Business Standard

Kolkata, Aug 25: Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee suggested earmarking 500 acres of land opposite the controversial Tata Motors factory site to make the "people's car", the Nano, in Singur for the project.

"The government has been saying there is no land available, I am giving you an alternative. Farmers do not cultivate that land," she said. She alleged that the land was owned by "promoters" from the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the largest party of the ruling Left Front coalition in the state.

Banerjee was addressing a lower-than-expected gathering around Singur, an hour's drive from Kolkata, where the Trinamool Congress has begun an indefinite siege in support of farmers, who had refused to accept compensation for the land the state acquired for the Nano project and leased to Tata Motors.

The rally was attended by Amar Singh, general secretary of the Samajwadi Party, which supports the United Progressive Alliance at the Centre, and activist Medha Patkar. Author and activist Arundhati Roy also arrived in Singur but did not speak at the rally.

On Friday, growing tensions prompted Tata Group chairman Ratan Tata to threaten to pull out the project - widely considered a showcase of the Left Front's new industry-friendly policy - from the state.

Banerjee, however, has not specified whether the alternative land should be given to the unwilling farmers or the Tata Motors' ancillary units, which are to come up on the 997-acre site.

Banerjee, who orchestrated events through the day at the dharna manch or protest site, constantly appealed to the gathering to keep the satyagraha peaceful and requested that no one venture near the Tata Motors factory.

Later in a speech that began at 6 pm she appealed to the government to pay heed to the satyagraha and return the land of unwilling farmers.

She said the government had given power and water free and extended huge interest-free loans and tax breaks to Tata Motors but was refusing to look after the 2,200-odd farmers who had not accepted compensation.

The turnout at Banerjee's rally was lower than the crowd of several lakhs that turned up at the rally organised by CPI(M) under the aegis of state Industries Minister Nirupam Sen at the same site on August 22.

Referring to the Tatas, Patkar said, "We don't need you. Please hand over the thousands of acres that you have to the state government before you leave."

Amar Singh compared the situation in Singur with Uttar Pradesh (which is ruled by Mayawati of the rival Bahujan Samaj Party) and invited Banerjee to join a land acquisition agitation in Noida.

Even as the Trinamool Congress leader talked of peaceful agitation, Tata Motor's private security guards were asked to join the siege or leave Singur.

Becharam Manna, convenor of the Krishi Jami Raksha Committee, said they were not threatened but requested. "We have been requesting workers at the factory for the last one month to join the agitation or leave. Many of them have already left," he said.

Police protection was beefed up in the area but the West Bengal government moved cautiously having learnt from the controversial police firing at protestors agitating against a proposed chemical hub at Nandigram, three hours from Kolkata, last year, which claimed several lives and created considerable negative publicity for the Left Front.

Around 2,200 unarmed policemen were deployed in the areas against 600 on a regular day. But despite the scale-up, they were hardly seen around the dharna manch or the gathering.

Being a Sunday, work on the factory was at a low key, but the real test will be Monday, which is a full-fledged working day.

Outside the factory and the dharna manch the mood was festive. Cultural programmes were also part of Banerjee's satygraha. Some Trinamool workers jubilantly discussed the possibility of the party's success had Assembly elections been six months away.

"I would be going to Writers' Buildings everyday if only the Assembly elections were held in the next six months," said a worker. A more anxious one said: "We have kept the issue alive for the last two years, but it is difficult to sustain the momentum for two more years."

The last Assembly elections were in 2006.