Protest against SEZ

in Nandigram

Kratika Rathi
 Incident

• DATE: March 14, 2007

• The Nandigram violence was an incident in

Nandigram, West Bengal where, on the orders
of the Left Front government, more than 4,000
heavily armed police stormed the Nandigram
area with the aim of stamping out protests
against the West Bengal government’s plans to
expropriate 10,000 acres (40 km2) of land for a
Special Economic Zone (SEZ) to be developed
by the Indonesian-based Salim Group.
 Background
• The Salim Group was founded by Sudono Salim
closely associated with Indonesian ex-president
Suharto.
• The group kept a proposal of developing a
chemical hub in front of the WB government.
The Government chose the Nandigram area
under the SEZ policy.
• This chemical hub required the acquisition of
over 14,000 acres (57 km²) of land. The SEZ was
to be spread over 29 villages of which 27 are in
Nandigram.
 Causes
• Most of the land to be acquired was multi crop and
would have affected over 40,000 people.
• The prospect of losing land and thereby livelihood,
raised concerns among the predominantly
agricultural populace.
• The villagers, which included supporters of the
party in power, CPI(M), joined hands with other
opposition supporters, organized a resistance
movement under the banner of the newly formed
Bhumi Uchhed Pratirodh Committee or BUPC (Land
Liberation Committee).
• In defense of the project, the state government
stated that Nandigram being in the vicinity of
Haldia Petrochemicals & IOC refinery, which, the
CPI (M) claimed, had earlier led to 100,000 jobs
being created through downstream projects, this is
the best place to build a hub from the point of view
of supply-chain integration.
• Apart from the SEZ the Salim Group was also
assigned the construction of the 100 km long 100 m
wide Eastern Link Expressway and construction of a
four-lane road bridge over the Haldi River, from
Haldia to Nandigram.
• The land acquisition notice was put up on
January 3, 2007 by the Haldia Development
Authority.
• Although the chief minister later verbally
dissociated himself from the notice, it was never
annulled by another government notification.
• For more than two and a half months, Nandigram
was a ticking time bomb, isolated from the rest
of the State as the BUPC dug up roads and
damaged bridges leading to the place. It finally
exploded on March 14.
 On March 14, 2007

• The administration was directed to break the

BUPC's resistance at Nandigram and a massive
operation with 4,000 policemen was launched.

• A group of armed and trained CPI (M) cadres

wore police uniforms and joined the forces.

• BUPC amassed a crowd of 2,000 villagers at the

entry points into Nandigram with women and
children forming the front ranks.
• CPI (M) members, supporters and their families were
driven out of the area; the houses burnt.
• Estimate: 3500 persons displaced as a result of threats
from BUPC.
• Governor condemned attack
• High Court terms March 14th firing as
unconstitutional.
• Human rights activists reach Nandigram
• Mass graves are unearthed
• Intellectuals protest in Kolkata
• CM justifies attack ‘They have been paid back in
their own coin’
WB people

• Dependant on agriculture
• Emotional attachment to land
• Unawareness of Industry job opportunities
• Distrust Industry-exposure to left propaganda
• Post Land reforms - the Left has taken no developmental
initiative
• Agricultural growth rate has tapered off
• Rampant trade unions had driven out Industry
• No new private investment in Industry
• Government lacks funds for public sector
 Suggestions
• Cultivable land should be left alone as far as possible
• Acquisition of land should be transparent and with
consent of those who would be affected
• Explain the importance of the projects
• Ensuring generation of employment
• Free training and imparting of skills
• Due compensation and a rehabilitation policy
• Not Political gains but interest of common man
THANK
YOU