Articles on Singur from 2008

At the start of Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee’s indefinite dharna at Singur on August 24, 2008 on the issue of returning 400 acres of land outside the Tatas’ Nano car project (which land is to be used for setting up ancilliary industries) to the peasants from whom it was forcibly acquired, Medha Patkar delivered a speech the gist of which appeared in Dainik Statesman. The following is a rough English translation of whatever appeared in Dainik Statesman (in Bengali) for the benefit of our readers. As many as 21 camps of those offering dharna had been set up in Singur under the banner of Krishi Jami o Jiban-Jibika Raksha Committee (Committee to Protect Agricultural Land, Life and Livelihood) spearheading the demand of the Trinamul chief, and several political parties like the SUC and PDS as well as a large number of mass organisations had joined the dharna. We are also reproducing an article that appeared in Mainstream Republic Day Special 2007 on the Singur peasants’ struggle based on interactions with them. Both are of relevance today when the Supreme Court has passed a historic judgement on the Singur issue. Both were published in the September 6, 2008 issue of Mainstream.

The Chief Minister is Lying by medha patkar http://www.mainstreamweekly.net/article918.html

Democracy at a Discount: Singur: The Resistance Continues by sumit chakravartty http://www.mainstreamweekly.net/article917.html