mogadishu's labyrinthine marketplace when a soldier from Islamic movement approached, asking him to join up.

Ahmed, all of 16 years old, said yes.

Two months later, the Islamic militia has been driven from power and an unknown number of young soldiers like Ahmed are hiding in and around the capital, some of them wounded and too frightened to leave their homes.

Interviews with several boys as young as 14 who said they fought in the recent weeks of violence in Somalia lend credence to accusations that children have been recruited for battle in this chaotic Horn of Africa nation. The government and the Islamic movement have denied recruiting child soldiers, but Christian Balslev-Olesen, UNICEF's Somalia representative, said Friday that witness accounts suggest otherwise.

"I fought with the enemy and was shot," Ahmed told The Associated Press from his home, where his uncle is helping him recover from gunshots to his back and thigh. He spoke on condition that he not be photographed for fear of reprisals from the government, which with the help of Ethiopian troops drove the Islamic movement fighters out of Mogadishu and much of southern Somalia two weeks ago. He also fears Somalis who resent the strict interpretation of Islam that had been imposed by the Islamic movement, known as the Council of Islamic Courts .

Medha Patkar now heads for Nandigram

Kolkata, Jan 12 (IANS) Social activist Medha Patkar left for Nandigram in West Bengal Friday to address people resisting land acquisition for a special economic zone (SEZ).Patkar was freed on bail Thursday after she was arrested a day earlier for trying to visit Singur, the focal point of mass protests against a car project.The Narmada Bachao Andolan leader also filed a petition against the West Bengal Police for her arrest besides a defamation suit against Left Front leader Biman Bose for linking her to the Nandigram flare up.

Medha Patkar, produced in Alipore police court here Thursday, was released on unconditional bail.

Even as no untoward incident has been reported from Nandigram for the past two days, after days of clashes and deaths, the situation remained tense in the area where an all-party meeting on peace efforts had failed Thursday.

Land acquisition: LR Act to be applied at Nandigram

Express News Service

Kolkata, January 11: The state government will no longer apply the West Bengal Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (WBIIDC) Act of 1974 at Nandigram where the government faced stiff opposition from local farmers after Haldia Development Authority (HDA) issued notices to acquire land for a proposed SEZ. The Act empowers WBIIDC to acquire land at any place for setting up industries. WBIIDC on its part can empower any state agency to acquire land for the same purpose. According to this Act, the government can acquire land anywhere for public purpose within 15 days. The Salim Group of Indonesia is setting up a multi-product SEZ at Nandigram and a chemical hub at Haldia in a total area of 22,500 acres of land.

The government instead is going to apply the land acquisition Act of 1894, called Act One, for acquiring the land at Nandigram. According to this Act, notice for land acquisition can be issued only by the district magistrate. ‘‘Act One (the LR Act) is more transparent and there is more scope for the redressal of people’s grievances,’’ Abdur Rezaq Mollah, minister for land and land reforms, today said. He also said that the people of Nandigram panicked after they saw what happened at Singur. ‘‘People were tense when they saw the turn of events at Singur and they panicked when they saw the notices,’’ the minister said.

Four people died when clashes erupted last week between the CPI-M supporters and those who were opposed to land acquisition there. The chief minister later admitted that the government’s decision was a hasty one and they had made a mistake by doing so. He also said that the government would go in for the land acquisition process only after consulting people at all levels, even if it takes months.

West Bengal set to welcome mega investments from Bhushan
PRINCE MATHEWS THOMAS

TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ FRIDAY, JANUARY 12, 2007 03:35:35 AM]

MUMBAI: New Delhi-based Bhushan Steel and Strips (BSSL) plans to set up a 2 million tonne per annum (mtpa) steel plant in West Bengal to cash in on the growing demand for steel in India. The company is in talks with the state government and expects to sign the memorandum of understanding within a couple of months, MD Neeraj Singal told ET.

The talks also include plans to set up a thermal power project of 1,000 MW. The project will be implemented by the company’s unlisted subsidiary Bhushan Energy.

“We have identified the location for the projects and it will be near a coal pit-head. Talks are also on for a captive coal block,” added Mr Singal. Though he declined to disclose the amount of investment, industry estimates put the total investment at about Rs 10,000 crore. “About Rs 4,000 crore of investment is needed for each 1,000 MW of power,” said an analyst.

The company is at present, implementing a 2.2 million tonne steel project in Orissa with an investment of Rs 5,000 crore. “The first phase of the Orissa project, with a capacity of 500,000 tonnes, will be completed by March this year. The whole project should be completed by 2009,” said CFO Nittin Johari. The company’s stock rose 3.6% to Rs 395 on the BSE on Thursday. The metal index on the exchange was up 1.9%.

Incidentally, JSW Steel, the second-largest private steel manufacturer in the country on Thursday announced a “Development Agreement” with the West Bengal government for setting up a 10 million tonne steel plant in the state at an investment of Rs 35,000 crore. The project will be implemented by a special purpose joint venture company, with the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation and the West Bengal Mineral Development and Trading Corporation. The Sajjan Jindal-company will hold 89% stake in the JV.

The two developments, according to industry experts, indicates that West Bengal following in the footsteps of Orissa, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand who have signed a slew of MoUs. BSSL’s project in Orissa is credited to be the first to be signed by the Orissa government.

The company claims to have one of the largest captive held coal mines in the country with reserves of 330 million tonnes. BSSL is also implementing a 2,000 MW thermal power project in the state. “Work on the first phase of 300 MW has begun and we are nearing financial closure,” said Mr Singal.

Bengal CM takes notes from Singur

West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has learned a tough lesson his state readies to welcome at least Rs25,000 crore in investments. CNBC-TV18 reports.

Resistance from opposition parties and lack of consensus amongst the CPI-M's allies wouldn't come in the way of Bengal's drive for industrialisation. That's what Bhattacharjee said in an exclusive interview to the TV18 Network.

And to overcome farmer resistance of the kind he encountered in Singur and Nandigram, the state government must work in tandem with the CPI-M… that's the lesson the chief minister has learnt from Singur.

Bhattacharjee says, "Of course the government and the party have to work together in one voice. The party is mobilising the local people and trying to persuade them and now 95 per cent of the people have voluntarily given consent. It's a unique thing; it's never happened in any part of the country."

Indeed, landowners of Singur have been compensated well; tenants too have got something. But what happens to agricultural workers? They have got nothing as yet. But the chief minister says they too need not despair.

"The major problem is with agricultural workers. Now we have engaged them in various construction activities like the construction of roads, fencing, and they will also be engaged in the construction of the factory. They will be engaged in the factories, if not the main factory, in the ancillary units," he said.

Bengal, according to Bhattacharjee, would receive at least Rs25,000 crore in investments this year. There are three steel plants and six Special Economic Zones in the pipeline.

But providing land for the proposed projects wouldn't be easy because 62 per cent of the state is under cultivation, and agriculture still accounts for nearly 26 per cent of Bengal's economy.

Asia : Guarded optimism, but no big outcomes expected from Pranab visit

Posted by admin on 2007/1/12 11:33:43
Islamabad, Jan 12 (IANS) Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee arrives on his first official visit to Pakistan Saturday amid guarded optimism on both sides that disputes over the Sir Creek marshland and the Siachen glacier may be resolved in the near future. However, both sides are realistic not to expect any immediate breakthrough on the Kashmir issue.

The ostensible purpose of Mukherjee's visit here is to invite Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf to attend the 14th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit to be held in New Delhi in April this year.

But Mukherjee's trip - the first by him to Pakistan - has taken on the dimensions of a diplomatic event that is being keenly watched on both sides of the border with the two sides expected to take their dialogue forward on the contentious issue of Kashmir, that has reportedly made some progress in back-channel talks.

Mukherjee will hold talks with his Pakistani counterpart Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri Saturday to review the third round of composite dialogue between the two countries including security, Kashmir, Siachen, confidence building measures and trade, but from India's point of view the key concern would be continuing cross-border terrorism in which Pakistan is suspected to have a hand.

In the spirit of new realism in their engagement, foreign office officials on both sides have already sounded out that there would be "no breakthroughs or big outcomes" in the talks that Mukherjee will have with the Pakistani leadership here but what is being watched keenly is the creation of positive atmospherics and the bridging of trust deficit to resolve more difficult issues.

Mukherjee, say Indian officials, will use the opportunity to convey concerns over the resurgence of Taliban in Afghanistan and west Pakistan that has links with militancy in India.

This will be in fact the first high-level political contact between the two countries after they set up a trailblazing institutional anti-terror mechanism in November last year in the aftermath of the July 11 multiple bombings in Mumbai that India blamed on Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence.

Sources told IANS that the first meeting of the mechanism will be held in New Delhi shortly and possible dates would be discussed between both sides.

"It is not in anybody's interest to see the rebirth of the Taliban. Obviously a major mindset change is required. And considering that US assistant secretary of state Richard Boucher is in Islamabad today from his trip to Kabul, we will be just reiterating the same points that he would have made," said a senior Indian government source who did not want to be identified.

In a development that is sure to strengthen India's case, the US Senate Select committee on Intelligence dubbed Pakistan a hub of the Al-Qaeda and its global network and said its leaders enjoyed a "secure hideout" in this country.

Interestingly, this is the first high-level visit from India after Musharraf came out with his four-point proposal consisting of a joint supervisory mechanism, self-governance, demilitarisation and making the Line of Control (LoC) irrelevant that fuelled speculation that some sort of understanding or deal on Kashmir might be possible in the future.

In his talks with Musharraf, Mukherjee is also likely to convey India's desire to have a treaty of peace, security and friendship with Pakistan, as articulated by Manmohan Singh recently in his famous speech from the holy city of Amritsar.

Two issues on which there are likely to be forward movement are the demarcation of maritime boundary by resolving Sir Creek and the dispute over the Siachen glacier. Pakistan may hint at accommodating India's demand for authenticating actual ground position line as a precondition for demilitarisation of what is known as the world's highest battlefield.

"The minister's visit is expected to take this matter further and let's see what comes out," said an Indian foreign ministry official.

If there is a breakthrough on any of these issues, it could set the stage for Manmohan Singh's visit to Pakistan later this year.

Trinamool bid to strengthen Left link to fight CPI(M)
Kolkata, Jan. 12 (PTI): The Trinamool Congress is looking forward for support from Left partners, particularly Naxalites, to carry forward its movement against acquisition of agricultural land for industrial purpose.

The Trinamool Congress today felicitated leaders of three Left groups for taking an 'active role' in the programmes of the party-led farmers committee to protest land acquisition at Singur and to 'protect the farmers' cause at Nandigram.

"Our Left partners in the alliance are helping us to overcome our weaknesses," said Trinamool Congress leader Madan Mitra.

"We are gaining from our Left friends to take forward our movement for the farmers' cause," Mitra said.

"A new dimension has been added to the movement because of this partnership. It is a new platform for mass movement which is being spearheaded by the Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee."

Members of the CPI-ML State Organising Committee and CPI-ML New Democracy were felicitated at the function at the compound of the party headquarters.

Among Left partners in the Trinamool Congress-led Singur Krishi Jami Rakshya Committee (Save Farmland Committee) is the Party for Democratic Socialism whose leader Samir Patitunda was also felicitated.

Two other Left parties outside the CPI(M)-led Left Front - SUCI and CPI-ML Liberation have not joined the Mamata-led agitation despite SUCI being the joint convenor of the committee in Singur.

Blair backs Bush's plan

Friday, January 12, 2007 (Lympstone):British Prime Minister Tony Blair said on Thursday he supported the US decision to send 21,500 more troops to Iraq, but stressed Britain had no need to deploy additional forces.Blair, speaking in an interview with a local television station in southwestern England, said the United States and Britain remained in step on their policy over Iraq.

"Well, given the conditions in Baghdad at the moment, I think it makes sense for them to increase the number of their forces, provided it's to back up an increasing Iraqi capability.

He further added that increasing capability would not just be in terms of their own armed forces, but also in terms of reconstruction, reconciliation, and development.

Bush's decision and an ongoing joint Iraqi-British operation to tackle insurgents in the southern city of Basra shared the aim of transferring security duties to local forces, Blair added.

"We have a different situation down in Basra, because the conditions are different, we don't have the same type of sectarian fighting, we don't have Al Qaida operating in the same way," Blair said.

NATO troops wound civilian in Afghanistan

NDTV Correspondent

Friday, January 12, 2007 (Kabul):NATO-led troops shot and wounded an Afghan civilian whose vehicle failed to heed warnings to stop as it approached their convoy in southern Afghanistan, the alliance said on Thursday.The troops with NATO's International Stabilisation and Assistance Force in Zabul province "gave clear signals for the driver to stop, including the use of warning shots, however the vehicle refused to halt," the statement said.

"ISAF forces eventually fired upon the vehicle, unfortunately wounding one local national," it said.

The alliance said it regrets the shooting. An investigation into the incident was launched, the statement said.

NATO said last week that it killed too many Afghan civilians during fighting last yea

