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respite, no regard - for human lives and livelihoods!
Corporate profit is the only thing that counts!
Nothing else matters!
That’s why the struggle of WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA is
indivisible! From Narmada to Nandigarm, Mumbai to
Kalinganagar!
The history of resistance - against “development”,
against “SEZ”, against “Sanghai”, against “big dams”,
against forced eviction, against further pauperisation
of the already poor, is thus being written all over
the place in the blood and sweat of ours.

Nandigram is a burning leaf, still burning, from the
pages of that ongoing history. 
It is in a remote corner of West Bengal in East
Medinipur district, 180 kms. From Kolkata. On January
3 this year a notification was issued by the Haldia
Development Authority indicating that 19000 acres of
cultivated land would be acquired for establishment of
a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in the area to be
developed mainly by the Salim group of Indonesia as a
chemical hub. But the villagers of Nandigram protested
and refused to budge and all hell broke loose. On
March 14 the police came, and came the CPIM cadres
from outside, to raid the villages. The villagers were
fired upon. Official death toll stood at 14. But still
the villagers refused to budge. And because of High
Court intervention the raiders had to turn back. After
a relative lull of about 8 months, large gangs of
professional mercenaries came down heavily on the area
on Nov. 5 early morning from all the sides to
recapture Nandigram with sophisticated arms – gunning
down people, burning huts, looting and raping. The
state machinery deliberately looking the other way
chillingly mimicking, in fact even surpassing, what
had happened in Gujarat in early 2002. Roads were
blocked. Journalists were stopped. So were social and
political activists. Prominent and well-known
respected figures were publicly roughed up.
The mayhem is still on. However, the operation
recapture got virtually over in about a week.
Thousands stand evicted, tens killed, innumerable huts
burnt, women raped.
 
Under the circumstances, we the people of Mumbai voice
our strongest protest against the state-sponsored
mafia-raj, the rule of jungle in Nandigram.
We all demand that the West Bengal government must
immediately:
I.      Halt all violence, overt and covert.
II.     Provide relief and rehabilitation for all
those affected and full reparations for all the
damages/losses caused.
III.            Arrange a meeting involving all
stakeholders including both political parties and
non-party people’s organisations. 
IV.       Put in place an inclusive people’s committee
representing all sections of the concerned people out
of that meeting to monitor and oversee the measures to
restore peace
V.    Conduct an open credible enquiry into the
violence perpetrated and punish the guilty. Fix the
responsibility of state officials for dereliction of
duties including those at the highest levels.

National Alliance of People's Movements, Shahar Vikas
Manch, Gha Banao Ghar bachao Andolan,  Narmada Bachao
Andolan, Sarvahara Jan Andolan,  Chemical Majdoor
Sabha, Shramik Janata Sanghatan,  Build,  Focus on The
Global South, Akshara Centre,  Awash Adhikar Sanyukt
Kriti Samiti,  Nirbhay Bano Andolan, Yuva, Yuva Manch,
Samata Vichar Prasarak Sansatha, India Centre for
Human Rights and Law, Committee for Right to Housing,
EKTA (Committee for Communal Amity) and others.  


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