‘Acquisition only with full consent’

In a face-saving attempt, the CPI(M) which is at the receiving end of SEZ-related controversies in West Bengal...

In a face-saving attempt, the CPI(M) which is at the receiving end of SEZ-related controversies in West Bengal, has reaffirmed its commitment to protect the interests of the peasantry, sharecroppers, agricultural workers and other sections of the rural poor while taking forward the process of industrialisation.

According to a statement issued here on Tuesday, the CPI(M) said that the West Bengal government and the Chief Minister have reiterated several times that the process of acquisition of land would not begin unless all sections are taken into confidence.

“It needs to be made clear at the outset that as far as land for industrialisation is concerned, the West Bengal government and its Chief Minister have repeatedly stated that the Government will consult local communities and elected Panchayat officials. And they will not proceed with any acquisition of land without taking all sections into confidence,” the statement says.

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The CPI(M) alleged that the violence in Nandigram, where six persons had died, was an orchestrated one.

“As far as this is concerned, there has been no notice issued for land acquisition. Yet a deliberate campaign of misinformation is being run by opposition parties,” the statement says.

“This is not a spontaneous outburst but a planned political attack led by the TMC and ultra-Left elements committed to violence. Despite this huge provocation, the administration has displayed the utmost caution in not using the police so as to enable a hold over the situation,” it alleged.

“It is unfortunate that several well-meaning individuals have fallen prey to the misinformation campaign launched by vested interests and the opponents of the West Bengal Left Front and the CPI(M),” the statement adds.