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]]>Nirmal, We Wanted A Better Worldhttp://palashbiswas.blog.co.uk/2007/01/13/nirmal_we_wanted_a_better_world~1549716/2007-01-13T15:01:09+01:00 <p>Nirmal, We Wanted a Better World </p> <p>Palash Biswas</p> <p>(Contact: Palash Biswas, c/o Mrs Arati Roy, Gostokanan, Sodepur, Kolkata- 700110, India. Phone: 91-33-2565-9551)</p> <p>Medha patekar went to nandigram today and blamed CPI-M for the Genocide.</p> <p>and I have to write on my friend.</p> <p>Nirmal. Nirmal joshi, a friend , a comrade is no more. He died on 24 October. He was sick for long time. My sweet home Nainital is situated perhaps in another galaxy. We have so many E-Groups, mobiles and net, but we did not know the news. I had to attend the birthday party of Golu, the lovely small boy , my friend film director Rajiv Kumar`s son last Sunday. We met in south kolkata in his new flat. Director Joshy Joseph and a bunch of young filmmakers and technitians were present. We discussed nandigram, Singur, Bangladesh, Refugee movement, my father, globalisation and American corporate Imperialism. But we could not discuss on our home Nainital or Uttrakhand. We have no news, no feedback, no phonecall from Nainital. No body informed us that Nirmal is not there to participate in any hot debate on our favourite topics as he used to do in seventies during our collegedays, during emergency and Chipko Andolan, during Nasha nahee Rozgar do. He won`t be there to enact again , `Thank You Mr Glad’.<br> On monday only, I recieved a copy of Nainital samachar and got the news. I informed rajiv. We were stunned that a friend born in 1956 went away for ever so silently. Nirmal was never silent. We shared a single quilt in Girda`s room with Girda, Mohan, Prim, Pushpa and Nirmal. We shared single cup of tea during rehersals of Yugmanch. We shared a bottle of wine in chilly night in Nainital.Everyone had to have a chuski. We discussed the world strolling on Malroad beside the splendid Naini Lake in winter nights amid snowfall. We discussed Marx and Mao, Gandhi and Lohia, Classics written worldwide and the contemporary world. We discussed our dreams. We discussed every moment a better uttarakhand , a better india and a better world.<br> What Uttarakhand we have got! What a world is this!</p> <p>During emergency, we were students in degree classes in Nainital. Mohan alias Kapilesh Bhoj and me went to Mathura and Kota during winter vacation to attend writers` secret meetings. We used to have our study circles on Snow Peak or Tiffin Top. Nainital samchar was yet to publish. In DSB college we had Mahendra Singh Pal, the students` Union President, Raja Bahuguna, Sher Singh Naulia, Bhagirath Lal, the most versatile actor Zahoor Alam, Suresh Arya, Kashi Singh Airy and many more who represent Uttarakhand assembly nowadays.Pradip Tamta, now a Congress MLA , was our ideological leader.He was most agressive. Mohan and me were considerd intellectuals in the group as we used to write regularly.At that time we were room partners in Bengal Hotel Nainital as we left the house of Tara Chandra tripathi, our guide and teacher. </p> <p>We knew Girda as a poet and a very good director actor.We had no interaction with Rajiv Lochan sah or Shekhar Pathak at that time. DD Pant was our Vice chacellor who launched Uttarakhand Kranti Dal later and kash emerged the leader. </p> <p>Tamta came to our room and introduced Nirmal, an MA student in political science.His father was the head clerk in our DSB college and we had serious doubts about Nirmal`s commitment. Very soon he proved to be more committed. We had secret meetings in Kashipur, Gularbhoj and Dineshpur in terai. We had regular study circles. We were fighting against emergency. Raja Bahuguna joined us at this point. He shifted to new founded Uttaraghand Sangharsh Vahini with us from Janata Dal. Earlier he had been Nainital district Youth Congress President. He left Congress during May, 1977 elections.</p> <p>During Chipko movement and just after Nainital Club Fire, the entire group was together with Almora friends Vipin Tripathi, shamsher singh Bisht and chandra Sekhar Bhatt, PC Tiwari and many more. nirmal was most active among us.nainital samachar, Nainital, Ramje Inter College Almora, Someshwar, Dwarahat, Tehri, Uttarkashi and the toatl Uttarakhan along with terai became our centres of activity. We often were involved in heated discussion. Niramal, Girda, Vipin Chacha and Me were the most vocal. Harish Pant, Zahoor Alam, Shamsher, Rajiv Lochan, Pawan Rakesh, Shekhar Pathak, dr Ajay rawat and Dr Chandresh Shastri were very logical. We always dominated.</p> <p> We decided the layout and content of Nainital Samachar and tyhe editorial team had to surrender. Outsiders like Naveen Joshi from Lucknow were the regular visitors. Pankaj Bisht, Biren dangwal, kunwar Prasoon, sundar Lal Bahuguna, jawaqhar Lal kaul, Anand swaroop Verma, himanshu Joshi, Diva Bhatt and others interupted us sometimes.<br> Uma Bahtt was married to Shekhar and she became the most silent and active worker. She played the host role for us the anarchists. We danced together on the occassion of Rajiv`s marriage. We may not forget all those days. rajiv Kumar came from Pantnagar and became a part of us. We played dramas by Badal Sarkar and the director was BB karanth. We played Trishanku with BM shah.</p> <p>During Thank You Mr Glad our team was attacked in Ramje college by RSS goons. Nirmal was thrashed. He played the patnaik role in the play. He was not an actor as zahoor and our Yugmanch friends were. But he acted very well. The wife of Patnaik was enacted by Pushpa. Nirmal`s father was not ready to agree their marriage as Nirmal was a Kumauni Brahmin and Pushpa , a Thakur titled Bisht. Bua Pushpa and Nirmal passed those challanges very well. both of them were established lawyers in Nainital Highcourt.<br> Me and savita went to Nainital just after our marraige. We met Nirmal and Pushpa for the last time then in May, 1983.<br> Nirmal changed a lot. He was drinking too muich and was availabl only in the Boat club. thus, I could not meet him for years. same was the case with friends in Nainital. We listened that Nirmal is changing once again. he is prepared to play a second innings in the mass movement.</p> <p>We needed you so much.<br> As we discussed so much, here are some updates worldwide.</p> <p>U'Khand: Min, MLA violate code of conduct</p> <p>Dehradun, Jan 12: With the issuing of notification for the Assembly polls in Uttarakhand, model code of conduct has been implemented in the hilly state to ensure free and fair elections.</p> <p>According to the Sahara Samay channel, as many as three cases of violation of code of conduct have been registered. One state minister and an MLA have also been found involved in it.Police sources told Sahara Samay that chargesheet has been prepared in two such cases of violation. </p> <p>Meanwhile, legal professionals opine that chargesheet can't bar the political leaders from contesting the polls.</p> <p> U.S. Embassy in Athens Is Attacked<br> ATHENS, Jan. 12 — Shortly before sunrise today, a missile ripped through the United States embassy here, causing minor damage to the building but no injuries. The missile was fired from the street over a 10-foot high security wall, smashing the glass in front of the embassy and spraying debris inside.</p> <p>An investigator, seen through broken glass, looked for evidence inside the embassy.<br> “We have yet to locate the staging area of this rocket attack,” said Assimakis Golfas, the head police chief of the greater Athens area. “We are scouring the region, mainly buildings across from the embassy.”</p> <p>Vyron Polydoras, the public order minister, said an anonymous caller, claiming to be a member of the Revolutionary Struggle terror group, had telephoned a local security company to claim responsibility for the attack, which occurred just before 6:00 a.m.</p> <p>“We’re investigating whether in fact this claim is true,” Mr. Polydoras said after visiting the site.</p> <p>Charles Ries, the American ambassador, said this morning that the embassy had not been warned of an attack.“We can’t speculate who’s behind this,” Mr. Ries told reporters. “Still, treat it as a very serious attack. There can be no justification for such a senseless act of violence.”</p> <p>Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, in Washington, was awakened to the news that the embassy in Greece “was under attack,” an embassy official said.</p> <p>The embassy said in a statement that it was hit by a missile. Mr. Ries said that the site was not occupied at the time of the attack and that it was now a crime scene under investigation by Greek authorities.Revolutionary Struggle, a Marxist group with strong anti-American sentiments, emerged in 2003, bombing an Athens courthouse complex. </p> <p>The group remains the most active Greek terror organization since the downfall of the country’s most deadly urban guerrilla group, November 17, blamed for killing 23 people — including American, British and Turkish officials — and for dozens of bomb attacks.</p> <p>Today’s hit against the United States mission was not unprecedented.</p> <p>On Feb. 15, 1996, an anti-tank rocket hit an outside wall of the embassy, damaging three diplomatic vehicles. While no group claimed responsibility, American officials believe the attack was committed by November 17.The November 17 guerrilla group was dismantled in 2002. Since then, however, a string of copycat terror cells have emerged, striking government buildings and foreign business interests.</p> <p>This morning’s attack forced the embassy to re-evaluate its security, already among the tightest at American diplomatic missions.The mission is surrounded by a high steel fence. Guards are posted at every entrance and at street corners around it.</p> <p>Authorities this morning were searching apartment buildings near the embassy, a hospital and a nearby construction site for evidence that could explain how terrorists managed to penetrate the capital’s most guarded district and attack the mission.Local residents called in to state television saying they had felt the powerful explosion, which shattered windows in the front of the building.</p> <p>This morning’s explosion snarled traffic for more than three hours, as scores of policemen cordoned off streets around the embassy. Police helicopters monitored the sky, circling over the building.</p> <p>A strong anti-American sentiment runs through a segment of the Greek population. Still, senior Greek government officials condemned the attack.</p> <p>“Such actions in the past have had a very heavy cost for the country — moral, financial and for the international standing of the country,” said Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis, who visited the embassy after the blast. “The Greek government is determined to undertake every effort to not allow such phenomena to be repeated in the future.” </p> <p>Bangladeshi president swears in successor<br> By Peter Fosterand Matthew Moore<br> Bangladesh's president has appointed a former central bank governor to succeed him as leader of the country's interim administration, in a further effort to curb the political revolt destabilising the country.Iajuddin Ahmed has also lifted a night curfew imposed yesterday, when he agreed to postpone this month's general election in the face of international diplomatic pressure. But a state of emergency remains in place across the country, with 60,000 troops patrolling the streets. Media freedom is restricted, and people are banned from criticising the government and its activities.</p> <p>The Foreign Office has warned Britons not to travel to the country unless absolutely necessary.</p> <p>The election postponement came after three weeks of intensifying street clashes during which more than 40 people have died as Bangladesh's main opposition parties accuse the outgoing administration of attempting to rig the election. </p> <p>Mr Ahmed's resignation as head of the administration yesterday has been seen as a much-needed effort to halt the violence and reach out to political groups opposed to him.</p> <p>Today he swore in Fakhruddin Ahmed, a former central bank governor, to succeed him, in a ceremony broadcast live on state television.</p> <p>For the past four months the outgoing prime minister, Khaleda Zia, has been locked in a bitter face-off with her long-time rival Sheikh Hasina, herself a former prime minister, who leads the 19-party opposition alliance.</p> <p>The two women bear a deep personal animosity, which diplomats blame for the increasing impasse that has paralysed Bangladesh since Mrs Zia's term of office expired last October. </p> <p>Last month in an exclusive interview with The Daily Telegraph, Anwar Choudhury, Britain's High Commissioner to Bangladesh, raised the spectre of "unconstitutional intervention" by the army in a country which has had 19 assorted coups since it gained independence from Pakistan in 1971. </p> <p>Leader quits as poll stalls in Bangladesh<br> Bruce Loudon<br> BANGLADESH was plunged into turmoil last night as President Iajuddin Ahmed declared a state of emergency, quit as head of the interim Government and postponed elections that have sparked months of violence and scores of deaths.While more than 60,000 troops fanned out across the country to enforce a night curfew and tough media curbs were introduced, there were fears of a military coup.<br> But the 19-party opposition Awami League, which has led massive street protests, proclaimed Mr Ahmed's U-turn "a victory for the people" -- promoting hope of peaceful, fair polls. "That is certainly the optimistic view and it may be the case. But there are plenty of reasons to be more pessimistic. The road ahead is full of stumbling blocks," an analyst in Dhaka said. </p> <p>A senior diplomat at a Western embassy said: "The army could move, who knows? But on balance, ironically, things probably look a bit better today than they did yesterday." </p> <p>Lurking in the shadows are Islamic fundamentalist groups that support al-Qa'ida, and which many see as the potential beneficiaries of disruption to Bangladesh's democratic institutions. </p> <p>Mr Ahmed, a white-haired former judge who has been Bangladesh's ribbon-cutting head of state since 2002, appointed himself at the end of October to head of the supposedly non-partisan caretaker Government, which is constitutionally required 90 days before a general election is held. </p> <p>This followed the failure of the governing Bangladesh Nationalist Party, led by Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, and the Awami League, led by her arch-rival, Sheik Hasina Wajid, to agree on someone to head the interim administration or the Electoral Commission, which runs the polling. </p> <p>The pressure on Mr Ahmed intensified this week when the Awami League announced it would boycott the January 22 poll. Mr Ahmed tried to tough it out. But after a meeting with thecommanders of the three branches of the armed forces, he declared a state of emergency and resigned.</p> <p>Talks fail, fear reigns in Nandigram </p> <p> Nandigram (West Bengal): Even while West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee plans the road ahead, the people of Nandigram continue to live in camps and in fear of displacement.<br> For instance, a waiter in a hotel in Haldia, Lalmohan Pramanik, lives 50 kilometre away in Nandigram. Until a couple of months ago, he used to commute from home everyday but now he doesn't dare to go to his family."I can't go home because of the unrest there. I'm the sole bread earner in my family and if I get killed my family will be in deep trouble," he says.</p> <p>There were obvious signs of people of Nandigram planning an upheaval, but the police chose to ignore them till January 3.And now even by engaging all political parties in peace talks, the administration can't make headway.</p> <p>The last round of negotiations failed because farmers felt that the administration wouldn't go half way, so repair of roads and bridges has been pushed back by a few more days."We have lost faith in the Police and the administration because we are being attacked by CPI-M cadres in police uniform. It's for them that so many peasants have lost their lives," said a resident of the village, Sheikh Farooq Abdullah.Such is the threat perception that a makeshift public announcement system is being set up to warn villagers of a possible police entry. </p> <p>And though the Chief Minister has admitted to an administrative blunder in Nandigram and put land acquisition there on hold, farmers are not yet sure about the government's intentions.</p> <p>Thanks to the failed talks at the all-party meeting, restoration of civic infrastructure still remains a far cry in Nandigram. With villagers constantly living in the fear of losing their lives, the Chief Minister needs to do much more than give out assurances of tearing up notices to restore some faith among the peasants in Nandigram. </p> <p>Child soldiers in hiding in Somalia after recent violence</p> <p>MOGADISHU, Somalia: Adirisaq Khalid Ahmed was shining shoes in Mogadishu's labyrinthine marketplace when a soldier from Islamic movement approached, asking him to join up.</p> <p>Ahmed, all of 16 years old, said yes.</p> <p>Two months later, the Islamic militia has been driven from power and an unknown number of young soldiers like Ahmed are hiding in and around the capital, some of them wounded and too frightened to leave their homes.</p> <p>Interviews with several boys as young as 14 who said they fought in the recent weeks of violence in Somalia lend credence to accusations that children have been recruited for battle in this chaotic Horn of Africa nation. The government and the Islamic movement have denied recruiting child soldiers, but Christian Balslev-Olesen, UNICEF's Somalia representative, said Friday that witness accounts suggest otherwise.</p> <p>"I fought with the enemy and was shot," Ahmed told The Associated Press from his home, where his uncle is helping him recover from gunshots to his back and thigh. He spoke on condition that he not be photographed for fear of reprisals from the government, which with the help of Ethiopian troops drove the Islamic movement fighters out of Mogadishu and much of southern Somalia two weeks ago. He also fears Somalis who resent the strict interpretation of Islam that had been imposed by the Islamic movement, known as the Council of Islamic Courts .</p> <p>Medha Patkar now heads for Nandigram</p> <p>Kolkata, Jan 12 (IANS) Social activist Medha Patkar left for Nandigram in West Bengal Friday to address people resisting land acquisition for a special economic zone (SEZ).Patkar was freed on bail Thursday after she was arrested a day earlier for trying to visit Singur, the focal point of mass protests against a car project.The Narmada Bachao Andolan leader also filed a petition against the West Bengal Police for her arrest besides a defamation suit against Left Front leader Biman Bose for linking her to the Nandigram flare up.</p> <p>Medha Patkar, produced in Alipore police court here Thursday, was released on unconditional bail.</p> <p>Even as no untoward incident has been reported from Nandigram for the past two days, after days of clashes and deaths, the situation remained tense in the area where an all-party meeting on peace efforts had failed Thursday. </p> <p>Land acquisition: LR Act to be applied at Nandigram </p> <p>Express News Service </p> <p>Kolkata, January 11: The state government will no longer apply the West Bengal Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (WBIIDC) Act of 1974 at Nandigram where the government faced stiff opposition from local farmers after Haldia Development Authority (HDA) issued notices to acquire land for a proposed SEZ. The Act empowers WBIIDC to acquire land at any place for setting up industries. WBIIDC on its part can empower any state agency to acquire land for the same purpose. According to this Act, the government can acquire land anywhere for public purpose within 15 days. The Salim Group of Indonesia is setting up a multi-product SEZ at Nandigram and a chemical hub at Haldia in a total area of 22,500 acres of land. </p> <p>The government instead is going to apply the land acquisition Act of 1894, called Act One, for acquiring the land at Nandigram. According to this Act, notice for land acquisition can be issued only by the district magistrate. ‘‘Act One (the LR Act) is more transparent and there is more scope for the redressal of people’s grievances,’’ Abdur Rezaq Mollah, minister for land and land reforms, today said. He also said that the people of Nandigram panicked after they saw what happened at Singur. ‘‘People were tense when they saw the turn of events at Singur and they panicked when they saw the notices,’’ the minister said. </p> <p>Four people died when clashes erupted last week between the CPI-M supporters and those who were opposed to land acquisition there. The chief minister later admitted that the government’s decision was a hasty one and they had made a mistake by doing so. He also said that the government would go in for the land acquisition process only after consulting people at all levels, even if it takes months.</p> <p>West Bengal set to welcome mega investments from Bhushan<br> PRINCE MATHEWS THOMAS</p> <p>TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ FRIDAY, JANUARY 12, 2007 03:35:35 AM] </p> <p>MUMBAI: New Delhi-based Bhushan Steel and Strips (BSSL) plans to set up a 2 million tonne per annum (mtpa) steel plant in West Bengal to cash in on the growing demand for steel in India. The company is in talks with the state government and expects to sign the memorandum of understanding within a couple of months, MD Neeraj Singal told ET. </p> <p>The talks also include plans to set up a thermal power project of 1,000 MW. The project will be implemented by the company’s unlisted subsidiary Bhushan Energy. </p> <p>“We have identified the location for the projects and it will be near a coal pit-head. Talks are also on for a captive coal block,” added Mr Singal. Though he declined to disclose the amount of investment, industry estimates put the total investment at about Rs 10,000 crore. “About Rs 4,000 crore of investment is needed for each 1,000 MW of power,” said an analyst. </p> <p>The company is at present, implementing a 2.2 million tonne steel project in Orissa with an investment of Rs 5,000 crore. “The first phase of the Orissa project, with a capacity of 500,000 tonnes, will be completed by March this year. The whole project should be completed by 2009,” said CFO Nittin Johari. The company’s stock rose 3.6% to Rs 395 on the BSE on Thursday. The metal index on the exchange was up 1.9%. </p> <p>Incidentally, JSW Steel, the second-largest private steel manufacturer in the country on Thursday announced a “Development Agreement” with the West Bengal government for setting up a 10 million tonne steel plant in the state at an investment of Rs 35,000 crore. The project will be implemented by a special purpose joint venture company, with the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation and the West Bengal Mineral Development and Trading Corporation. The Sajjan Jindal-company will hold 89% stake in the JV. </p> <p>The two developments, according to industry experts, indicates that West Bengal following in the footsteps of Orissa, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand who have signed a slew of MoUs. BSSL’s project in Orissa is credited to be the first to be signed by the Orissa government. </p> <p>The company claims to have one of the largest captive held coal mines in the country with reserves of 330 million tonnes. BSSL is also implementing a 2,000 MW thermal power project in the state. “Work on the first phase of 300 MW has begun and we are nearing financial closure,” said Mr Singal. </p> <p>Bengal CM takes notes from Singur</p> <p>West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has learned a tough lesson his state readies to welcome at least Rs25,000 crore in investments. CNBC-TV18 reports.</p> <p>Resistance from opposition parties and lack of consensus amongst the CPI-M's allies wouldn't come in the way of Bengal's drive for industrialisation. That's what Bhattacharjee said in an exclusive interview to the TV18 Network. </p> <p>And to overcome farmer resistance of the kind he encountered in Singur and Nandigram, the state government must work in tandem with the CPI-M… that's the lesson the chief minister has learnt from Singur.</p> <p>Bhattacharjee says, "Of course the government and the party have to work together in one voice. The party is mobilising the local people and trying to persuade them and now 95 per cent of the people have voluntarily given consent. It's a unique thing; it's never happened in any part of the country."</p> <p>Indeed, landowners of Singur have been compensated well; tenants too have got something. But what happens to agricultural workers? They have got nothing as yet. But the chief minister says they too need not despair.</p> <p>"The major problem is with agricultural workers. Now we have engaged them in various construction activities like the construction of roads, fencing, and they will also be engaged in the construction of the factory. They will be engaged in the factories, if not the main factory, in the ancillary units," he said.</p> <p>Bengal, according to Bhattacharjee, would receive at least Rs25,000 crore in investments this year. There are three steel plants and six Special Economic Zones in the pipeline. </p> <p>But providing land for the proposed projects wouldn't be easy because 62 per cent of the state is under cultivation, and agriculture still accounts for nearly 26 per cent of Bengal's economy.</p> <p> Asia : Guarded optimism, but no big outcomes expected from Pranab visit </p> <p>Posted by admin on 2007/1/12 11:33:43<br> Islamabad, Jan 12 (IANS) Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee arrives on his first official visit to Pakistan Saturday amid guarded optimism on both sides that disputes over the Sir Creek marshland and the Siachen glacier may be resolved in the near future. However, both sides are realistic not to expect any immediate breakthrough on the Kashmir issue.</p> <p>The ostensible purpose of Mukherjee's visit here is to invite Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf to attend the 14th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit to be held in New Delhi in April this year.</p> <p>But Mukherjee's trip - the first by him to Pakistan - has taken on the dimensions of a diplomatic event that is being keenly watched on both sides of the border with the two sides expected to take their dialogue forward on the contentious issue of Kashmir, that has reportedly made some progress in back-channel talks.</p> <p>Mukherjee will hold talks with his Pakistani counterpart Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri Saturday to review the third round of composite dialogue between the two countries including security, Kashmir, Siachen, confidence building measures and trade, but from India's point of view the key concern would be continuing cross-border terrorism in which Pakistan is suspected to have a hand.</p> <p>In the spirit of new realism in their engagement, foreign office officials on both sides have already sounded out that there would be "no breakthroughs or big outcomes" in the talks that Mukherjee will have with the Pakistani leadership here but what is being watched keenly is the creation of positive atmospherics and the bridging of trust deficit to resolve more difficult issues.</p> <p>Mukherjee, say Indian officials, will use the opportunity to convey concerns over the resurgence of Taliban in Afghanistan and west Pakistan that has links with militancy in India.</p> <p>This will be in fact the first high-level political contact between the two countries after they set up a trailblazing institutional anti-terror mechanism in November last year in the aftermath of the July 11 multiple bombings in Mumbai that India blamed on Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence.</p> <p>Sources told IANS that the first meeting of the mechanism will be held in New Delhi shortly and possible dates would be discussed between both sides.</p> <p>"It is not in anybody's interest to see the rebirth of the Taliban. Obviously a major mindset change is required. And considering that US assistant secretary of state Richard Boucher is in Islamabad today from his trip to Kabul, we will be just reiterating the same points that he would have made," said a senior Indian government source who did not want to be identified.</p> <p>In a development that is sure to strengthen India's case, the US Senate Select committee on Intelligence dubbed Pakistan a hub of the Al-Qaeda and its global network and said its leaders enjoyed a "secure hideout" in this country.</p> <p>Interestingly, this is the first high-level visit from India after Musharraf came out with his four-point proposal consisting of a joint supervisory mechanism, self-governance, demilitarisation and making the Line of Control (LoC) irrelevant that fuelled speculation that some sort of understanding or deal on Kashmir might be possible in the future.</p> <p>In his talks with Musharraf, Mukherjee is also likely to convey India's desire to have a treaty of peace, security and friendship with Pakistan, as articulated by Manmohan Singh recently in his famous speech from the holy city of Amritsar.</p> <p>Two issues on which there are likely to be forward movement are the demarcation of maritime boundary by resolving Sir Creek and the dispute over the Siachen glacier. Pakistan may hint at accommodating India's demand for authenticating actual ground position line as a precondition for demilitarisation of what is known as the world's highest battlefield.</p> <p>"The minister's visit is expected to take this matter further and let's see what comes out," said an Indian foreign ministry official.</p> <p>If there is a breakthrough on any of these issues, it could set the stage for Manmohan Singh's visit to Pakistan later this year.</p> <p> Trinamool bid to strengthen Left link to fight CPI(M)<br> Kolkata, Jan. 12 (PTI): The Trinamool Congress is looking forward for support from Left partners, particularly Naxalites, to carry forward its movement against acquisition of agricultural land for industrial purpose. </p> <p>The Trinamool Congress today felicitated leaders of three Left groups for taking an 'active role' in the programmes of the party-led farmers committee to protest land acquisition at Singur and to 'protect the farmers' cause at Nandigram. </p> <p>"Our Left partners in the alliance are helping us to overcome our weaknesses," said Trinamool Congress leader Madan Mitra. </p> <p>"We are gaining from our Left friends to take forward our movement for the farmers' cause," Mitra said. </p> <p>"A new dimension has been added to the movement because of this partnership. It is a new platform for mass movement which is being spearheaded by the Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee." </p> <p>Members of the CPI-ML State Organising Committee and CPI-ML New Democracy were felicitated at the function at the compound of the party headquarters. </p> <p>Among Left partners in the Trinamool Congress-led Singur Krishi Jami Rakshya Committee (Save Farmland Committee) is the Party for Democratic Socialism whose leader Samir Patitunda was also felicitated. </p> <p>Two other Left parties outside the CPI(M)-led Left Front - SUCI and CPI-ML Liberation have not joined the Mamata-led agitation despite SUCI being the joint convenor of the committee in Singur.</p> <p>Blair backs Bush's plan</p> <p>Friday, January 12, 2007 (Lympstone):British Prime Minister Tony Blair said on Thursday he supported the US decision to send 21,500 more troops to Iraq, but stressed Britain had no need to deploy additional forces.Blair, speaking in an interview with a local television station in southwestern England, said the United States and Britain remained in step on their policy over Iraq. </p> <p>"Well, given the conditions in Baghdad at the moment, I think it makes sense for them to increase the number of their forces, provided it's to back up an increasing Iraqi capability.</p> <p>He further added that increasing capability would not just be in terms of their own armed forces, but also in terms of reconstruction, reconciliation, and development.</p> <p>Bush's decision and an ongoing joint Iraqi-British operation to tackle insurgents in the southern city of Basra shared the aim of transferring security duties to local forces, Blair added.</p> <p>"We have a different situation down in Basra, because the conditions are different, we don't have the same type of sectarian fighting, we don't have Al Qaida operating in the same way," Blair said.</p> <p> NATO troops wound civilian in Afghanistan</p> <p>NDTV Correspondent</p> <p>Friday, January 12, 2007 (Kabul):NATO-led troops shot and wounded an Afghan civilian whose vehicle failed to heed warnings to stop as it approached their convoy in southern Afghanistan, the alliance said on Thursday.The troops with NATO's International Stabilisation and Assistance Force in Zabul province "gave clear signals for the driver to stop, including the use of warning shots, however the vehicle refused to halt," the statement said.</p> <p>"ISAF forces eventually fired upon the vehicle, unfortunately wounding one local national," it said.</p> <p>The alliance said it regrets the shooting. An investigation into the incident was launched, the statement said. </p> <p>NATO said last week that it killed too many Afghan civilians during fighting last yea </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://palashbiswas.blog.co.uk/2007/01/13/nirmal_we_wanted_a_better_world~1549716/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>Nirmal, We Wanted a Better World

