Medha calls for Left alternative

http://thestatesman.org/page.arcview.php?date=2007-06-03&usrsess=1730188832790&clid=6&id=185625


Statesman News Service
KOLKATA, June 3: Miss Medha Patkar today gave a call for forging an “alternative” Left Morcha to fight the CPI-M-led Left Front and dislodge it from power in West Bengal.
Ms Patkar, who will visit Nandigram tomorrow, told a rally organised by the CPI-ML that the fight against farm land acquisition “from Narmada to Nandigram” would
continue.
She clarified that she was not against industrialisation, but would resist attempts to forcibly take away land from farmers without offering proper compensation package and ensuring restoration of their income.
“That’s why we would try all means to prevent the Tata small car project at Singur from becoming a reality,” she said.
Ms Patkar said she would visit Nandigram because the farmers who had forced the state government to abandon its plan to acquire their land for setting up the proposed chemical mega-hub there, were still being attacked by CPI-M activists peace was still a far cry.
At the same time the policemen and officers guilty of opening fire on “innocent” villagers killing at least 14 persons were yet to be punished. “Nandigram has roused the conscience of the nation, yet justice is not being done,” she said.

Chakka jam
The Trinamul Congress will observe an hour-long chakka jam throughout the state next Saturday if the state government doesn’t return the land it acquired for the Tatas small car factory at Singur, said party chief, Ms Mamata Banerjee. The Trinamul Congress cadres will block all important roads in the states for an hour from 5 pm on next Saturday, she said while addressing a rally at Singur this afternoon.
Miss Banerjee also made it clear that farmers, spearheading movement peacefully in Singur, would be required to go for a violent campaign if the state government doesn’t return the plot to them. She said that the state government will be responsible for any untoward incident in Singur during the fresh movement. The Trinamul Congress chief alleged that the CPI-M received huge amount of money from business giants.