Biman Bose

Calcutta, March 14: CPM state secretary Biman Bose today justified the police firing in Nandigram and backed the government’s move to “resume the rule of law and normality in public life” in the troubled zone.

He put the toll in the firing to “a maximum 10” and described the flare-up as “unfortunate”, but refused to ask the government to call off the police from Nandigram as demanded by Left Front allies.

Bose said police action had been necessary to “facilitate the repairs of roads and culverts” that had been dug up or damaged by the Opposition-backed Bhumi Uchchhed Pratirodh Committee since January 3. “The administration can answer whether it should have shown more patience,” he added.

In private, however, CPM leaders admitted that today’s action had political objectives, too. One, it was meant to help CPM supporters hounded out of Nandigram to return home. Two, the party wanted to regain control of the area before it turned into another Keshpur, where the CPM and the Trinamul Congress had fought a bloody battle in the late 1990s.

“There was pressure from party leaders from the district, such as Haldia Development Authority chairman Lakshman Seth, to get tough,” a state committee member said.

According to the CPM leader, the decision for a police crackdown was taken at last week’s state secretariat meeting. “The party leadership had waited till the Madhyamik got over last week. The chief minister himself had warned of tough police action at the party farmers’ rally on Sunday.”

Bose blamed the Opposition. For two-and-a-half months, he said, “the government had tried patiently to resume the rule of law and the local administration had convened all-party meets, but the Trinamul did not attend. Instead, some people, including a police officer, were killed. No government can allow such an impasse or anarchy for long.”

He claimed that the police had fired “less than 100 rounds”, and only in self defence after Opposition-backed mobs hurled bombs and fired on them. “As the police tried to move in from Sonachura and Tekhali, women and children were used as shields. Police used teargas before firing in self-defence,” Bose said.

“A man died in a blast while throwing a bomb. Around 10 people were critically injured in firing while a similar number might have died,’’ he said. He denied that armed CPM men prevented the media from moving around the area.

Industries minister Nirupam Sen described today’s incident as “unfortunate” but said “it will not affect the pace of industrialisation” in Bengal.