Palash Biswas

(Contact: Palash Biswas, c/o Mrs Arati Roy, Gostokanan, Sodepur, Kolkata- 700110, India. Phone: 91-33-2565-9551)

Medha patekar went to nandigram today and blamed CPI-M for the Genocide.

and I have to write on my friend.

Nirmal. Nirmal joshi, a friend , a comrade is no more. He died on 24 October. He was sick for long time. My sweet home Nainital is situated perhaps in another galaxy. We have so many E-Groups, mobiles and net, but we did not know the news. I had to attend the birthday party of Golu, the lovely small boy , my friend film director Rajiv Kumar`s son last Sunday. We met in south kolkata in his new flat. Director Joshy Joseph and a bunch of young filmmakers and technitians were present. We discussed nandigram, Singur, Bangladesh, Refugee movement, my father, globalisation and American corporate Imperialism. But we could not discuss on our home Nainital or Uttrakhand. We have no news, no feedback, no phonecall from Nainital. No body informed us that Nirmal is not there to participate in any hot debate on our favourite topics as he used to do in seventies during our collegedays, during emergency and Chipko Andolan, during Nasha nahee Rozgar do. He won`t be there to enact again , `Thank You Mr Glad’.
On monday only, I recieved a copy of Nainital samachar and got the news. I informed rajiv. We were stunned that a friend born in 1956 went away for ever so silently. Nirmal was never silent. We shared a single quilt in Girda`s room with Girda, Mohan, Prim, Pushpa and Nirmal. We shared single cup of tea during rehersals of Yugmanch. We shared a bottle of wine in chilly night in Nainital.Everyone had to have a chuski. We discussed the world strolling on Malroad beside the splendid Naini Lake in winter nights amid snowfall. We discussed Marx and Mao, Gandhi and Lohia, Classics written worldwide and the contemporary world. We discussed our dreams. We discussed every moment a better uttarakhand , a better india and a better world.
What Uttarakhand we have got! What a world is this!

During emergency, we were students in degree classes in Nainital. Mohan alias Kapilesh Bhoj and me went to Mathura and Kota during winter vacation to attend writers` secret meetings. We used to have our study circles on Snow Peak or Tiffin Top. Nainital samchar was yet to publish. In DSB college we had Mahendra Singh Pal, the students` Union President, Raja Bahuguna, Sher Singh Naulia, Bhagirath Lal, the most versatile actor Zahoor Alam, Suresh Arya, Kashi Singh Airy and many more who represent Uttarakhand assembly nowadays.Pradip Tamta, now a Congress MLA , was our ideological leader.He was most agressive. Mohan and me were considerd intellectuals in the group as we used to write regularly.At that time we were room partners in Bengal Hotel Nainital as we left the house of Tara Chandra tripathi, our guide and teacher.

We knew Girda as a poet and a very good director actor.We had no interaction with Rajiv Lochan sah or Shekhar Pathak at that time. DD Pant was our Vice chacellor who launched Uttarakhand Kranti Dal later and kash emerged the leader.

Tamta came to our room and introduced Nirmal, an MA student in political science.His father was the head clerk in our DSB college and we had serious doubts about Nirmal`s commitment. Very soon he proved to be more committed. We had secret meetings in Kashipur, Gularbhoj and Dineshpur in terai. We had regular study circles. We were fighting against emergency. Raja Bahuguna joined us at this point. He shifted to new founded Uttaraghand Sangharsh Vahini with us from Janata Dal. Earlier he had been Nainital district Youth Congress President. He left Congress during May, 1977 elections.

During Chipko movement and just after Nainital Club Fire, the entire group was together with Almora friends Vipin Tripathi, shamsher singh Bisht and chandra Sekhar Bhatt, PC Tiwari and many more. nirmal was most active among us.nainital samachar, Nainital, Ramje Inter College Almora, Someshwar, Dwarahat, Tehri, Uttarkashi and the toatl Uttarakhan along with terai became our centres of activity. We often were involved in heated discussion. Niramal, Girda, Vipin Chacha and Me were the most vocal. Harish Pant, Zahoor Alam, Shamsher, Rajiv Lochan, Pawan Rakesh, Shekhar Pathak, dr Ajay rawat and Dr Chandresh Shastri were very logical. We always dominated.

We decided the layout and content of Nainital Samachar and tyhe editorial team had to surrender. Outsiders like Naveen Joshi from Lucknow were the regular visitors. Pankaj Bisht, Biren dangwal, kunwar Prasoon, sundar Lal Bahuguna, jawaqhar Lal kaul, Anand swaroop Verma, himanshu Joshi, Diva Bhatt and others interupted us sometimes.
Uma Bahtt was married to Shekhar and she became the most silent and active worker. She played the host role for us the anarchists. We danced together on the occassion of Rajiv`s marriage. We may not forget all those days. rajiv Kumar came from Pantnagar and became a part of us. We played dramas by Badal Sarkar and the director was BB karanth. We played Trishanku with BM shah.

During Thank You Mr Glad our team was attacked in Ramje college by RSS goons. Nirmal was thrashed. He played the patnaik role in the play. He was not an actor as zahoor and our Yugmanch friends were. But he acted very well. The wife of Patnaik was enacted by Pushpa. Nirmal`s father was not ready to agree their marriage as Nirmal was a Kumauni Brahmin and Pushpa , a Thakur titled Bisht. Bua Pushpa and Nirmal passed those challanges very well. both of them were established lawyers in Nainital Highcourt.
Me and savita went to Nainital just after our marraige. We met Nirmal and Pushpa for the last time then in May, 1983.
Nirmal changed a lot. He was drinking too muich and was availabl only in the Boat club. thus, I could not meet him for years. same was the case with friends in Nainital. We listened that Nirmal is changing once again. he is prepared to play a second innings in the mass movement.

We needed you so much.
As we discussed so much, here are some updates worldwide.

U'Khand: Min, MLA violate code of conduct

Dehradun, Jan 12: With the issuing of notification for the Assembly polls in Uttarakhand, model code of conduct has been implemented in the hilly state to ensure free and fair elections.

According to the Sahara Samay channel, as many as three cases of violation of code of conduct have been registered. One state minister and an MLA have also been found involved in it.Police sources told Sahara Samay that chargesheet has been prepared in two such cases of violation.

Meanwhile, legal professionals opine that chargesheet can't bar the political leaders from contesting the polls.

U.S. Embassy in Athens Is Attacked
ATHENS, Jan. 12 — Shortly before sunrise today, a missile ripped through the United States embassy here, causing minor damage to the building but no injuries. The missile was fired from the street over a 10-foot high security wall, smashing the glass in front of the embassy and spraying debris inside.

An investigator, seen through broken glass, looked for evidence inside the embassy.
“We have yet to locate the staging area of this rocket attack,” said Assimakis Golfas, the head police chief of the greater Athens area. “We are scouring the region, mainly buildings across from the embassy.”

Vyron Polydoras, the public order minister, said an anonymous caller, claiming to be a member of the Revolutionary Struggle terror group, had telephoned a local security company to claim responsibility for the attack, which occurred just before 6:00 a.m.

“We’re investigating whether in fact this claim is true,” Mr. Polydoras said after visiting the site.

Charles Ries, the American ambassador, said this morning that the embassy had not been warned of an attack.“We can’t speculate who’s behind this,” Mr. Ries told reporters. “Still, treat it as a very serious attack. There can be no justification for such a senseless act of violence.”

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, in Washington, was awakened to the news that the embassy in Greece “was under attack,” an embassy official said.

The embassy said in a statement that it was hit by a missile. Mr. Ries said that the site was not occupied at the time of the attack and that it was now a crime scene under investigation by Greek authorities.Revolutionary Struggle, a Marxist group with strong anti-American sentiments, emerged in 2003, bombing an Athens courthouse complex.

The group remains the most active Greek terror organization since the downfall of the country’s most deadly urban guerrilla group, November 17, blamed for killing 23 people — including American, British and Turkish officials — and for dozens of bomb attacks.

Today’s hit against the United States mission was not unprecedented.

On Feb. 15, 1996, an anti-tank rocket hit an outside wall of the embassy, damaging three diplomatic vehicles. While no group claimed responsibility, American officials believe the attack was committed by November 17.The November 17 guerrilla group was dismantled in 2002. Since then, however, a string of copycat terror cells have emerged, striking government buildings and foreign business interests.

This morning’s attack forced the embassy to re-evaluate its security, already among the tightest at American diplomatic missions.The mission is surrounded by a high steel fence. Guards are posted at every entrance and at street corners around it.

Authorities this morning were searching apartment buildings near the embassy, a hospital and a nearby construction site for evidence that could explain how terrorists managed to penetrate the capital’s most guarded district and attack the mission.Local residents called in to state television saying they had felt the powerful explosion, which shattered windows in the front of the building.

This morning’s explosion snarled traffic for more than three hours, as scores of policemen cordoned off streets around the embassy. Police helicopters monitored the sky, circling over the building.

A strong anti-American sentiment runs through a segment of the Greek population. Still, senior Greek government officials condemned the attack.

“Such actions in the past have had a very heavy cost for the country — moral, financial and for the international standing of the country,” said Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis, who visited the embassy after the blast. “The Greek government is determined to undertake every effort to not allow such phenomena to be repeated in the future.”

Bangladeshi president swears in successor
By Peter Fosterand Matthew Moore
Bangladesh's president has appointed a former central bank governor to succeed him as leader of the country's interim administration, in a further effort to curb the political revolt destabilising the country.Iajuddin Ahmed has also lifted a night curfew imposed yesterday, when he agreed to postpone this month's general election in the face of international diplomatic pressure. But a state of emergency remains in place across the country, with 60,000 troops patrolling the streets. Media freedom is restricted, and people are banned from criticising the government and its activities.

The Foreign Office has warned Britons not to travel to the country unless absolutely necessary.

The election postponement came after three weeks of intensifying street clashes during which more than 40 people have died as Bangladesh's main opposition parties accuse the outgoing administration of attempting to rig the election.

Mr Ahmed's resignation as head of the administration yesterday has been seen as a much-needed effort to halt the violence and reach out to political groups opposed to him.

Today he swore in Fakhruddin Ahmed, a former central bank governor, to succeed him, in a ceremony broadcast live on state television.

For the past four months the outgoing prime minister, Khaleda Zia, has been locked in a bitter face-off with her long-time rival Sheikh Hasina, herself a former prime minister, who leads the 19-party opposition alliance.

The two women bear a deep personal animosity, which diplomats blame for the increasing impasse that has paralysed Bangladesh since Mrs Zia's term of office expired last October.

Last month in an exclusive interview with The Daily Telegraph, Anwar Choudhury, Britain's High Commissioner to Bangladesh, raised the spectre of "unconstitutional intervention" by the army in a country which has had 19 assorted coups since it gained independence from Pakistan in 1971.

Leader quits as poll stalls in Bangladesh
Bruce Loudon
BANGLADESH was plunged into turmoil last night as President Iajuddin Ahmed declared a state of emergency, quit as head of the interim Government and postponed elections that have sparked months of violence and scores of deaths.While more than 60,000 troops fanned out across the country to enforce a night curfew and tough media curbs were introduced, there were fears of a military coup.
But the 19-party opposition Awami League, which has led massive street protests, proclaimed Mr Ahmed's U-turn "a victory for the people" -- promoting hope of peaceful, fair polls. "That is certainly the optimistic view and it may be the case. But there are plenty of reasons to be more pessimistic. The road ahead is full of stumbling blocks," an analyst in Dhaka said.

A senior diplomat at a Western embassy said: "The army could move, who knows? But on balance, ironically, things probably look a bit better today than they did yesterday."

Lurking in the shadows are Islamic fundamentalist groups that support al-Qa'ida, and which many see as the potential beneficiaries of disruption to Bangladesh's democratic institutions.

Mr Ahmed, a white-haired former judge who has been Bangladesh's ribbon-cutting head of state since 2002, appointed himself at the end of October to head of the supposedly non-partisan caretaker Government, which is constitutionally required 90 days before a general election is held.

This followed the failure of the governing Bangladesh Nationalist Party, led by Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, and the Awami League, led by her arch-rival, Sheik Hasina Wajid, to agree on someone to head the interim administration or the Electoral Commission, which runs the polling.

The pressure on Mr Ahmed intensified this week when the Awami League announced it would boycott the January 22 poll. Mr Ahmed tried to tough it out. But after a meeting with thecommanders of the three branches of the armed forces, he declared a state of emergency and resigned.

