Kolkata to pull out all police from Ground Zero

With the state administration withdrawing all police presence from five villages in Nandigram, returning home looks a grim prospect for 2,000 villagers who had fled their homes following last Wednesday’s violence.

With the state administration withdrawing all police presence from five villages in Nandigram, returning home looks a grim prospect for 2,000 villagers who had fled their homes following last Wednesday’s violence.

Following a decision at the Left Front meeting on Thursday, the state government has started withdrawing police from the two camps — Sonachura and Adhikaripara.

Clashes between the police and locals had claimed 14 lives on March 14.

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“We had been able to reach only five out of 18 villages under Nandigram Gram Panchayat,” Home Secretary Prasad Ranjan Ray said on Tuesday. “We are withdrawing the police in phases. The Sonachura camp would be shifted to Bhangaberi and Adhikaripara camp would relocate to Thekhali.

“We have not been able to establish total normalcy there, and our aim now is to prevent any further clashes in the area.”

Ray said information thus far says the 2,000-odd Nandigram villagers have not been able to go back to their villages.

Asked whether the state government would impose prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC in Nandigram, Ray said there was no question of that. “Who will enforce the prohibitory orders under Section 144 when the police are being withdrawn?” he asked.