Tamluk, May 30: CPM supporters in Nandigram, who had fled their homes after a comrade was killed by a Trinamul Congress mob last Friday, are hesitant to return, though a peace process is under way.

Trinamul leader Sheikh Sufian and CPM zonal committee secretary Ashok Bera attended a meeting in Nandigram police station last evening and gave in writing that the local leaderships would be responsible for any trouble in the days ahead. Nandigram I block development officer Shantiram Gorai met representatives of all parties at the village level over the past two days urging peace.

After yesterday’s meeting, about 350 supporters of the Trinamul-led Bhoomi Uchchhed Pratirodh Committee returned home last night.

But CPM workers are apprehensive. “Now that Trinamul has swept the elections, we don’t know what will happen once we return home,” one of them said.

Over 430 CPM supporters had fled after Sheikh Khalek Mullick’s murder last week.

Srimanta Das, 48, of Rainagar, took shelter in a makeshift camp at the CPM office in Tekhali with wife Bhanumati. “I fled home after tension mounted in our village. Although our village has not witnessed any violence in the past few days, I’m scared,” said Srimanta, a primary school teacher.

His comrade Lalu Paria, 35, said: “Trinamul is taking out victory processions almost every day. We can return only after the celebrations end,” said Lalu, who lives in Jambari, wife Anima by his side.

East Midnapore superintendent of police S.S. Panda said “peace is returning” to Nandigram. “No violence has been reported in the past week.”

The CPM leadership is all the more wary because Mamata Banerjee is going to address a “victory” rally in Nandigram tomorrow.