Talks fail, fear reigns in Nandigram

Nandigram (West Bengal): Even while West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee plans the road ahead, the people of Nandigram continue to live in camps and in fear of displacement.
For instance, a waiter in a hotel in Haldia, Lalmohan Pramanik, lives 50 kilometre away in Nandigram. Until a couple of months ago, he used to commute from home everyday but now he doesn't dare to go to his family."I can't go home because of the unrest there. I'm the sole bread earner in my family and if I get killed my family will be in deep trouble," he says.

There were obvious signs of people of Nandigram planning an upheaval, but the police chose to ignore them till January 3.And now even by engaging all political parties in peace talks, the administration can't make headway.

The last round of negotiations failed because farmers felt that the administration wouldn't go half way, so repair of roads and bridges has been pushed back by a few more days."We have lost faith in the Police and the administration because we are being attacked by CPI-M cadres in police uniform. It's for them that so many peasants have lost their lives," said a resident of the village, Sheikh Farooq Abdullah.Such is the threat perception that a makeshift public announcement system is being set up to warn villagers of a possible police entry.

And though the Chief Minister has admitted to an administrative blunder in Nandigram and put land acquisition there on hold, farmers are not yet sure about the government's intentions.

Thanks to the failed talks at the all-party meeting, restoration of civic infrastructure still remains a far cry in Nandigram. With villagers constantly living in the fear of losing their lives, the Chief Minister needs to do much more than give out assurances of tearing up notices to restore some faith among the peasants in Nandigram.

Child soldiers in hiding in Somalia after recent violence

MOGADISHU, Somalia: Adirisaq Khalid Ahmed was shining shoes in Mogadishu's labyrinthine marketplace when a soldier from Islamic movement approached, asking him to join up.

Ahmed, all of 16 years old, said yes.

Two months later, the Islamic militia has been driven from power and an unknown number of young soldiers like Ahmed are hiding in and around the capital, some of them wounded and too frightened to leave their homes.

Interviews with several boys as young as 14 who said they fought in the recent weeks of violence in Somalia lend credence to accusations that children have been recruited for battle in this chaotic Horn of Africa nation. The government and the Islamic movement have denied recruiting child soldiers, but Christian Balslev-Olesen, UNICEF's Somalia representative, said Friday that witness accounts suggest otherwise.

"I fought with the enemy and was shot," Ahmed told The Associated Press from his home, where his uncle is helping him recover from gunshots to his back and thigh. He spoke on condition that he not be photographed for fear of reprisals from the government, which with the help of Ethiopian troops drove the Islamic movement fighters out of Mogadishu and much of southern Somalia two weeks ago. He also fears Somalis who resent the strict interpretation of Islam that had been imposed by the Islamic movement, known as the Council of Islamic Courts .

Medha Patkar now heads for Nandigram

Kolkata, Jan 12 (IANS) Social activist Medha Patkar left for Nandigram in West Bengal Friday to address people resisting land acquisition for a special economic zone (SEZ).Patkar was freed on bail Thursday after she was arrested a day earlier for trying to visit Singur, the focal point of mass protests against a car project.The Narmada Bachao Andolan leader also filed a petition against the West Bengal Police for her arrest besides a defamation suit against Left Front leader Biman Bose for linking her to the Nandigram flare up.

Medha Patkar, produced in Alipore police court here Thursday, was released on unconditional bail.

Even as no untoward incident has been reported from Nandigram for the past two days, after days of clashes and deaths, the situation remained tense in the area where an all-party meeting on peace efforts had failed Thursday.

Land acquisition: LR Act to be applied at Nandigram

Express News Service

Kolkata, January 11: The state government will no longer apply the West Bengal Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (WBIIDC) Act of 1974 at Nandigram where the government faced stiff opposition from local farmers after Haldia Development Authority (HDA) issued notices to acquire land for a proposed SEZ. The Act empowers WBIIDC to acquire land at any place for setting up industries. WBIIDC on its part can empower any state agency to acquire land for the same purpose. According to this Act, the government can acquire land anywhere for public purpose within 15 days. The Salim Group of Indonesia is setting up a multi-product SEZ at Nandigram and a chemical hub at Haldia in a total area of 22,500 acres of land.

The government instead is going to apply the land acquisition Act of 1894, called Act One, for acquiring the land at Nandigram. According to this Act, notice for land acquisition can be issued only by the district magistrate. ‘‘Act One (the LR Act) is more transparent and there is more scope for the redressal of people’s grievances,’’ Abdur Rezaq Mollah, minister for land and land reforms, today said. He also said that the people of Nandigram panicked after they saw what happened at Singur. ‘‘People were tense when they saw the turn of events at Singur and they panicked when they saw the notices,’’ the minister said.

Four people died when clashes erupted last week between the CPI-M supporters and those who were opposed to land acquisition there. The chief minister later admitted that the government’s decision was a hasty one and they had made a mistake by doing so. He also said that the government would go in for the land acquisition process only after consulting people at all levels, even if it takes months.

West Bengal set to welcome mega investments from Bhushan
PRINCE MATHEWS THOMAS

TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ FRIDAY, JANUARY 12, 2007 03:35:35 AM]

MUMBAI: New Delhi-based Bhushan Steel and Strips (BSSL) plans to set up a 2 million tonne per annum (mtpa) steel plant in West Bengal to cash in on the growing demand for steel in India. The company is in talks with the state government and expects to sign the memorandum of understanding within a couple of months, MD Neeraj Singal told ET.

The talks also include plans to set up a thermal power project of 1,000 MW. The project will be implemented by the company’s unlisted subsidiary Bhushan Energy.

“We have identified the location for the projects and it will be near a coal pit-head. Talks are also on for a captive coal block,” added Mr Singal. Though he declined to disclose the amount of investment, industry estimates put the total investment at about Rs 10,000 crore. “About Rs 4,000 crore of investment is needed for each 1,000 MW of power,” said an analyst.

The company is at present, implementing a 2.2 million tonne steel project in Orissa with an investment of Rs 5,000 crore. “The first phase of the Orissa project, with a capacity of 500,000 tonnes, will be completed by March this year. The whole project should be completed by 2009,” said CFO Nittin Johari. The company’s stock rose 3.6% to Rs 395 on the BSE on Thursday. The metal index on the exchange was up 1.9%.

Incidentally, JSW Steel, the second-largest private steel manufacturer in the country on Thursday announced a “Development Agreement” with the West Bengal government for setting up a 10 million tonne steel plant in the state at an investment of Rs 35,000 crore. The project will be implemented by a special purpose joint venture company, with the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation and the West Bengal Mineral Development and Trading Corporation. The Sajjan Jindal-company will hold 89% stake in the JV.

The two developments, according to industry experts, indicates that West Bengal following in the footsteps of Orissa, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand who have signed a slew of MoUs. BSSL’s project in Orissa is credited to be the first to be signed by the Orissa government.

The company claims to have one of the largest captive held coal mines in the country with reserves of 330 million tonnes. BSSL is also implementing a 2,000 MW thermal power project in the state. “Work on the first phase of 300 MW has begun and we are nearing financial closure,” said Mr Singal.

Bengal CM takes notes from Singur

West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has learned a tough lesson his state readies to welcome at least Rs25,000 crore in investments. CNBC-TV18 reports.

Resistance from opposition parties and lack of consensus amongst the CPI-M's allies wouldn't come in the way of Bengal's drive for industrialisation. That's what Bhattacharjee said in an exclusive interview to the TV18 Network.

And to overcome farmer resistance of the kind he encountered in Singur and Nandigram, the state government must work in tandem with the CPI-M… that's the lesson the chief minister has learnt from Singur.

Bhattacharjee says, "Of course the government and the party have to work together in one voice. The party is mobilising the local people and trying to persuade them and now 95 per cent of the people have voluntarily given consent. It's a unique thing; it's never happened in any part of the country."

Indeed, landowners of Singur have been compensated well; tenants too have got something. But what happens to agricultural workers? They have got nothing as yet. But the chief minister says they too need not despair.

"The major problem is with agricultural workers. Now we have engaged them in various construction activities like the construction of roads, fencing, and they will also be engaged in the construction of the factory. They will be engaged in the factories, if not the main factory, in the ancillary units," he said.

Bengal, according to Bhattacharjee, would receive at least Rs25,000 crore in investments this year. There are three steel plants and six Special Economic Zones in the pipeline.

But providing land for the proposed projects wouldn't be easy because 62 per cent of the state is under cultivation, and agriculture still accounts for nearly 26 per cent of Bengal's economy.

Asia : Guarded optimism, but no big outcomes expected from Pranab visit

Posted by admin on 2007/1/12 11:33:43
Islamabad, Jan 12 (IANS) Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee arrives on his first official visit to Pakistan Saturday amid guarded optimism on both sides that disputes over the Sir Creek marshland and the Siachen glacier may be resolved in the near future. However, both sides are realistic not to expect any immediate breakthrough on the Kashmir issue.

The ostensible purpose of Mukherjee's visit here is to invite Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf to attend the 14th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit to be held in New Delhi in April this year.

But Mukherjee's trip - the first by him to Pakistan - has taken on the dimensions of a diplomatic event that is being keenly watched on both sides of the border with the two sides expected to take their dialogue forward on the contentious issue of Kashmir, that has reportedly made some progress in back-channel talks.

Mukherjee will hold talks with his Pakistani counterpart Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri Saturday to review the third round of composite dialogue between the two countries including security, Kashmir, Siachen, confidence building measures and trade, but from India's point of view the key concern would be continuing cross-border terrorism in which Pakistan is suspected to have a hand.

In the spirit of new realism in their engagement, foreign office officials on both sides have already sounded out that there would be "no breakthroughs or big outcomes" in the talks that Mukherjee will have with the Pakistani leadership here but what is being watched keenly is the creation of positive atmospherics and the bridging of trust deficit to resolve more difficult issues.

Mukherjee, say Indian officials, will use the opportunity to convey concerns over the resurgence of Taliban in Afghanistan and west Pakistan that has links with militancy in India.

This will be in fact the first high-level political contact between the two countries after they set up a trailblazing institutional anti-terror mechanism in November last year in the aftermath of the July 11 multiple bombings in Mumbai that India blamed on Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence.

Sources told IANS that the first meeting of the mechanism will be held in New Delhi shortly and possible dates would be discussed between both sides.

"It is not in anybody's interest to see the rebirth of the Taliban. Obviously a major mindset change is required. And considering that US assistant secretary of state Richard Boucher is in Islamabad today from his trip to Kabul, we will be just reiterating the same points that he would have made," said a senior Indian government source who did not want to be identified.

In a development that is sure to strengthen India's case, the US Senate Select committee on Intelligence dubbed Pakistan a hub of the Al-Qaeda and its global network and said its leaders enjoyed a "secure hideout" in this country.

Interestingly, this is the first high-level visit from India after Musharraf came out with his four-point proposal consisting of a joint supervisory mechanism, self-governance, demilitarisation and making the Line of Control (LoC) irrelevant that fuelled speculation that some sort of understanding or deal on Kashmir might be possible in the future.

In his talks with Musharraf, Mukherjee is also likely to convey India's desire to have a treaty of peace, security and friendship with Pakistan, as articulated by Manmohan Singh recently in his famous speech from the holy city of Amritsar.

Two issues on which there are likely to be forward movement are the demarcation of maritime boundary by resolving Sir Creek and the dispute over the Siachen glacier. Pakistan may hint at accommodating India's demand for authenticating actual ground position line as a precondition for demilitarisation of what is known as the world's highest battlefield.

"The minister's visit is expected to take this matter further and let's see what comes out," said an Indian foreign ministry official.

If there is a breakthrough on any of these issues, it could set the stage for Manmohan Singh's visit to Pakistan later this year.

Trinamool bid to strengthen Left link to fight CPI(M)
Kolkata, Jan. 12 (PTI): The Trinamool Congress is looking forward for support from Left partners, particularly Naxalites, to carry forward its movement against acquisition of agricultural land for industrial purpose.

The Trinamool Congress today felicitated leaders of three Left groups for taking an 'active role' in the programmes of the party-led farmers committee to protest land acquisition at Singur and to 'protect the farmers' cause at Nandigram.

"Our Left partners in the alliance are helping us to overcome our weaknesses," said Trinamool Congress leader Madan Mitra.

"We are gaining from our Left friends to take forward our movement for the farmers' cause," Mitra said.

"A new dimension has been added to the movement because of this partnership. It is a new platform for mass movement which is being spearheaded by the Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee."

Members of the CPI-ML State Organising Committee and CPI-ML New Democracy were felicitated at the function at the compound of the party headquarters.

Among Left partners in the Trinamool Congress-led Singur Krishi Jami Rakshya Committee (Save Farmland Committee) is the Party for Democratic Socialism whose leader Samir Patitunda was also felicitated.

Two other Left parties outside the CPI(M)-led Left Front - SUCI and CPI-ML Liberation have not joined the Mamata-led agitation despite SUCI being the joint convenor of the committee in Singur.

Blair backs Bush's plan

Friday, January 12, 2007 (Lympstone):British Prime Minister Tony Blair said on Thursday he supported the US decision to send 21,500 more troops to Iraq, but stressed Britain had no need to deploy additional forces.Blair, speaking in an interview with a local television station in southwestern England, said the United States and Britain remained in step on their policy over Iraq.

"Well, given the conditions in Baghdad at the moment, I think it makes sense for them to increase the number of their forces, provided it's to back up an increasing Iraqi capability.

He further added that increasing capability would not just be in terms of their own armed forces, but also in terms of reconstruction, reconciliation, and development.

Bush's decision and an ongoing joint Iraqi-British operation to tackle insurgents in the southern city of Basra shared the aim of transferring security duties to local forces, Blair added.

"We have a different situation down in Basra, because the conditions are different, we don't have the same type of sectarian fighting, we don't have Al Qaida operating in the same way," Blair said.

NATO troops wound civilian in Afghanistan

NDTV Correspondent

Friday, January 12, 2007 (Kabul):NATO-led troops shot and wounded an Afghan civilian whose vehicle failed to heed warnings to stop as it approached their convoy in southern Afghanistan, the alliance said on Thursday.The troops with NATO's International Stabilisation and Assistance Force in Zabul province "gave clear signals for the driver to stop, including the use of warning shots, however the vehicle refused to halt," the statement said.

"ISAF forces eventually fired upon the vehicle, unfortunately wounding one local national," it said.

The alliance said it regrets the shooting. An investigation into the incident was launched, the statement said.

NATO said last week that it killed too many Afghan civilians during fighting last yea

