BLOODBATH AHEAD: (Top) Villagers run for a shed as police fire tear gas near the Nandigram hospital and (above) a cop on guard. Pictures by Pradip Sanyal and Amit Datta

Ashish niti (By Blog)

Villagers at Nandigram are up in arms against forcible land acquisition for the Indonesian Salim group’s proposed project. In this case, I do support Arundhati Roy and other activists who are trying to support the rights of the villagers… We need to ensure that land acquisition is done without force and with the consent of the land-owners. Not by pressure from the mischievous political parties for their vested interests.

Julia Dutta (By Blog)

I have just returned from a demonstration in Parliament Street, New Delhi, against Wednesday’s genocide at Nandigram, West Bengal. Eleven people were killed in the name of development and industrialisation. Is the government trying to acquire land through such violent means? The Left Front government in Bengal is inactive, unsuccessful and has adopted double standards. The common people are suffering and crying for help. We have decided to organise a rally on March 19 to protest the genocide. The bloodbath in the name of development should stop at once.

Sanjay Saha (By Blog)

The protest at Singur and Wednesday’s bloodbath at Nandigram is a burning example of rising public crisis in West Bengal. It is a complete collapse of the Left government’s rule (or rather “non-vision”) and its hollow economic policies. It is quite evident that though the state government claims to work for the villagers and the backward areas, the economic policies are urban-oriented. The thrust is on industrialisation, rather than overall development of the state.

An online petition

Yesterday’s bloodbath is a genocide. Past many months, the people of Nandigram had continued with their “brave” battle against the proposed SEZ project on their agricultural land. It was a well-known fact that the police force and CPM cadre will enter Nandigram forcefully. To resist the force and cadre, the villagers had formed a human wall. They blocked the road to stop police. There was no violence at all. Then why did police start firing at the innocent and non-violent villagers, killing more than 50 people (toll as per sources in NAPM)? It is a major setback to development.

Rama (By Blog)

Development is for the people. The state should look into the interest of the people, especially the poor and the vulnerable. In a state like West Bengal, where the government under the CPM has only concretised the apartheid system of education, so that the poor and low-income groups perpetually remain “lowly citizens”, it is difficult to believe that the party has any concern for the people. The government is fooling the people of both Singur and Nandigram.

Name not mentioned (By Blog)

Who is this Salim ? A fly-by-night operator? When the Left government in West Bengal is so keen on development and industrialisation, it should first think about the thousand factories which have closed down or the sick units in the state. Why are they forcing the farmers to give away their fertile land? They can use barren plots, instead. Is Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee listening?

Name not mentioned (By SMS)

Does industrialisation really need BLOODSHED? If yes, then don’t complain and keep quite. If no, please reserve some tears for the families in Nandigram.

Next week: Send your comments to The Telegraph (Metro), 6, Prafulla Sarkar Street, Calcutta-700001; email: ttmetro@abpmail.com; fax: 22258313/ 8112