(From top) Sudarshan Barik, who accepted his compensation cheque on Saturday; Nabo Ghosh, who wants the rehabilitation package, and his cousin Sushil, who has already collected his cheque. Telegraph pictures

Singur, Sept. 20: Singur’s “unwilling” landlosers are a confused lot. To take or not to take the cheque — that is the question before them.

And the contrary campaigns of the CPM and the Trinamul Congress are not making matters any easier for them.

On Thursday evening, CPM supporters knocked at Sheikh Musharraf’s door in Joymollah. They asked him to collect his compensation cheque as quickly as he could since he had no valid land papers.

“I became a little scared after they told me I may not get any compensation if I delayed matters. They left after half an hour,” said Musharraf, whose two bighas have been acquired for the Nano project.

An hour after the CPM group left, Trinamul men came calling. They told Musharraf to be patient and not to put his faith in the government’s package.

“I’m afraid. I don’t know what to do… whether I should collect the cheque or not,” the farmer said.

Farmers who collect their cheques by Monday will get 10 per cent extra.

“It’s like election time in Singur. Supporters of both parties have been visiting our houses, especially at night. One side tells us to collect the cheques, the other not to,” said Nabo Ghosh of Gopalnagar.

Both the parties have adopted the same tactics — confuse if you cannot convince and follow it up with veiled threats.

Ghosh said some CPM supporters had told the landlosers to collect their cheques fast since any delay could mean saying goodbye to the money for ever.

In truth, the farmers can collect their compensation after Monday, too — they would only lose out on the 10 per cent incentive.

The CPM camp’s other contention is that the landlosers will never get back their plots if the Tatas leave Singur and that would be a double loss.

On the other hand, Trinamul supporters are giving the landlosers hope that the government would be compelled to announce a better package if the farmers continue to spurn the 10 per cent offer.

Another worry for many farmers is that they do not have valid papers and would find it difficult to fight any challenge to their ownership in court.

Ghosh said some Trinamul supporters “have taken away the land papers of a couple of unwilling farmers in Beraberi so that they cannot collect their cheques”.

If the government could return 70 acres from within the project area, then why not 400 acres, the Trinamul is believed to have told the “unwilling” farmers.

“Both parties are trying to win our support but none is bothered about our plight. It has been over two-and-a-half years and we have got nothing,” said Ghosh, whose three bighas were acquired for the car plant.

Till a few days ago, he was playing an active role in the agitation, but no more. “It’s a fight between two rival parties without any concern for the farmer. I am planning to collect my cheque,” he said.

His cousin Sushil has already collected his. “They used to taunt me after I collected my cheque. Now, they are fed up with the agitation. The revised package is much better,” Sushil said.

The Telegraph has met two leaders, one from each camp. One is Dwarik Ghosh. He is a busy man these days mobilising the 20-odd youths under his command to persuade the farmers to accept their cheques. He usually sets about the mission after sunset, when his boys travel door to door.

“We are getting a positive feedback and hopefully our efforts will not go in vain. We are doing what our party has asked us to do,” Dwarik said, planning the next evening’s strategy at his eatery in Beraberi Bazar.

On the opposite side is Trinamul’s Robin Mallik, armed with the landlosers’ mutation papers.

Mallik’s next targets are Beraberi and Gopalnagar. “The landlosers are vulnerable but we won’t allow the CPM to trap them,” he said. “We are working hard to prove our point.”