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]]>Singur To somaliahttp://palashbiswas.blog.co.uk/2007/01/11/singur_to_somalia~1542721/2007-01-11T18:37:35+01:00 <p>Singur To somalia</p> <p>Palash Biswas</p> <p>(Pl publish the matter with latest update and send a copy. Palash Biswas, c/o Palaash Biswas, Gostokanan, Sodepur, Kolkata- 700110, India. Phone: 91-33-25659551)</p> <p>The Solitary Reaper </p> <p>Behold her, single in the field,<br> Yon solitary Highland Lass!<br> Reaping and singing by herself;<br> Stop here, or gently pass!<br> Alone she cuts and binds the grain,<br> And sings a melancholy strain;<br> O listen! for the Vale profound<br> Is overflowing with the sound.</p> <p>No Nightingale did ever chaunt<br> More welcome notes to weary bands<br> Of travellers in some shady haunt,<br> Among Arabian sands:<br> A voice so thrilling ne'er was heard<br> In spring-time from the Cuckoo-bird,<br> Breaking the silence of the seas<br> Among the farthest Hebrides.</p> <p>Will no one tell me what she sings?--<br> Perhaps the plaintive numbers flow<br> For old, unhappy, far-off things,<br> And battles long ago:<br> Or is it some more humble lay,<br> Familiar matter of to-day?<br> Some natural sorrow, loss, or pain,<br> That has been, and may be again?</p> <p>Whate'er the theme, the Maiden sang<br> As if her song could have no ending;<br> I saw her singing at her work,<br> And o'er the sickle bending;--<br> I listened, motionless and still;<br> And, as I mounted up the hill<br> The music in my heart I bore,<br> Long after it was heard no more.</p> <p> -- William Wordsworth</p> <p>I see the face of the raped and burnt girl from singur, Tapasi Malik`s face when I read solitary reaper now. Once upon a time we had to read this poem to understand Romanticism. This romanticism has changed its nature in the bloodbath of Singur and Nandigram. Buddhadev is playing a Bush and targets Nandigram and singur and so on, as the original Bush destroyed bagdad and Kabul and targets Tehran, North korea and now Somalia. We see the sight of Darfur thanks to Manmohan singh, P chidambaram, kamalnath, Montek singh ahloowalia, Buddhadev, Narendra Modi, Mulayam singh Yadav, Naveen Patnaik, Hudda, desmukh, raman singh and the ruling classes in power anwhere in Asia and third world countries.South Asian region, which consists of 16-17 percent of the world's population is beset with numerous conflicts. Some of them though internal have a significant external dimension. Some are ethnic and governance related. Therefore, despite all its potential, South Asia remains under developed. It is essential to understand the nature of conflict in order to address them. A primary objective of this project has been to try and understand the causes and ways to address the peace processes within these internal conflicts in South Asia today. The globalistion is as fast as the conflicts intensify. With every conflict, war or civil war, the american and European weapon industry blooms like bamboo, meaning destruction of man and Nature.</p> <p>You won`t feel Singur or Nandigram until and unless you belong to a village and have your roots somewhere in the greenfields. You may not even see the solitary reaper and hear her mysterious song full of melody.At least you must have a heart like william wordsworth, mahashweta devi, Medha Patekar or at least Mamata Bannerjee. I tell my debating urban semi urban intellectuals very vocal for industrialisation that luckily you are not a son or daughter of an Indian Peasant or you suffer from dementia. Thus my heart is not like you and my land is also not like you.</p> <p>As a son of a peasants I witnessed how we lost the fragrance of different desi verities of rice and corn, cereals, oilseeds. Basmati, hansraj, tilak were replaced by IR8 and Tychoon. Jwar Bajra were no more needed as we got Barseem. Compost Khad was discarded for chemical fertiliser leading to Union Carbide gas Tragedy. We changed our food habits and in the 21st century our tongue is so habitual of soft drinks, fast and junk food that we have no memory of rustic desi dishes.<br> My father was a social activist but essentially a small peasant who tilled the land until death claimed him. I worked on the fields even during University days. Thus we have special meanings for weather cycle, Mansoon, darught, floods, harvesting, festivals and folk.</p> <p>I am sure Buddhdev does not belong to this class nor the left leaders.</p> <p>They opposed vehemently the hanging of dethroned, captive Iraqi President Saddam Hussain, and here they hang the entire agririan population in India.</p> <p>Airstrikes in Somalia, Iraq and afganistan, interference in Darfur, Bangladesh situation and army action agnaist Ulfa all corelate while we talk about corporate imperialism and globalisation, the capitalist development and identity crisis faced by nationalities, languages and cultures worlwide.</p> <p>In my novel america se savdhan (Be Aware of America) , which had been published all over India in scores of mags in Hindi during 1993 to 97, I portrayed both external and internal imperialism. Our own polity has become America, we have to realise. Indian army was fighting in East Bengal against Pak Army in 1971 and at the same time the Indian army was intensely engaged to annihilate naxalites. I portrayed this well in my novel.</p> <p>andana Shiva writes in her article `The Suicide Economy Of Corporate Globalisation’ </p> <p>`The Indian peasantry, the largest body of surviving small farmers in the world, today faces a crisis of extinction. </p> <p>Two thirds of India makes its living from the land. The earth is the most generous employer in this country of a billion, that has farmed this land for more than 5000 years. </p> <p>However, as farming is delinked from the earth, the soil, the biodiversity, and the climate, and linked to global corporations and global markets, and the generosity of the earth is replaced by the greed of corporations, the viability of small farmers and small farms is destroyed. Farmers suicides are the most tragic and dramatic symptom of the crisis of survival faced by Indian peasants. </p> <p>1997 witnessed the first emergence of farm suicides in India. A rapid increase in indebtedness, was at the root of farmers taking their lives. Debt is a reflection of a negative economy, a loosing economy. Two factors have transformed the positive economy of agriculture into a negative economy for peasants - the rising costs of production and the falling prices of farm commodities. Both these factors are rooted in the policies of trade liberalization and corporate globalisation. </p> <p>In 1998, the World Bank's structural adjustment policies forced India to open up its seed sector to global corporations like Cargill, Monsanto, and Syngenta. The global corporations changed the input economy overnight. Farm saved seeds were replaced by corporate seeds which needed fertilizers and pesticides and could not be saved. </p> <p>As seed saving is prevented by patents as well as by the engineering of seeds with non-renewable traits, seed has to be bought for every planting season by poor peasants. A free resource available on farms became a commodity which farmers were forced to buy every year. This increases poverty and leads to indebtedness. </p> <p>As debts increase and become unpayable, farmers are compelled to sell kidneys or even commit suicide. More than 25,000 peasants in India have taken their lives since 1997 when the practice of seed saving was transformed under globalisation pressures and multinational seed corporations started to take control of the seed supply. Seed saving gives farmers life. Seed monopolies rob farmers of life. </p> <p>Bush readily acknowledged making mistakes in previous efforts to quell the near-anarchy in Baghdad. "There were not enough Iraqi and American troops to secure neighbourhoods that had been cleared of terrorists and insurgents. And there were too many restrictions on the troops we did have," said the president.He told Americans ''where mistakes have been made in Iraq, the responsibility rests with me,'' as he unveiled a new war plan that includes an infusion of more than 20,000 extra US troops. </p> <p>Nearly five years after the U.S. military drove the Taliban out of Afghanistan, total victory appears as distant and remote as the long-embattled nation itself.In fact, after several years of relative calm, the Taliban and al-Qaida have staged a dramatic comeback, adopting the insurgent tactics that have been perfected with deadly efficiency in Iraq. More than 70 suicide bombings have killed scores of Afghan civilians this year, a 400 percent jump over 2005. Roadside bombs have more than doubled.NATO military officials claim at least 40 percent of the attacks are launched from Taliban camps across the border in Pakistan, where both the Taliban and al-Qaida live, train and operate with apparent impunity.The Afghan government continues to struggle to establish its credibility and spread its authority beyond Kabul. At the same time the U.S. recently cut developmental aid to Afghanistan by 30 percent and less than half of the $15 billion promised in international aid has been delivered.’</p> <p>Meanwhile, opium production in Afghanistan has exploded. A United Nations report in September revealed a bumper poppy crop produced 6,100 metric tons of opium, a 50 percent increase over the previous year. </p> <p>Buddhadev plays a Bush in India destroying every part of fertile land in Bengal. he attacked Singur with full force and nearly won. In Nandigram he faces stiff resistance from the united Hindu Muslim combination of peasants on the line of history of peasnts revolts in bengal. Singur is creating trouble once again. Like the original bush, the sibling also admits mistakes.</p> <p>But Buddha is not changed as any change in Bush and Blair may not be expected.</p> <p>He changed his strategy of Loot adjusting with Vote Bank politics adopted and defended by Left front. As I had been insisting all these days that Nandgarm demography puzzles the caste Hindu Left, it turns out to be. Left is on backfoot in defence. The most vocal supporter of Buddhadev and his capitalist development, the prominet Bengali Daily Anando bazar patrika, with a circulation thirteen lacs daily has published a front page lead story dealing with the leftist Muslim vote Bank. The writer points out that no less than eighty percent of Muslim population depends on agriculture and Nandigram has a rare Muslim concentration. Thus, the left is worried for its Muslim Vote Bank. The daily overplaying the divide and rule police highlights the communal divide which is not present anywhere in singur or nandigram, says that Muslims are mostly affected by indiscriminate land aquistion and it also says it is a communal campaign.</p> <p>My dear, please do understand Buddhdev or any left leader is not worried of peasantry at all. It is worried of its Muslim vote bank in Bengal. Any change in Muslim support ratio may play havoc with Left future in Bengal.</p> <p>So Nandigram wins, and Singur remains cutt off from rest of the country.</p> <p>Arrested Medha on Fast</p> <p>In Kolkata,Social activist Medha Patkar today filed a writ petition in the Calcutta High Court demanding penal action against police officers who arrested her yesterday as also adequate compensation, hours after her release on unconditional bail by a district court. Patkar and the Association for the Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR) Convenor Sujato Bhadra filed the writ in the High Court complaining of illegal detention in a house at Salt Lake yesterday. The social activist, who went on fast last night protesting her "illegal detention" by the police, later broke it. </p> <p>'I will go to Singur again,' she said after her release. 'We are moving the court and human rights commission against the state government to seek justice for our associates who are illegally detained.'</p> <p>Police took Patkar and three members of the National Alliance of People's Movement (NAPM) into preventive custody from the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass. After refusing to sign the bail bonds at the police station, Patkar was taken for a health check-up and was produced in the sub-divisional judicial magistrate's court, Alipore, in South 24-parganas district today. </p> <p>SDJM Manjit Singh granted unconditional bail to Patkar and three others and they were released. </p> <p>Patkar earlier submitted to the court that her constitutional right and privileges had been curtailed by the police without any reason. </p> <p>Earlier in HYDERABAD on JANUARY 9, terming SEZs as ‘Special Exploitation Zones’, social activist Medha Patkar said farmers' land cannot be destroyed and such moves would prompt Nandigram like protests leading to unrest across the country. Admitting that industrialisation was a welcome sign, Patkar said, "it cannot be done by displacing farmers, fishermen and tribals to promote corporate sector." </p> <p>"We will observe a day of warning on January 26 demanding withdrawal of SEZ Act and go on fast on January 30 against all division and discrimination," Patkar, leader of the National Alliance of Peoples Movement, said. </p> <p>The agitation would culminate in an ‘Initiation of Action 2007’ at Delhi on March 2007 in which 150 organisations working in various fields would take part, she said. </p> <p>The charter of demands of Action 2007 include repealing of SEZ Act, restitution of Urban Land Ceiling Act, redistribution of land, vacate corporate control over water, land and minerals and withdrawal of river interlinking plan.</p> <p>Salim to stand by Buddhadeb despite Nandigram unrest</p> <p> On July 31, the Buddhadeb Bhattacharya government signed an agreement with the Salim Group to implement various developmental projects, including the setting up of a mega chemical industrial estate that will have a chemical SEZ at Nandigram, spread across 14,500 acres. Salim Group would stand by the West Bengal government and go ahead with its plans despite the unrest over land acquisition for its industrial project, Salim's partner Prasun Mukherjee said here Wednesday.</p> <p>'There is no question of pulling out. We will go ahead with all - the SEZ -, the road and the bridge,' said Mukherjee, an NRI industrialist.'It is a big project and it would take time to be implemented. India is a democracy and in a democracy this is a natural process. Even in the US there are lobbies like the greens. We have full faith in the state government,' said Mukherjee who is partnering with the Indonesian firm for the project.</p> <p>'The deaths are sad and Beni Santoso - is sad too. We have faith in the government in prevention of such incidents,' Mukherjee said.'West Bengal has not seen a project of this magnitude before,' he said. </p> <p>Construction of a four-lane road bridge over the Haldi River, from Haldia to Nandigram, has also been planned. The proposed bridge would provide a link between Haldia and the proposed chemicals SEZ in Nandigram. </p> <p> Jindal Enters </p> <p>meanwhileJSW Steel signed a pact with the West Bengal government for a 10 million-tonne steel plant at an expenditure of Rs 100 billion. The proposed steel plant will be set up at Salboni in West Midnapore district on 5,000 acres of land, report agency sources.The project would be implemented in phases, with the first phase being of 3 million-tonne capacity. The company is keen to start work on the project before the onset of monsoon and the plant would be commissioned within 36 months from the date of construction. </p> <p>The company has been negotiating with the West Bengal government for nearly two years for setting up a steel plant in the state, but it could not be finalised because supply of iron ore could not be tied up. The investment will cover a steel plant, a dedicated port, a coal mine and a power project. The initiative will be spread over 10 years.If the final investment figures tally with the projection, the Jindal project will elevate Bengal to the big league of other eastern steel states like Orissa and Jharkhand.</p> <p>The first phase of the steel project will need an investment of Rs 15,000 crore. It will bankroll a 3-million-tonne plant with a 600-MW captive power unit, an independent 1,000-MW plant, development of coal mines and a berth at Haldia port to facilitate exports.</p> <p>The next two phases will require investments of Rs 10,000 crore each to ramp up steel output to 10 million tonnes.</p> <p>The government has to arrange 4,000-5,000 acres for the steel plant, for which it has identified a stretch at Salboni near Kharagpur. The plant is expected to create 10,000 direct and indirect job opportunities.</p> <p>B'desh declares state of emergency, imposes curfew</p> <p>DHAKA (Reuters) - Bangladesh has declared a state of emergency and imposed a daily night-time curfew, state television said on Thursday after weeks of violence in the run-up to elections boycotted by major parties.</p> <p>"The president has declared a state of emergency and a curfew has been clamped daily from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m."State television said interim president Iajuddin Ahmad was expected to address the nation around 1600 GMT.</p> <p>At least 45 people have been killed and hundreds injured in pre-election violence and police say they fear far worse to come ahead of polls that look increasingly untenable.</p> <p>The interim caretaker government stood firm on Thursday in its pledge to hold the elections on Jan. 22 despite the boycott by a multi-party alliance headed by former prime minister Sheikh Hasina on grounds the ballot would not be free and impartial.More than 200 people were injured in clashes with police during a three-day nationwide transport blockade earlier this week called by Hasina try to scuttle the poll she believes is designed to favour her enemy and past prime minister, Begum Khaleda Zia.The violence has prompted the interim administration to call in the army to try to keep the peace but Hasina has continued to press for more strikes and blockades.</p> <p>The United Nations said on Thursday it had suspended all technical support for the elections, while the European Commission said it had also decided to suspend its poll observation mission.</p> <p>Hasina brushed off the curfew.</p> <p>"We are not afraid. We will declare a new action programme after assessing the situation," she told her party leaders and activists at her Dhaka residence on Thursday evening.</p> <p>"Please go home and to your villages and give a morale boost to workers and supporters," she added.</p> <p>Political analysts say the bitter rivalry between Hasina and Khaleda has divided the country of 140 million and created animosities that may prove impossible to heal.</p> <p>Army hunts rebels after Assam killing spree<br> Thu Jan 11, 2007 3:22 PM IST </p> <p>By Biswajyoti Das</p> <p>DINJAN, India (Reuters) - Thousands of combat troops scoured the mountains and jungles of India's restive northeast on Thursday to hunt down separatist rebels, blamed for killing dozens of migrant workers in the past week.The crackdown, which started at midnight on Wednesday, was spread across Assam and two other northeastern states, and focused on eliminating rebels of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and destroying their training camps.Four rebels were killed and about a dozen captured in early operations that included helicopters dropping troops on forested mountains, the army said.</p> <p>"We are using all resources at our disposal in this operation ... we are going all out against the militants," said Major-General N.C. Marwah, a senior military commander at Dinjan, 570 km east of Guwahati, Assam's main city.</p> <p>Authorities say militants belonging to the ULFA, which is fighting for the liberation of tea- and oil-rich Assam, are responsible for killing 72 people since Friday, nearly all of them Hindi-speaking migrants from eastern India.</p> <p>"KILLING SPREE"</p> <p>On Thursday, troops in battle fatigue moved throughout Assam as well as neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya. Some moved on foot while others patrolled roads in armoured vehicles fitted with machine guns.Security officials say the ULFA has hideouts in mountainous Arunachal Pradesh and over the border in Myanmar. The army and border guards will also try to choke off ULFA's supply of arms through Meghalaya from neighbouring Bangladesh.</p> <p>Army officers on the ground say that the gloves are off."If they are on the killing spree, we cannot sit idle. We also have to go on a killing spree," said a local military commander directing troops against the ULFA.</p> <p>More than 20,000 people have been killed in the ULFA rebellion since 1979.</p> <p>Bluff, a news paper report</p> <p>Was a communication gap responsible for West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and CPM's politburo speaking in opposite voices on Nandigram? No, it was typical CPM bluff which now stands exposed, a senior non-CPM Left leader said. </p> <p>The Left leader said that both CPM's central leadership and CM all along knew that notification for land acquisition had been issued by Haldia Development Authority and they also knew that this was illegal since the job of such acquisition rests with the district administration. </p> <p>"Instead of clarifying the matter, both sides perpetuated falsehood in Kolkata and Delhi accusing those opposed to land acquisition as running a misinformation campaign while the truth was buried somewhere else. What hit them is criticism from well-meaning Left intellectuals like Sumit Sarkar and others. Fortunately, Sarkar cannot be discredited," the Left leader said.<br> Medha Patkar freed, vows to go Singur again</p> <p>Result Of somalia Air Strike</p> <p>NAIROBI, Kenya - A U.S. airstrike on Somalia three days ago killed up to 10 al-Qaida-affiliated "terrorists," but three of the most wanted suspects survived, a senior U.S. official said Thursday.</p> <p>"We are still in pursuit (of the three). We and the Ethiopians and everyone else wants to interdict terrorists," said the official, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity.</p> <p>The United States on Monday hit a village in south Somalia in an attempt to take out an al-Qaida cell accused of bombing two U.S. embassies in 1998 and an Israeli-owned hotel in 2002.<br> The U.S. official said between eight to 10 "al-Qaida-affiliated terrorists" were killed in Monday's attack.</p> <p>"There were a number of terrorist targets that were killed in that operation," he added. "It was directed at significant al-Qaida individuals."<br> It was the first overt military action by the United States in Somalia since it led a U.N. force that intervened in the 1990s in an effort to fight famine. The mission led to clashes between U.N. forces and Somali warlords, including the battle, chronicled in the book and movie “Black Hawk Down,” that killed 18 U.S. soldiers.<br> As NBC News reported Tuesday, American officials continue to believe that al-Sudani, who was Mohammed's superior, was killed in the weekend assault by U.S. gunships, and that a local Somali al-Qaida leader, Aden Hashi Ayro, was at least severely wounded, if not killed.</p> <p>Bush to send more troops to Iraq</p> <p>Thursday, January 11, 2007 (Washington):</p> <p>Unswayed by anti-war passions, President George W Bush said he will send 21,500 additional US forces to Iraq to break the cycle of violence.The new troop buildup will push the American presence in Iraq toward its highest level and put Bush on a collision course with the new Democratic Congress.A USA Today/Gallup poll said Americans oppose the idea of increasing troop levels in Iraq by 61 percent to 36 percent. The opposition Democrats who control the US Congress are firmly opposed to the President's new strategy.</p> <p>"Our bill will say that no additional troops can be sent and no additional dollars can be spent on such an escalation unless and until Congress approves the President's plan," Senator Ted Kennedy said.</p> <p>President Bush said that Iraq must meet its responsibilities too. However, he put no deadlines on Baghdad to do so."America's commitment is not open-ended," he said. "If the Iraqi government does not follow through on its promises, it will lose the support of the American people and it will lose the support of the Iraqi people," he added.</p> <p>He said Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki had promised that US forces would have a free hand and that "political or sectarian interference will not be tolerated."</p> <p>Democrats unhappy </p> <p>The new Democratic leaders of Congress met with Bush and complained afterward that their opposition to a buildup had been ignored. "This is the third time we are going down this path. Two times this has not worked. Why are they doing this now? That question remains." said House leader Nancy Pelosi.Senate and House Democrats are arranging votes urging the president not to send more troops.While lacking the force of law, the measures would compel Republicans to go on record as either bucking the president or supporting an escalation.</p> <p>More dangerous phase of war may be coming, U.S. military officials warn</p> <p>U.S. soldiers secure a road in Baghdad on Nov. 5. President Bush has OK'd the deployment to Iraq of about 21,500 more troops, most of whom will be sent to Baghdad. After admitting in his Wednesday night address that he made mistakes in Iraq, President Bush laid out his plan for increasing U.S. troops. NBC's Kelly O'Donnell reports.</p> <p>President Bush's plan to send tens of thousands of U.S. and Iraqi reinforcements to Baghdad to jointly confront Sunni insurgents and Shiite militias is likely to touch off a more dangerous phase of the war, featuring months of fighting in the streets of the Iraqi capital, current and former military officials warned."The terrorists and insurgents in Iraq are without conscience, and they will make the year ahead bloody and violent," the president said last night in explaining his revised approach. "Even if our new strategy works exactly as planned, deadly acts of violence will continue -- and we must expect more Iraqi and American casualties."</p> <p>US deploying Stealth fighters in S Korea</p> <p>Amid speculation that North Korea may be ready to test a second nuclear device, the United States is deploying a squadron of Stealth fighters to South Korea.A US military release said that about 15 to 20 Nighthawk fighters are being sent to South Korea. Earlier, the US had earlier deployed about 250 to 300 airmen in South Korea.North Korea had criticized these deployments as preparations by the US for invasion and nuclear war.</p> <p>Bill to implement 9/11 panel proposals</p> <p>Democrats in the House of Representatives has moved to implement some of the unfulfilled recommendations of the September 11 commission.The move is the first in a string of bills over the next two weeks aimed at asserting their new control over Congress.</p> <p>The bill would redirect homeland security funds to more urban areas based on their likelihood of becoming a target of terrorists and eventually require that all cargo containers bound for the United States be scanned for nuclear materials and explosives.</p> <p> US introduces UN resolution on Myanmar </p> <p>The United States introduced a UN resolution on Tuesday calling the deteriorating situation in Myanmar a serious risk to regional peace.The resolution urged the country's military government to release all political prisoners and take speedy steps toward democracy.Washington faces an uphill struggle in winning Security Council approval of the draft because of opposition from China and Russia, both veto-wielding council members. The council decided to put Myanmar on its agenda on September 15 over objections from Beijing and Moscow.</p> <p>Indonesia and South Africa - both new Security Council members - voiced similar objections.</p> <p>The draft resolution would express the council's "grave concern that the overall situation in Myanmar has deteriorated and poses serious risks to peace and security in the region." </p> <p>It would also support appeals by Undersecretary-General Ibrahim Gambari to the government last year to release all political prisoners, open its political process to all political parties, stop hostilities against ethnic minorities and allow unhindered humanitarian access.Myanmar's junta took power in 1988 after crushing the democracy movement led by Aung San Suu Kyi. In 1990, it refused to hand over power when Suu Kyi's party, the National League for Democracy, won a landslide election victory. Since then, Suu Kyi has been in and out of detention, kept in near-solitary confinement at her home.</p> <p>Conflicted Commies<br> The force that could determine India's capitalist future is one of the world's strongest communist parties.<br> By Jason Overdorf<br> Newsweek International<br> Oct. 10, 2005 issue - As its name implies, the Communist Party of India-Marxist still employs the dated rhetoric of the left, down to calling its ruling body the Politburo, in old Soviet style. So it came as a surprise this summer when the national leadership endorsed "all the actions" of its maverick chief minister for West Bengal, a state of 100 million people and long a bastion of communist power. That came shortly after Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee wooed foreign investors in Singapore by saying Indian communists had to "reform or perish," and invited these capitalists to help build new infrastructure in West Bengal. The moment cemented Bhattacharjee's reputation as the Deng Xiaoping of India: a pragmatic communist reformer.</p> <p>That doesn't mean, however, that India's communists have gone the way of comrades from Russia and China, tilting toward robber-baron capitalism. Just last Thursday the party's traditional allies in India's left-wing trade unions brought the country to a standstill with a daylong national strike that shut down railroads, airports and banks. In New Delhi, where the communists are critical partners in the coalition government, they have diluted free-market reforms and are hotly debating their proper role in a capitalist economy. The outcome of that debate is crucial: it could help determine whether India accelerates to China-style growth rates or stumbles yet again.</p> <p>The Indian communists have more influence than all but one kindred party in a capitalist democracy, behind President Hugo Chavez's Movement for a Fifth Republic in Venezuela. (Third on the list: Portugal, where communists hold 12 of 230 seats in Parliament.) The CPM and two much smaller communist parties together control 60 of India's 545 parliamentary seats. Since the United Progressive Alliance led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's Congress party is 51 seats short of a majority, it depends on communists to stay in power. The CPM has used that clout to block or temper policies from the sale of state-owned companies to the liberalization of labor laws in special economic zones.</p> <p>In Western Europe, the leading communists for much of the cold-war period were found in Italy, where their focus was internal: their big idea was worker ownership of factories in an otherwise capitalist market. Given the vast expansion in international trade since then, the Indian communists' focus is more global. Indeed, the country's population and growing economy make the party one of the world's most influential opponents of excessive globalization. Experts debate whether India's communists are emulating Chinese reformers or European social democrats. Bhattacharjee says neither: "We are debating among ourselves. What is reform? Reform means what? For whom?" Sitaram Yechury, a member of the CPM Politburo, says the party's overriding ambition is to shift the goal of market reform from promoting corporate profit to people's welfare.</p> <p>The differences with China are stark. The Indians still cling to socialist ideals like worker protection and land reform, while China's leveling impulses seem to have been spent during the land reforms of the Mao era, when the rural bourgeoisie was all but destroyed. India, meanwhile, never made good on post-independence promises to wipe out a feudal caste system. That said, the Indian communists' ideas about economic sovereignty take a page from China's book, and mirror the Congress Party view of the early 1990s.</p> <p>The CPM sets three rules for foreign investors: they must increase India's production capacity—build factories, rather than simply buying assets—help upgrade Indian technology, and create jobs. While Congress is now inclined to open doors further, the communists are more wary. Where Congress leaders praise a domestic automaker like Tata for rising to the challenge of foreign competition, the communists decry how Japanese giant Suzuki ultimately gained control of its Indian joint venture, Maruti Udyog. "It would be wrong for anybody to characterize us and say we have been opponents of capital flows into India," says Yechury. "We qualify those flows, rather than opposing them."</p> <p>The Newyork Times blog,January 11, 2007, 8:38 am<br> The War at Home: The Morning After<br> By Sarah Wheaton</p> <p>In the lead up to the president’s speech, there had been a lot of debate about the distinctions between “surge” and “escalation,” with opponents of President Bush’s expected troop increase arguing that “surge” misleadingly implied a short-term infusion. But when Mr. Bush spoke last night, he did not imply that the over 20,000 additional troops going to Iraq would be there briefly.<br> Mr. Bush warne </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://palashbiswas.blog.co.uk/2007/01/11/singur_to_somalia~1542721/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>Singur To somalia

