Railway Show-West Bengal-press news

Now, a pro-acquisition stir by Trinamool

TNN, Dec 15, 2010, 01.02am IST

HOWRAH: Mamata Banerjee staged a dharna for landlosers in Singur in 2008. Her followers took to the same tactic at Howrah's Sankrail on Tuesday, but this time in support of a railway project and not really in favour of the landlosers.

Interestingly, like the CPM in Singur, Trinamool Congress leaders namely, district president Arup Roy and local MLA Sital Sardar took out a rally under party banner in the Abada area before coming to the meeting place. They urged upon the local farmers to thwart the "CPM's anti-development stance" and played the employment card as the CPM did in Singur.

"I would urge upon the landlosers to foil the CPM conspiracy at any cost," said Trinamool Howrah president Arup Roy. Sital Sardar ruled out the demand for compensation at existing market rates. "The railways did not acquire the land. The state government did it. If the landlosers have any grouse, they should launch a stir against the state government. The railways can't commit any compensation package now It may consider your case," said Sardar. Sardar sounded like the CPM leaders elsewhere in the state where the state government acquire land for industry.

CPM district secretary Biplab Majumdar, however, had all his sympathies to the demonstrators. "We have been raising the issue since 2009. The railways kept the farmland unutilised since 1982. It's the same party that has politicised the issue by coming to the fore with a party flag. We want the railways to engage land labourers from the Citu affiliated Mutia Majdoor Union to do the unloading of the fly ash, while landlosers may be given the job of land filling," he said.

Landlosers are a divided lot. They do not want to get into party politics. Sensing the mood, the Krishi Jami Jibon O Jibika Raksha Committee comprising mainly Congress and Trinamool supporters in the area has distanced itself from the political wrestling. "We want better compensation rates and financial rehabilitation package from the railways," said Committee president Sheikh Mohammed Siddique.