Singur, Aug. 29: Thirty-odd Singur youths employed at the Nano plant today held their own demonstration on Durgapur Expressway against Mamata Banerjee’s six-day-old siege of their factory.

They reached the highway around 12.15pm from Khasherchak, 3km from Mamata’s seat of protest. Carrying placards that condemned “anti-industry movements” without naming Mamata or her party, they shouted slogans against the “mindless” dharna for half an hour.

Most said they had done courses at the Industrial Training Institute (ITI) before receiving hands-on training at Tata Motors’ Pune and Singur plants. Already fearful about their future after receiving threats from the land agitators, they took to the streets after being told by the factory management not to report for work today because of the volatile situation outside the plant gates.

“The management told us over the phone not to come today. We won’t let any party spoil our career by doing politics,” said Santanu Mullick, who did an ITI course on automobiles and works in the factory’s engine shop.

“We don’t want Tata to go back. We want work to resume from tomorrow,” said Shabik Patra of Beltola, a factory technician in his early 20s.

“We don’t belong to any political party but we are educated and know what is good for us. We are being threatened if we report for work. We cannot take it any more, so we are speaking out.”

A little distance away, an oblivious Mamata was announcing that her agitation would continue before rain forced her to cut the speech short.

The Nano workers’ rally passed peacefully under the watchful eyes of eight policemen, who told them to disperse at 12.45pm and escorted them to Gopalnagar village. “Trinamul supporters were on their way to the dharna and there could have been a clash,” a policeman explained.

Another 120-odd Singur youths — selected by Tata Motors from villages like Beraberi, Malpara, Gopalnagar and Joymollah — did not join the rally but were equally desperate for work to resume at the plant.

“We were surprised when the management declared a holiday, although we understand they did it for our safety after yesterday’s road blockade in front of the factory gates,” said Soumya Saha, 18, at his home in Beraberi where he had returned after four months’ training in Tata Motors’ Pune unit.

Three months ago, he joined the Singur unit’s trim chassis final (TCF) section for six months’ training, which is to be followed by a 15-month apprenticeship at the factory.

“The day I heard the Tatas would set up a car factory here, I began dreaming. I could not believe it when they selected me seven months ago. Now I don’t know what the future holds,” the teen said, running his fingers nervously through his hair.

Soumya’s father Ashish gave up his two bighas for the project in the hope his only son would get a Tata job.

Soumya remembers the day he received his first stipend, of Rs 1,700. “I bought a packet of sweets. I’ll never forget the pleasure of buying my parents and sister something with my own, hard-earned money.”

Chinmoy Ghosh of Malpara, who passed his HS in 2006, said: “My parents’ dream had come true when Tata selected me. Now Mamata is playing with the fate of over 150 families.”

The tall, dark youth, whose father gave up his one-bigha plot for the factory, said Save Farmland Committee supporters were threatening him and his colleagues.

“Every morning when we go to the factory, they shout at us, ‘kaje jachchhish ja, kintu mone rakhish thik moto phirte parbi na (fine, go to work, but remember you may not return safely)’.”