Palash Biswas

(Pl publish the matter with latest update and send a copy. Palash Biswas, c/o Palaash Biswas, Gostokanan, Sodepur, Kolkata- 700110, India. Phone: 91-33-25659551)

The Solitary Reaper

Behold her, single in the field,
Yon solitary Highland Lass!
Reaping and singing by herself;
Stop here, or gently pass!
Alone she cuts and binds the grain,
And sings a melancholy strain;
O listen! for the Vale profound
Is overflowing with the sound.

No Nightingale did ever chaunt
More welcome notes to weary bands
Of travellers in some shady haunt,
Among Arabian sands:
A voice so thrilling ne'er was heard
In spring-time from the Cuckoo-bird,
Breaking the silence of the seas
Among the farthest Hebrides.

Will no one tell me what she sings?--
Perhaps the plaintive numbers flow
For old, unhappy, far-off things,
And battles long ago:
Or is it some more humble lay,
Familiar matter of to-day?
Some natural sorrow, loss, or pain,
That has been, and may be again?

Whate'er the theme, the Maiden sang
As if her song could have no ending;
I saw her singing at her work,
And o'er the sickle bending;--
I listened, motionless and still;
And, as I mounted up the hill
The music in my heart I bore,
Long after it was heard no more.

-- William Wordsworth

I see the face of the raped and burnt girl from singur, Tapasi Malik`s face when I read solitary reaper now. Once upon a time we had to read this poem to understand Romanticism. This romanticism has changed its nature in the bloodbath of Singur and Nandigram. Buddhadev is playing a Bush and targets Nandigram and singur and so on, as the original Bush destroyed bagdad and Kabul and targets Tehran, North korea and now Somalia. We see the sight of Darfur thanks to Manmohan singh, P chidambaram, kamalnath, Montek singh ahloowalia, Buddhadev, Narendra Modi, Mulayam singh Yadav, Naveen Patnaik, Hudda, desmukh, raman singh and the ruling classes in power anwhere in Asia and third world countries.South Asian region, which consists of 16-17 percent of the world's population is beset with numerous conflicts. Some of them though internal have a significant external dimension. Some are ethnic and governance related. Therefore, despite all its potential, South Asia remains under developed. It is essential to understand the nature of conflict in order to address them. A primary objective of this project has been to try and understand the causes and ways to address the peace processes within these internal conflicts in South Asia today. The globalistion is as fast as the conflicts intensify. With every conflict, war or civil war, the american and European weapon industry blooms like bamboo, meaning destruction of man and Nature.

You won`t feel Singur or Nandigram until and unless you belong to a village and have your roots somewhere in the greenfields. You may not even see the solitary reaper and hear her mysterious song full of melody.At least you must have a heart like william wordsworth, mahashweta devi, Medha Patekar or at least Mamata Bannerjee. I tell my debating urban semi urban intellectuals very vocal for industrialisation that luckily you are not a son or daughter of an Indian Peasant or you suffer from dementia. Thus my heart is not like you and my land is also not like you.

As a son of a peasants I witnessed how we lost the fragrance of different desi verities of rice and corn, cereals, oilseeds. Basmati, hansraj, tilak were replaced by IR8 and Tychoon. Jwar Bajra were no more needed as we got Barseem. Compost Khad was discarded for chemical fertiliser leading to Union Carbide gas Tragedy. We changed our food habits and in the 21st century our tongue is so habitual of soft drinks, fast and junk food that we have no memory of rustic desi dishes.
My father was a social activist but essentially a small peasant who tilled the land until death claimed him. I worked on the fields even during University days. Thus we have special meanings for weather cycle, Mansoon, darught, floods, harvesting, festivals and folk.

I am sure Buddhdev does not belong to this class nor the left leaders.

They opposed vehemently the hanging of dethroned, captive Iraqi President Saddam Hussain, and here they hang the entire agririan population in India.

Airstrikes in Somalia, Iraq and afganistan, interference in Darfur, Bangladesh situation and army action agnaist Ulfa all corelate while we talk about corporate imperialism and globalisation, the capitalist development and identity crisis faced by nationalities, languages and cultures worlwide.

In my novel america se savdhan (Be Aware of America) , which had been published all over India in scores of mags in Hindi during 1993 to 97, I portrayed both external and internal imperialism. Our own polity has become America, we have to realise. Indian army was fighting in East Bengal against Pak Army in 1971 and at the same time the Indian army was intensely engaged to annihilate naxalites. I portrayed this well in my novel.

andana Shiva writes in her article `The Suicide Economy Of Corporate Globalisation’

`The Indian peasantry, the largest body of surviving small farmers in the world, today faces a crisis of extinction.

Two thirds of India makes its living from the land. The earth is the most generous employer in this country of a billion, that has farmed this land for more than 5000 years.

However, as farming is delinked from the earth, the soil, the biodiversity, and the climate, and linked to global corporations and global markets, and the generosity of the earth is replaced by the greed of corporations, the viability of small farmers and small farms is destroyed. Farmers suicides are the most tragic and dramatic symptom of the crisis of survival faced by Indian peasants.

1997 witnessed the first emergence of farm suicides in India. A rapid increase in indebtedness, was at the root of farmers taking their lives. Debt is a reflection of a negative economy, a loosing economy. Two factors have transformed the positive economy of agriculture into a negative economy for peasants - the rising costs of production and the falling prices of farm commodities. Both these factors are rooted in the policies of trade liberalization and corporate globalisation.

In 1998, the World Bank's structural adjustment policies forced India to open up its seed sector to global corporations like Cargill, Monsanto, and Syngenta. The global corporations changed the input economy overnight. Farm saved seeds were replaced by corporate seeds which needed fertilizers and pesticides and could not be saved.

As seed saving is prevented by patents as well as by the engineering of seeds with non-renewable traits, seed has to be bought for every planting season by poor peasants. A free resource available on farms became a commodity which farmers were forced to buy every year. This increases poverty and leads to indebtedness.

As debts increase and become unpayable, farmers are compelled to sell kidneys or even commit suicide. More than 25,000 peasants in India have taken their lives since 1997 when the practice of seed saving was transformed under globalisation pressures and multinational seed corporations started to take control of the seed supply. Seed saving gives farmers life. Seed monopolies rob farmers of life.

Bush readily acknowledged making mistakes in previous efforts to quell the near-anarchy in Baghdad. "There were not enough Iraqi and American troops to secure neighbourhoods that had been cleared of terrorists and insurgents. And there were too many restrictions on the troops we did have," said the president.He told Americans ''where mistakes have been made in Iraq, the responsibility rests with me,'' as he unveiled a new war plan that includes an infusion of more than 20,000 extra US troops.

Nearly five years after the U.S. military drove the Taliban out of Afghanistan, total victory appears as distant and remote as the long-embattled nation itself.In fact, after several years of relative calm, the Taliban and al-Qaida have staged a dramatic comeback, adopting the insurgent tactics that have been perfected with deadly efficiency in Iraq. More than 70 suicide bombings have killed scores of Afghan civilians this year, a 400 percent jump over 2005. Roadside bombs have more than doubled.NATO military officials claim at least 40 percent of the attacks are launched from Taliban camps across the border in Pakistan, where both the Taliban and al-Qaida live, train and operate with apparent impunity.The Afghan government continues to struggle to establish its credibility and spread its authority beyond Kabul. At the same time the U.S. recently cut developmental aid to Afghanistan by 30 percent and less than half of the $15 billion promised in international aid has been delivered.’

Meanwhile, opium production in Afghanistan has exploded. A United Nations report in September revealed a bumper poppy crop produced 6,100 metric tons of opium, a 50 percent increase over the previous year.

Buddhadev plays a Bush in India destroying every part of fertile land in Bengal. he attacked Singur with full force and nearly won. In Nandigram he faces stiff resistance from the united Hindu Muslim combination of peasants on the line of history of peasnts revolts in bengal. Singur is creating trouble once again. Like the original bush, the sibling also admits mistakes.

But Buddha is not changed as any change in Bush and Blair may not be expected.

He changed his strategy of Loot adjusting with Vote Bank politics adopted and defended by Left front. As I had been insisting all these days that Nandgarm demography puzzles the caste Hindu Left, it turns out to be. Left is on backfoot in defence. The most vocal supporter of Buddhadev and his capitalist development, the prominet Bengali Daily Anando bazar patrika, with a circulation thirteen lacs daily has published a front page lead story dealing with the leftist Muslim vote Bank. The writer points out that no less than eighty percent of Muslim population depends on agriculture and Nandigram has a rare Muslim concentration. Thus, the left is worried for its Muslim Vote Bank. The daily overplaying the divide and rule police highlights the communal divide which is not present anywhere in singur or nandigram, says that Muslims are mostly affected by indiscriminate land aquistion and it also says it is a communal campaign.

My dear, please do understand Buddhdev or any left leader is not worried of peasantry at all. It is worried of its Muslim vote bank in Bengal. Any change in Muslim support ratio may play havoc with Left future in Bengal.

So Nandigram wins, and Singur remains cutt off from rest of the country.

Arrested Medha on Fast

In Kolkata,Social activist Medha Patkar today filed a writ petition in the Calcutta High Court demanding penal action against police officers who arrested her yesterday as also adequate compensation, hours after her release on unconditional bail by a district court. Patkar and the Association for the Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR) Convenor Sujato Bhadra filed the writ in the High Court complaining of illegal detention in a house at Salt Lake yesterday. The social activist, who went on fast last night protesting her "illegal detention" by the police, later broke it.

'I will go to Singur again,' she said after her release. 'We are moving the court and human rights commission against the state government to seek justice for our associates who are illegally detained.'

Police took Patkar and three members of the National Alliance of People's Movement (NAPM) into preventive custody from the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass. After refusing to sign the bail bonds at the police station, Patkar was taken for a health check-up and was produced in the sub-divisional judicial magistrate's court, Alipore, in South 24-parganas district today.

SDJM Manjit Singh granted unconditional bail to Patkar and three others and they were released.

Patkar earlier submitted to the court that her constitutional right and privileges had been curtailed by the police without any reason.

Earlier in HYDERABAD on JANUARY 9, terming SEZs as ‘Special Exploitation Zones’, social activist Medha Patkar said farmers' land cannot be destroyed and such moves would prompt Nandigram like protests leading to unrest across the country. Admitting that industrialisation was a welcome sign, Patkar said, "it cannot be done by displacing farmers, fishermen and tribals to promote corporate sector."

"We will observe a day of warning on January 26 demanding withdrawal of SEZ Act and go on fast on January 30 against all division and discrimination," Patkar, leader of the National Alliance of Peoples Movement, said.

The agitation would culminate in an ‘Initiation of Action 2007’ at Delhi on March 2007 in which 150 organisations working in various fields would take part, she said.

The charter of demands of Action 2007 include repealing of SEZ Act, restitution of Urban Land Ceiling Act, redistribution of land, vacate corporate control over water, land and minerals and withdrawal of river interlinking plan.

Salim to stand by Buddhadeb despite Nandigram unrest

On July 31, the Buddhadeb Bhattacharya government signed an agreement with the Salim Group to implement various developmental projects, including the setting up of a mega chemical industrial estate that will have a chemical SEZ at Nandigram, spread across 14,500 acres. Salim Group would stand by the West Bengal government and go ahead with its plans despite the unrest over land acquisition for its industrial project, Salim's partner Prasun Mukherjee said here Wednesday.

