May 19: Mamata Banerjee has invited to her swearing-in family members of Trinamul Congress “martyrs”, including many from Nandigram and Netai.

The Trinamul chief also called the parents of Tapasi Malik, who was burnt to death allegedly by CPM activists in December 2006, to her Kalighat home and personally invited them to the event at Raj Bhavan tomorrow.

“On Mamata’s instructions, we have sent invites to the family members of the martyrs who have laid down their lives fighting CPM atrocities,” said Subrata Bakshi, the state Trinamul president.

“We have made arrangements for taking the family members of the martyrs to Raj Bhavan tomorrow morning,” said Subhendu Adhikari, the Trinamul MP from Tamluk.

Tapas Kar, the son of Basanta Kar who was one of the 14 people killed in the Nandigram police firing in 2007, said this would be his second visit to Raj Bhavan. “I had accompanied a Trinamul delegation to Raj Bhavan in 2007 to request then governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi to ensure justice for those killed in the firing. I have received an invitation from local Trinamul leaders for tomorrow’s oath-taking ceremony,” Tapas said.

“I feel very happy that Mamata Banerjee has remembered us. We now want her to fulfil her promise of developing Nandigram,” he added.

Kabita Mondal, another Nandigram resident, said: “My husband (Badal) was killed in the police firing. I am grateful to Mamatadi for inviting me. I will attend the programme. Tomorrow is important for all of us as the state will get a chief minister who will ensure peace in Bengal.”

Pranab Basu, the president of Trinamul’s West Midnapore unit, said he had received instructions from the top leadership to make arrangements for taking those invited from Netai to Raj Bhavan. Nine persons were killed in firing from a CPM camp in Netai on January 7 this year.

“Around 15 family members of the nine victims will attend the ceremony tomorrow,” Basu said.

Janata Adak, the daughter of one of the firing victims, said: “The people of Bengal, under the leadership of Mamata, have taken revenge for the Netai killings. I am eager to go to Calcutta. I want Mamata to punish those responsible for the massacre.”

During her visit to Netai a day after the firing, Mamata had noticed a sobbing Janata standing in the crowd. When Mamata asked her what had happened, she told the Trinamul chief that she could not find her mother. Mamata asked her aides to find out where Janata’s mother Gitali was. Within minutes, she was told that Gitali was in a Calcutta hospital. She died a few days later.

Ranjit Patra, 60, the father of another Netai victim Arup, said he would attend the swearing-in even though he was ill. “Mamata stood beside us during our crisis,” he said.

Shaktipada Ghorai, 55, the father of Sourav who also died in the firing, said: “Mamata will definitely ensure that the culprits are punished. I will be present at tomorrow’s event.”

The family members of the 11 Trinamul supporters killed by alleged CPM activists in Birbhum’s Nanoor in 2000 will also attend the event.