Update from Uchched Pratirodh Committee
Reported by Parag
After a brief period of relative lull, the struggle of the people of Nonadanga region in Kolkata has entered a new phase. While the collusion of the corporate entities for whom land is sought to be acquired with the ruling dispensation and its machineries, the metropolitan development authority, the police, judiciary has become clearer as the struggle intensified, there is now a new strategy in the direction of repression, as new terms for getting rehabilitation: “You have to become Trinamool Congress cadres, and detach yourselves from the ‘outsiders’ who have supported the movement till now, denouncing it as a mistake”. This is what Firhad Hakim, the Municipal and Development Minister of West Bengal, put as a condition before the slum-dwellers when he came to Nonadanga on 14th June, at around 7:30 pm. Addressing the residents, he gave the condition that if the slum dwellers agree to give a public statement that have mistakenly ‘allied with the outsiders’, only then will rehabilitation be given. For the rehabilitation, he said that primarily a 10ft-10ft room (temporary shelter) near Nonadanga will be given, and did not mention anything specific towards any permanent rehabilitation under B.S.U.P. project. When he was pressed by the slum dwellers to either give a written assurance or a public statement to the effect in front of press laying out his promise and conditions, because earlier they have been deceived by false promises of various ministers and political leaders, he refused to give any such written and public statement.
Later in the same day, when four representatives of the slum-dwellers of Nonadanga went to meet the local TMC councilor from ward 107, Swarup Ghosh, he repeated the same warning – put down the banner of “Uchchhed Pratirodh Committee” and uphold the banner of “Trinamool Congress”. He elaborated it further- by threatening to kill Amitava Bhattacharya, President, Uchchhed Protirodh Committee (Resistance-to-eviction Committee) and General Secretary, Mazdoor Kranti Parishad. That the toiling people of Nonadanga, while fighting for the right to proper housing and living condition, have formed their own autonomous organisation without links to the standard vote-shops of the TMC or the CPI(M), and are carrying forward their struggle uncompromisingly, is not acceptable to the ruling dispensation- to exist in Mamata Banerjee’s West Bengal today, you must be lay down any legitimate struggle and affiliate yourself to the ruling Trinamool Congress.
On 15th June 2012, the residents were preparing for a pre-declared demonstration program to be held before the K.M.D.A., at around 10 a.m. under the banner of the local autonomous body, Uchched Pratirodh Committee. Before the beginning of the program, a number of lumpen Trinamool cadres under the leadership of the local councilor, Swarup Ghosh, came to the site and threatened the local people to dismantle the program. But when they realized that all their efforts were going in vain given the resoluteness of the residents, they attacked Sourav, organizer of Uchched Pratirodh Committee. The local residents, particularly the women members of the Committee retaliated and counter attacked the goons in defense and Sourav was rescued. This clearly demonstrated what the local people thought of the so-called ‘outsiders’, the supporters of the movement from the beginning, which the ruling dispensation is adamant to show as mere instigators. Throughout the movement the toiling people have fought hand-in-hand with these supporters undeterred by continuous spate of attacks and intimidations, and have posited their independence from both the TMC and the CPI(M).
During this entire period, the whole police force posted in the field played the role of silent spectators, which again demonstrated for the n-th time, where their loyalties lay. In fact, the police camp just in front of the area, has continued to play a proactive role since the beginning of the demolition and the subsequent struggle as a organ of repression and harassment. Recently, the police has given poison in the nearby pond, where the slum dwellers used to wash utensils and even take bath, and the water has now become completely unusable. Later, even though sent on their backfoot after confrontation with the local people and sent away from the field, the Trinamool goons remained in the local area. Two sympathizers of the movement, Probal and Sriman, while coming to the movement site after the incident in the morning, were attacked and assaulted by the goons. An F.I.R. has been lodged by the Uchched Pratirodh Committee.
Meanwhile, the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority has closed all the entrances of passage to the Nonadanga site, baring one through which only one person can pass at a time. To close one gate, they have dragged in a waste-bin. It is impossible through that one small gate, for the rickshaw-puller or van-puller to bring their vehicle inside the field. Harassment is various forms continue. On 16th June, there was a mass hunger strike of the residents in Nonadanga, where a renewed enthusiasm to take the struggle forward in this difficult phase was seen. A rally to Ruby junction has been called for 17th June. The residents will not take these new repressive measures, hooligan attacks and threats of murder and further dispossession lying down, and are determined to struggle further, and call upon all progressive and democratic sections to stand in solidarity with the movement.
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