'There is no question of pulling out. We will go ahead with all - the SEZ -, the road and the bridge,' said Mukherjee, an NRI industrialist.'It is a big project and it would take time to be implemented. India is a democracy and in a democracy this is a natural process. Even in the US there are lobbies like the greens. We have full faith in the state government,' said Mukherjee who is partnering with the Indonesian firm for the project.

'The deaths are sad and Beni Santoso - is sad too. We have faith in the government in prevention of such incidents,' Mukherjee said.'West Bengal has not seen a project of this magnitude before,' he said.

Construction of a four-lane road bridge over the Haldi River, from Haldia to Nandigram, has also been planned. The proposed bridge would provide a link between Haldia and the proposed chemicals SEZ in Nandigram.

Jindal Enters

meanwhileJSW Steel signed a pact with the West Bengal government for a 10 million-tonne steel plant at an expenditure of Rs 100 billion. The proposed steel plant will be set up at Salboni in West Midnapore district on 5,000 acres of land, report agency sources.The project would be implemented in phases, with the first phase being of 3 million-tonne capacity. The company is keen to start work on the project before the onset of monsoon and the plant would be commissioned within 36 months from the date of construction.

The company has been negotiating with the West Bengal government for nearly two years for setting up a steel plant in the state, but it could not be finalised because supply of iron ore could not be tied up. The investment will cover a steel plant, a dedicated port, a coal mine and a power project. The initiative will be spread over 10 years.If the final investment figures tally with the projection, the Jindal project will elevate Bengal to the big league of other eastern steel states like Orissa and Jharkhand.

The first phase of the steel project will need an investment of Rs 15,000 crore. It will bankroll a 3-million-tonne plant with a 600-MW captive power unit, an independent 1,000-MW plant, development of coal mines and a berth at Haldia port to facilitate exports.

The next two phases will require investments of Rs 10,000 crore each to ramp up steel output to 10 million tonnes.

The government has to arrange 4,000-5,000 acres for the steel plant, for which it has identified a stretch at Salboni near Kharagpur. The plant is expected to create 10,000 direct and indirect job opportunities.

B'desh declares state of emergency, imposes curfew

DHAKA (Reuters) - Bangladesh has declared a state of emergency and imposed a daily night-time curfew, state television said on Thursday after weeks of violence in the run-up to elections boycotted by major parties.

"The president has declared a state of emergency and a curfew has been clamped daily from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m."State television said interim president Iajuddin Ahmad was expected to address the nation around 1600 GMT.

At least 45 people have been killed and hundreds injured in pre-election violence and police say they fear far worse to come ahead of polls that look increasingly untenable.

The interim caretaker government stood firm on Thursday in its pledge to hold the elections on Jan. 22 despite the boycott by a multi-party alliance headed by former prime minister Sheikh Hasina on grounds the ballot would not be free and impartial.More than 200 people were injured in clashes with police during a three-day nationwide transport blockade earlier this week called by Hasina try to scuttle the poll she believes is designed to favour her enemy and past prime minister, Begum Khaleda Zia.The violence has prompted the interim administration to call in the army to try to keep the peace but Hasina has continued to press for more strikes and blockades.

The United Nations said on Thursday it had suspended all technical support for the elections, while the European Commission said it had also decided to suspend its poll observation mission.

Hasina brushed off the curfew.

"We are not afraid. We will declare a new action programme after assessing the situation," she told her party leaders and activists at her Dhaka residence on Thursday evening.

"Please go home and to your villages and give a morale boost to workers and supporters," she added.

Political analysts say the bitter rivalry between Hasina and Khaleda has divided the country of 140 million and created animosities that may prove impossible to heal.

Army hunts rebels after Assam killing spree
Thu Jan 11, 2007 3:22 PM IST

By Biswajyoti Das

DINJAN, India (Reuters) - Thousands of combat troops scoured the mountains and jungles of India's restive northeast on Thursday to hunt down separatist rebels, blamed for killing dozens of migrant workers in the past week.The crackdown, which started at midnight on Wednesday, was spread across Assam and two other northeastern states, and focused on eliminating rebels of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and destroying their training camps.Four rebels were killed and about a dozen captured in early operations that included helicopters dropping troops on forested mountains, the army said.

"We are using all resources at our disposal in this operation ... we are going all out against the militants," said Major-General N.C. Marwah, a senior military commander at Dinjan, 570 km east of Guwahati, Assam's main city.

Authorities say militants belonging to the ULFA, which is fighting for the liberation of tea- and oil-rich Assam, are responsible for killing 72 people since Friday, nearly all of them Hindi-speaking migrants from eastern India.

"KILLING SPREE"

On Thursday, troops in battle fatigue moved throughout Assam as well as neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya. Some moved on foot while others patrolled roads in armoured vehicles fitted with machine guns.Security officials say the ULFA has hideouts in mountainous Arunachal Pradesh and over the border in Myanmar. The army and border guards will also try to choke off ULFA's supply of arms through Meghalaya from neighbouring Bangladesh.

Army officers on the ground say that the gloves are off."If they are on the killing spree, we cannot sit idle. We also have to go on a killing spree," said a local military commander directing troops against the ULFA.

More than 20,000 people have been killed in the ULFA rebellion since 1979.

Bluff, a news paper report

Was a communication gap responsible for West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and CPM's politburo speaking in opposite voices on Nandigram? No, it was typical CPM bluff which now stands exposed, a senior non-CPM Left leader said.

The Left leader said that both CPM's central leadership and CM all along knew that notification for land acquisition had been issued by Haldia Development Authority and they also knew that this was illegal since the job of such acquisition rests with the district administration.

"Instead of clarifying the matter, both sides perpetuated falsehood in Kolkata and Delhi accusing those opposed to land acquisition as running a misinformation campaign while the truth was buried somewhere else. What hit them is criticism from well-meaning Left intellectuals like Sumit Sarkar and others. Fortunately, Sarkar cannot be discredited," the Left leader said.
Medha Patkar freed, vows to go Singur again

Result Of somalia Air Strike

NAIROBI, Kenya - A U.S. airstrike on Somalia three days ago killed up to 10 al-Qaida-affiliated "terrorists," but three of the most wanted suspects survived, a senior U.S. official said Thursday.

"We are still in pursuit (of the three). We and the Ethiopians and everyone else wants to interdict terrorists," said the official, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity.

The United States on Monday hit a village in south Somalia in an attempt to take out an al-Qaida cell accused of bombing two U.S. embassies in 1998 and an Israeli-owned hotel in 2002.
The U.S. official said between eight to 10 "al-Qaida-affiliated terrorists" were killed in Monday's attack.

"There were a number of terrorist targets that were killed in that operation," he added. "It was directed at significant al-Qaida individuals."
It was the first overt military action by the United States in Somalia since it led a U.N. force that intervened in the 1990s in an effort to fight famine. The mission led to clashes between U.N. forces and Somali warlords, including the battle, chronicled in the book and movie “Black Hawk Down,” that killed 18 U.S. soldiers.
As NBC News reported Tuesday, American officials continue to believe that al-Sudani, who was Mohammed's superior, was killed in the weekend assault by U.S. gunships, and that a local Somali al-Qaida leader, Aden Hashi Ayro, was at least severely wounded, if not killed.

Bush to send more troops to Iraq

Thursday, January 11, 2007 (Washington):

Unswayed by anti-war passions, President George W Bush said he will send 21,500 additional US forces to Iraq to break the cycle of violence.The new troop buildup will push the American presence in Iraq toward its highest level and put Bush on a collision course with the new Democratic Congress.A USA Today/Gallup poll said Americans oppose the idea of increasing troop levels in Iraq by 61 percent to 36 percent. The opposition Democrats who control the US Congress are firmly opposed to the President's new strategy.

"Our bill will say that no additional troops can be sent and no additional dollars can be spent on such an escalation unless and until Congress approves the President's plan," Senator Ted Kennedy said.

President Bush said that Iraq must meet its responsibilities too. However, he put no deadlines on Baghdad to do so."America's commitment is not open-ended," he said. "If the Iraqi government does not follow through on its promises, it will lose the support of the American people and it will lose the support of the Iraqi people," he added.

He said Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki had promised that US forces would have a free hand and that "political or sectarian interference will not be tolerated."

Democrats unhappy

The new Democratic leaders of Congress met with Bush and complained afterward that their opposition to a buildup had been ignored. "This is the third time we are going down this path. Two times this has not worked. Why are they doing this now? That question remains." said House leader Nancy Pelosi.Senate and House Democrats are arranging votes urging the president not to send more troops.While lacking the force of law, the measures would compel Republicans to go on record as either bucking the president or supporting an escalation.

More dangerous phase of war may be coming, U.S. military officials warn

U.S. soldiers secure a road in Baghdad on Nov. 5. President Bush has OK'd the deployment to Iraq of about 21,500 more troops, most of whom will be sent to Baghdad. After admitting in his Wednesday night address that he made mistakes in Iraq, President Bush laid out his plan for increasing U.S. troops. NBC's Kelly O'Donnell reports.

President Bush's plan to send tens of thousands of U.S. and Iraqi reinforcements to Baghdad to jointly confront Sunni insurgents and Shiite militias is likely to touch off a more dangerous phase of the war, featuring months of fighting in the streets of the Iraqi capital, current and former military officials warned."The terrorists and insurgents in Iraq are without conscience, and they will make the year ahead bloody and violent," the president said last night in explaining his revised approach. "Even if our new strategy works exactly as planned, deadly acts of violence will continue -- and we must expect more Iraqi and American casualties."

US deploying Stealth fighters in S Korea

Amid speculation that North Korea may be ready to test a second nuclear device, the United States is deploying a squadron of Stealth fighters to South Korea.A US military release said that about 15 to 20 Nighthawk fighters are being sent to South Korea. Earlier, the US had earlier deployed about 250 to 300 airmen in South Korea.North Korea had criticized these deployments as preparations by the US for invasion and nuclear war.

Bill to implement 9/11 panel proposals

Democrats in the House of Representatives has moved to implement some of the unfulfilled recommendations of the September 11 commission.The move is the first in a string of bills over the next two weeks aimed at asserting their new control over Congress.

The bill would redirect homeland security funds to more urban areas based on their likelihood of becoming a target of terrorists and eventually require that all cargo containers bound for the United States be scanned for nuclear materials and explosives.

US introduces UN resolution on Myanmar

The United States introduced a UN resolution on Tuesday calling the deteriorating situation in Myanmar a serious risk to regional peace.The resolution urged the country's military government to release all political prisoners and take speedy steps toward democracy.Washington faces an uphill struggle in winning Security Council approval of the draft because of opposition from China and Russia, both veto-wielding council members. The council decided to put Myanmar on its agenda on September 15 over objections from Beijing and Moscow.

Indonesia and South Africa - both new Security Council members - voiced similar objections.

The draft resolution would express the council's "grave concern that the overall situation in Myanmar has deteriorated and poses serious risks to peace and security in the region."

It would also support appeals by Undersecretary-General Ibrahim Gambari to the government last year to release all political prisoners, open its political process to all political parties, stop hostilities against ethnic minorities and allow unhindered humanitarian access.Myanmar's junta took power in 1988 after crushing the democracy movement led by Aung San Suu Kyi. In 1990, it refused to hand over power when Suu Kyi's party, the National League for Democracy, won a landslide election victory. Since then, Suu Kyi has been in and out of detention, kept in near-solitary confinement at her home.

Conflicted Commies
The force that could determine India's capitalist future is one of the world's strongest communist parties.
By Jason Overdorf
Newsweek International
Oct. 10, 2005 issue - As its name implies, the Communist Party of India-Marxist still employs the dated rhetoric of the left, down to calling its ruling body the Politburo, in old Soviet style. So it came as a surprise this summer when the national leadership endorsed "all the actions" of its maverick chief minister for West Bengal, a state of 100 million people and long a bastion of communist power. That came shortly after Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee wooed foreign investors in Singapore by saying Indian communists had to "reform or perish," and invited these capitalists to help build new infrastructure in West Bengal. The moment cemented Bhattacharjee's reputation as the Deng Xiaoping of India: a pragmatic communist reformer.

That doesn't mean, however, that India's communists have gone the way of comrades from Russia and China, tilting toward robber-baron capitalism. Just last Thursday the party's traditional allies in India's left-wing trade unions brought the country to a standstill with a daylong national strike that shut down railroads, airports and banks. In New Delhi, where the communists are critical partners in the coalition government, they have diluted free-market reforms and are hotly debating their proper role in a capitalist economy. The outcome of that debate is crucial: it could help determine whether India accelerates to China-style growth rates or stumbles yet again.

The Indian communists have more influence than all but one kindred party in a capitalist democracy, behind President Hugo Chavez's Movement for a Fifth Republic in Venezuela. (Third on the list: Portugal, where communists hold 12 of 230 seats in Parliament.) The CPM and two much smaller communist parties together control 60 of India's 545 parliamentary seats. Since the United Progressive Alliance led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's Congress party is 51 seats short of a majority, it depends on communists to stay in power. The CPM has used that clout to block or temper policies from the sale of state-owned companies to the liberalization of labor laws in special economic zones.

In Western Europe, the leading communists for much of the cold-war period were found in Italy, where their focus was internal: their big idea was worker ownership of factories in an otherwise capitalist market. Given the vast expansion in international trade since then, the Indian communists' focus is more global. Indeed, the country's population and growing economy make the party one of the world's most influential opponents of excessive globalization. Experts debate whether India's communists are emulating Chinese reformers or European social democrats. Bhattacharjee says neither: "We are debating among ourselves. What is reform? Reform means what? For whom?" Sitaram Yechury, a member of the CPM Politburo, says the party's overriding ambition is to shift the goal of market reform from promoting corporate profit to people's welfare.

The differences with China are stark. The Indians still cling to socialist ideals like worker protection and land reform, while China's leveling impulses seem to have been spent during the land reforms of the Mao era, when the rural bourgeoisie was all but destroyed. India, meanwhile, never made good on post-independence promises to wipe out a feudal caste system. That said, the Indian communists' ideas about economic sovereignty take a page from China's book, and mirror the Congress Party view of the early 1990s.

The CPM sets three rules for foreign investors: they must increase India's production capacity—build factories, rather than simply buying assets—help upgrade Indian technology, and create jobs. While Congress is now inclined to open doors further, the communists are more wary. Where Congress leaders praise a domestic automaker like Tata for rising to the challenge of foreign competition, the communists decry how Japanese giant Suzuki ultimately gained control of its Indian joint venture, Maruti Udyog. "It would be wrong for anybody to characterize us and say we have been opponents of capital flows into India," says Yechury. "We qualify those flows, rather than opposing them."

The Newyork Times blog,January 11, 2007, 8:38 am
The War at Home: The Morning After
By Sarah Wheaton

In the lead up to the president’s speech, there had been a lot of debate about the distinctions between “surge” and “escalation,” with opponents of President Bush’s expected troop increase arguing that “surge” misleadingly implied a short-term infusion. But when Mr. Bush spoke last night, he did not imply that the over 20,000 additional troops going to Iraq would be there briefly.
Mr. Bush warne

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]]>Nandigram: Knocking Withinhttp://palashbiswas.blog.co.uk/2007/01/10/nandigram_knocking_within~1538993/2007-01-10T20:21:23+01:00 <p>Nandigram: Knocking Within</p> <p>Palash Biswas</p> <p>(Pl Publish the matter with latest update. contact: Palash C Biswas, c/o Mrs arati Roy, Gostokanan,Sodepur, Kolkata- 700110, India. Phone: 91-33-25659551.)</p> <p>LADY MACBETH<br> Infirm of purpose!<br> Give me the daggers: the sleeping and the dead<br> Are but as pictures: 'tis the eye of childhood<br> That fears a painted devil. If he do bleed,<br> I'll gild the faces of the grooms withal;<br> For it must seem their guilt.</p> <p>Exit. Knocking within</p> <p>MACBETH<br> Whence is that knocking?<br> How is't with me, when every noise appals me?<br> What hands are here? ha! they pluck out mine eyes.<br> Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood<br> Clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather<br> The multitudinous seas in incarnadine,<br> Making the green one red.</p> <p>(From Macbeth by william shakespear)</p> <p>Medha Patekar questioned the very definition of manufacturing in SEZ act. As defined in the act, manufacturing includes agriculture, horticulture, poultry, fishiculture,etc. She asks rightly why manufacturing in agro sector should be replaced by industrial production meant for consumers only. She warned that governments in India are planning to trap every Indian into hungerstrike.With Medha arrested on way to Singur, once again singur has come prominently on focus. Anuradha talwar led a massive procession to Beraberia in Singur via Kamarkunu Rly station and the protesters were stopped by Police forces.</p> <p>We insist, Singur and Nandigram are not limited in the geography of Bengal. the Resistance amy esclate countrywide, why, worldwide as because against imperialist corporate globalisation. In Haryana, the protest by a Congress MP over the Reliance SEZ could well result in a similar situation. The situation is no different in most other states, the government's inability to get land for Posco in Orissa being one of the more prominent examples. It should be obvious that the solution lies in asking the private sector to get its own land; indeed, some of the firms planning large retail footprints across the country are tying up with specialised realty firms for precisely this reason. </p> <p> Bengal is boiling. After Singur, Nandigram near Haldia has turned into a war zone.About total 25,000 acre was needed for the chemical hub at Nandigram, but land acquisition has not begun for this. Bhattacharjee said that he would visit Nandigram and talk to people.The question remains unanswered, why the left strongly supporting the industrialisation projects that had worse ramifications on farmers or agricultural production. Do the true Marxists want to bring revolution in Inida by traforming the agricultural production or economy into industrial means of production? this could result in class conflict where Left can benifit. Left should think that can anybody or government make Agriculture zone at any cost. can we create or produce a farmer? </p> <p>Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Tuesday said he was withdrawing a notification to acquire land in a village in East Midnapur district and his government had made a some mistakes."I have asked the East Midnapore district administration to tear up the notification about land acquisition issued by the Haldia Development Authority (HDA) as it was the root cause of trouble that led to total confusion and cost several lives at Nandigram (village)," he said at Writers' Buildings.The Chief Minister said from now only collectors or district magistrates would issue notifications on land acquisition.</p> <p>The approach now would be through mapping and land alignment together with rehabilitation in consultation with political parties, farmers and landless people, he said.</p> <p>The Chief Minister, who earlier met a WBPCC delegation demanding immediate withdrawal of the HDA notification and steps to restore normalcy in Nandigram, attributed the violence to “rumour that agricultural land, domicile land and even religious places will be acquired”.</p> <p>“We will have to convince the people our plans and programmes and we will move ahead with the opinions of all.”</p> <p>“It is our mistake. The HDA notification was absolutely wrong and it led to confusion,” he said.</p> <p>To a question, he said that he would visit Nandigram for an on-the-spot study of the situation but did not give a date.</p> <p>The priority was to ensure return of peace and he would take steps towards it by speaking to political parties at the panchayat level and villagers, he said.</p> <p>Nandigram, about 150 km from Kolkata, flared up Wednesday as a word spread that a notification had come out to acquire land for a special economic zone (SEZ) nearby, to be developed by Indonesia's Salim Group.Clashes between angry villagers and ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) activists had claimed at least eight lives by Sunday.A notification issued by HDA identifying areas for setting up a chemical hub by the Salim group had sparked violence by farmers. The violence followed the agitation against acquisition of agricultural land for Tata Motors small car project at Singur. In future, the Chief Minister said, all notifications would be given by the collector or the district magistrate and none else.</p> <p>The hands of Buddhadev are the hands of Macbeth, full of blood. He may not be able to wash this blood with the water of all the oceans.</p> <p>Friends, as I wrote erlier in my article ` Nandigram Puzzles Caste Hindu Left’, ity is clear Buddhadev is speaking the language of Votebank. Hindu- muslim peasants` united resistance has disturbed well the winning poll equations for ruling left front. Sixty one percent population of Muslims in Nandigram has trapped the ruling combination leg before wicket. If Buddhdev means by what he says , a democratic process for land acquisition, why Medha is stopped once again? Why singur is treated otherwise? Why prohibitary orders cutt off singur from rest of the country?<br> deliberate inactivity of police helped the genocide in Nandigram. It was an attempt to communalise the issue and break the secular united front of peasants who denounced all political affliations to defend their homes, worshipping places and the land and the nature.<br> Trinamool Congress Chief Mamata Banerjee had gone on an indefinite hunger strike last month to register her protest against the land acquisition. She called off her fast after 25 days on December 28, following interventions by President APJ Abdul Kalam and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.</p> <p>Eminent persons like Medha Patkar and Gyanpith Award winner Mahasweta Devi have also condemned the CPI (M)-led Government in West Bengal for its "inhuman and indifferent attitude" towards rural folk, who face a bleak future due to the acquisition of multi-crop land at Singur. </p> <p>Turning to Singur, where the land acquisition for the Tata Motors’ small car project has led to protests, Mr Bhattacharjee said, “We did not have to take domicile land there, so there is no necessity of rehabilitation. The main question is of compensation. At Salboni, where the Jindals will set up a steel plant at an investment of Rs 10,000 crore, there is no question of rehabilitation. Moreover, the Jindals are offering a better rehabilitation package,” he said.</p> <p>In West Bengal, he said, there was 62 per cent agricultural land of which one per cent was fallow and 13 per cent was forest land.</p> <p>Of the state’s domestic product, 26 per cent came from agriculture, 24 per cent from industry and 50 per cent from the service sector.</p> <p>“We will have to augment production in the industry sector,” he said, adding that survey would have to be made from the micro level. Since urban land was limited, agricultural land was required for industrialisation.</p> <p>Thus, the stand of CPI_M on capitalist development advocted by Buddhadev is not changed as at all awhile inThiruvantapuram,amidst the growing protest over the land-acquisition by the ruling Left Front government in West Bengal for setting up of industrial units, the CPI (M) General Secretary Prakash Karat today said that no adverse action will be taken against farmers and poor.<br> "Land reform has been implemented by the Left Front Government. Land has been given to farmers by the Left Front Government. So the Left Front Government is not going to do anything against the interest of farmers," he said. However, Karat added that there was a need for industrialization and certain industrial projects were coming up.When asked about the Nandigram row, Karat said that no decision was taken to acquire land at there.</p> <p>Buddhdev was saying days before that no notification has been issued. now he says:</p> <p>"I have asked the (East Midnapore) district magistrate to tear apart the notification. I have asked him to keep quiet and that I will start a political process in the area." </p> <p>"We have to convince each and every person. We have to hold panchayat meetings. We will proceed after convincing all," he said, adding he would visit Nandigram soon.</p> <p>On a day when the government and the party went on back foot, CPI-M state secretary and Left Front chairman Biman Bose also apologised in a live TV programme to Medha Patkar for his wrong statement that the social activist had visited a house in Nandigram Dec 3 in which the blueprint of the flare-up was chalked.</p> <p>"I am sorry. I am sorry if she is hurt. I said perhaps she visited," Bose said apologetically on a Kolkata TV live programme.</p> <p>After a daylong meeting in Nandigram arrived at a consensus on restoring peace after overnight bombings and firings, police could Tuesday enter villages in the area for the first time since last Wednesday even though the peace brokered remained a fragile exercise with tension still gripping the area.</p> <p>"The situation is peaceful since morning. We are trying to create an environment of peace and security in cooperation with the locals," Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) Raj Kanojia said in Kolkata."Four bodies have been recovered," Kanojia told IANS.However, Home Secretary Prasad Ranjan Roy had Monday put the toll at five while Transport Minister Subhas Chakraborty had claimed that 11 people had died, including nine CPI-M members.</p> <p>Police gradually entered restive villages like Sonamura, Khejuri and Garchakraberia. "Several police camps have been set up there," Kanojia said.Villagers had earlier dug up the roads to prevent their entry to express their protest against the notification.The villagers alleged more firing and bombings during Monday night.</p> <p>Central minister and Congress leader Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi visited Nandigram along with party colleague Subrata Mukherjee and demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry. He flayed the district administration for its "complete failure" in preventing the deaths.</p> <p>Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Rajnath Singh also slammed the government for its policies while a BJP team led by Sushma Swaraj arrived here Tuesday night to visit Nandigram Wednesday.</p> <p>en: politically motivated </p> <p>B.S. Satish Kumar writes from Bangalore:<br> Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen on Saturday obliquely defended<br> the West Bengal Government decision to give agricultural land to Tata<br> Motors for setting up a car plant in Singur. He told The Hindu on the sidelines of a lecture that he delivered here on `Environment and Poverty - Two Worlds or One' that "the<br> benefits will be more," with the implementation of such projects. He<br> termed the opposition to handing over agricultural land for the<br> project "politically motivated." </p> <p>Resorting to hunger strike was not the way of dealing with economic<br> development, he said. "I am not surprised by this. They are in the<br> Opposition and they have to do this." He said agricultural land<br> adjoining Kolkata were bound to shrink due to expansion of the city.<br> <a href="http://www.hindu.">http://www.hindu.</a> com/2006/ 12/17/stories/ 2006121705060800 .htm</p> <p>Repair works begin, as uneasy calm prevails in Nandigram</p> <p>Four days after a land acquisition row over the setting up of a Special Economic Zone turned violent in the remote village of Nandigram, uneasy calm prevailed here on Wednesday. The Superintendent of Police of the East Midnapore District, A K Dutta, said that there was no untoward incident in the area and the situation was totally under control. Repair work also began in the village, as the villagers had destroyed all the bridges and the roads leading to the twenty-odd villages in the area. The police have also set up their camps at Hazra Kata, Tekhali Bazar, Basulichak, and Bhangabera Bridge to restore peace.</p> <p>The calm returned in the area after Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya on Tuesday admitted that the State government acted in a 'hasty manner' over the SEZ establishment.</p> <p>The villagers under the Save Land Committee banner had demanded dismantling of all the camps of the political parties within a 5-km radius and no acquisition of land without their consultation.<br> people being killed in the flare up between the villagers and the CPI (M) party workers. </p> <p>A central committee of the CPI (M) issued a statement blaming opposition Trinamool for carrying out a 'misinformation campaign' about the land acquisition and said that the attack was not a spontaneous outburst but a "planned political attack led by the Trinamul Congress and ultra-Left elements committed to violence". (ANI)</p> <p>Medha Patkar arrested on her way to Singur</p> <p>Social activist Medha Patkar was Wednesday arrested on her way to Singur, the site for the Tata Motors small car project in Hooghly district, police said.Patkar was arrested along with five other leaders of the National Alliance of People's Movement, an NGO, near the township. They were later taken to an office of the youth affairs department in Salt Lake, they said.</p> <p>The police, however, cited no reason for their arrest. The arrest was made as soon as Patkar along with other NAPM leaders left Kolkata for Singur to meet the farmers there.</p> <p>Earlier, Patkar demanded scrapping of the Special Economic Zone Act and the Land Aquisition Act in the interest of farmers, while calling for meaningful utilisation of vacant land for industry and setting up of agro-industries in the country. </p> <p>Naxalites attempt to storm CPI(M) HQ </p> <p>OnTuesday,suspected Naxalites held a dharna and tried to storm the CPI(M) headquarters on Alimuddin street and later the office of party daily Ganashakti in central Kolkata on Tuesday.</p> <p>Police Commissioner Prasun Mukherjee said "either members of a Maoist organisation or Naxalites tried to enter the CPI(M) headquarters with an ulterior motive of vandalism."</p> <p>They then tried to enter the office of the Ganashakti. </p> <p>They were immediately resisted and chased away by the police posted near the party headquarters and local people.Eleven people were arrested. </p> <p>Double speak (inputs from NDTV.com)</p> <p>The battle over SEZs and farmland, political parties are clearly into plenty of politics and doublespeak.Just days ago. Prime Minister Manmohna Singh said that Ratan Tata and LN Mittal should not need to look outside India for their biggest industrial ventures.While the PM may advocate economic reforms, the government’s own Information and Broadcast minister has become the chief crusader against the projects at both Singur and Nandigram. </p> <p>“Well it is sad to see the Left which spearheaded the land distribution movement in Bengal now going the opposite way. We want no farmer displaced unfairly,” said Tom Vadakkan, Spokesperson, Congress.</p> <p>The BJP doublespeak is as loud. The BJP's top leadership from Rajnath Singh to Sushma Swaraj head for Singur and now Nandigram. </p> <p>The protests against the POSCO steel plant in Orrisa took place in an NDA ruled state and in this case led by the Left.</p> <p>But the party sees no contradiction in their stand. </p> <p>“Orissa is different we have a coalition government there but we have told them of our policy,” said Vijay Kumar Malhotra, BJP leader.</p> <p>The Left opposes the SEZ policy at the centre but wants to give farmland to industry in Nnadigram. </p> <p>The BJP supports the farmers’ agitation in Bengal but is quiet about the woes of the farmers of Kalinganagar in Orissa where the NDA is in power.</p> <p>The Congress FM in Delhi talks about the bond between the land and the tiller in Delhi but a hundred km away in Punjab a Congress government is busy parceling away farmland for industry.</p> <p>Most of us would call it sheer hypocrisy but in Delhi they have another name for this - politics. </p> <p>NATIONAL ALLIANCE OF PEOPLE'S MOVEMENTS<br> c/o Chemical Mazdoor Sabha, Haji Habib Bldg, Naigaon Cross Road ,<br> Dadar (E), Mumbai - 400014. Ph. 022-24150529 <a href="mailto:napm@riseup.">napm@riseup.</a> net<br> Press Note. 7.1.2007 </p> <p>AFTER SINGUR, IT IS NANDIGRAM: W. BENGL KILLS 11 FARMERS<br> Thousands Continue To Block the Roads; Anger in Villages. </p> <p>The People s' movements from all over India denounce the ghastly killings of at least at least six farmers from Nandigram area in Hooghly district, and five more are in a serious condition, at the hands of the W. Bengal Police of the or CPM cadres in the early hours of January 7, 2007. It is learnt that the cadres of ruling CPM have been involved in this carnage. The number of dead farmers increased upto 11 on January 8, as three more succumbed to the attack. There are reports of more attacks on January 7. However, after the negotiations the people allowed he police into the villages to contain the attackers. </p> <p>After the carnage of Kalinganagar at the start of the new year in 2006, it is now Narmada and Nandigram at the start of the new year in 2007. IN all thee events the governments have been killing and destroying their own countrymen to appease the national and multinational corporates. More distressing is the fact that the W. Bengal carnage of Nandigram and before that the Singur repression for the sake of corporate powers is carried out by the Left Front government in W.Bengal. In fact they should have been the protectors of the people and their life and rights instead of corporates. </p> <p>However, we are appalled at the rude and insensitive attitude of the W. Bengal government regarding he deaths of farmers and the entire issue of the acquisition of fertile land in the name of industrialization. The CPM ideologue even went to issue threat that now onwards the 'CPM cadres would move into the villages', to deal with the opposition to government plan. Again we here the CPM state chief blaming the 'Naxalites, Trinmul, Medha Patkar ' wxcpt the CPI, whose state level leaders are also involved in the Nandimarg resistance. We condemn such anti-people attitude and question very act of the sate acquiring the land through Land Acquisition Act for the sake of the private profiteer. We are also dismayed at the casual attitude of the Communist Party or India (CPI), a part of the Left Front Government in the state and whose office-bearers have been forefront in the resistance in Nandigram.In fact the protesting people have agreed to remove the blockades on January 7, provided the police does not enter into the villages. However, before that the situation was disturbed by these uncalled for killings. But the CPI thinks it fit to blame it on the Naxalites to justify the firing and killings, instead of condemning it in no uncertain terms. </p> <p>Corporates in Red Land </p> <p>These victims are among the thousands of innocent farmers and villagers from the one of the most tranquil and prosperous agricultural area in W. Bengal, consisting of 80% minority population. These villagers are from 19,000 acres land is given to the controversial Salim group as the special economic zone (SEZ) by the state government. The W. Bengal government has acceded about 38,000 acres of the prime agricultural land to Salim group, of which notices of 19,000 acres were issued early this month and the acquisition process has started. </p> <p>Though the people have been opposing the land acquisition for last many months and have made it known through various meetings, mass actions and other peaceful means, the government did not relent. With the acquisition started with large posse of thousands of villagers have been on the streets outside the villagers, threatening anyone touching their land. </p> <p>Among the leaders were the state office-bearers of the CPI, a party in the state government, along with the Jamate-ulema- e Hind in that area and the organizations with National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM). The national secretary-general of CPI, Atul Anjan also held a meeting in December 2006 in the Nandigram area. However, it is strange that the party now maintains that the Naxalites and Trinmul Congress are inciting violence. This is not an honest stand. The CPI must make the state government to abrogate the SEZ and the ill advised contract with the Salim group. </p> <p>Another 18,000 acres is also learnt to have been given for the Salim group, with total Salim SEZ amounting to 38,000 acres. Besides that a nuclear power project is coming in Haripur area of the Hooghly district itself. This nuclear power project would affect thousands of fishworkers and their livelihood. Thus nearly 78,000 acres land is ceded industry only in one district. </p> <p>It is a time that all other organizations and progressive political parties must stop the mad rush for agricultural land in W. Bengal. There is an urgent need to rein in the W. Bengal government, as it swears in the name of progressive ideology, but follows all the corporatist and capitalist designs. Thus it inadvertently legitimizes the corporate stranglehold on the people, their resources, land and livelihood. </p> <p>It is a matter of ignominy that the first atrocities and violence on the struggling people should happen not in the regimes of Congress or BJP, but in the Left Front ruled W. Bengal, and instead of having a dialogue with the people the Left front is resorting to threats and evoking the usual Naxalite bogey, which all established parties, capitalists resort to. </p> <p>We call unto the CPM, CPI and all the Left Front government partners to stop the atrocities on the farmers struggling to protect their land and livelihood and in the name of Marx, put the common peasants, artisans and self-employed people before the corporates. </p> <p>Sanjay Sangvai Medha Patkar </p> <p>An Interview</p> <p>In fact, trouble has been brewing since December when villagers instigated by rumours that the land acquisition process was to begin, attacked the local panchayat office. Last night, clashes between the armed villagers resulted in the death of six people in the region. So, the big question is - is this a huge setback for the Bengal government's policy for attracting investment and industrial expansion and has Buddhadeb’s reformist image and credibilty taken a beating? National Secretary, CPI, D Raja and CNBC-TV18's correspondent in Kolkata, Aniek Paul analyse the situation. </p> <p>Excerpts from an interview given to CNBC-TV18</p> <p>Q: How is the situation right now in Nandigram?</p> <p>Aniek Paul: The administration or police have yet not managed to reach ground zero. They have so far refrained going there so as to refrain from any confrontation with the angry villagers. But even after the killings took place, they have not managed to penetrate that area. This is becoming an embarrassment for the West Bengal government. The Chief Minister himself was saying that these are very concerning issues and these are inescapable realities, which he and his administration would have to deal with. </p> <p>Now the administration is trying to build a political consensus on giving peace a chance and an all party meeting took place in a nearby town. Here the parties that attended agreed to let the administration in to re-build, dug up roads, re-build bridges that have been destroyed. Apart from that - the second round of talks which are taking place at Nandigram police station are falling apart. I spoke to the convener of that forum that has been created for saving farmland here. He said its falling apart because of lack of faith and confidence and honesty in the approach of the administration. So, the situation still remains very tense in Nandigram.</p> <p>Q: The Left has been a vocal critic of Special Economic Zones elsewhere in the country. But in a state, which is ruled by your own ally - the land acquisition battle has led to violence and death. Has the state government bungled in Nandigram?</p> <p>D. Raja: Actually what has happened yesterday in Nandigram and what is happening today is pretty bad. It should have been refrained. That is why our party, Communist Party of India, has been telling there should be absolute transparency in whatever the government does and the issues will have to be discussed with the Left front. People must be taken into confidence and political parties must be consulted properly. This is what we have been telling. </p> <p>So, as far as Special Economic Zones are concerned, it is not only the case of Bengal and the four Left parties. The four Left parties means CPI, CPM, RSP, For