Farmers heckle mantris over failed Didi promises
The Singur stalemate triggered by the removal of Rabindranath Bhattacharya as the state agriculture minister snowballed into a crisis on Wednesday leaving chief minister Mamata Banerjee deeply embarrassed two days before her visit to Singur.
Becharam Manna, Ms Banerjee’s trusted associate and convenor of the Krishi Jami Raksha Committee — the outfit of unwilling farmers which had spearheaded the movement against forcible acquisition of land for Tata Motors’ Nano project — had to face public protest in Singur. Some women and men started heckling Mr Manna when he arrived to monitor the long queue which had formed for receiving coupons for rice at `2 per kg.
The angry villagers alleged that contrary to Ms Banerjee, they were not getting `2,000 per month and even the supply of rice was not regular. “Didi had promised that till we get our land back, the state government will give us 16 kg rice at `2 per kg and `2,000 as stipend. We have not received money since June and we do not even get the full quantity of rice regularly,” a young farmer from Khaserbheri said.
Such allegations were rampant. A large number of people claimed that the rice coupons were being distributed only because the chief minister was to visit Singur in the next 48 hours.
“During the Singur movement, Mamata had promised to return our land as soon as she would come to power. Today even 18 months after she became chief minister, we remain landless. Because of her mishandling, the matter is now in the court and can drag for years,” a woman from Gopalnagar lamented.
She said that leaders like Mr Manna became ministers and were living in luxury while the poor unwilling farmers were on the verge of starvation. “Mamata used to come frequently to Singur but after she got the power, she totally forgot us,” a farmer from Joymolla said.
The villagers were also angry with Ms Banerjee for her decision to strip Mr Bhattacharya of agriculture minister portfolio. “We feel that Mr Bhattacharya has been treated shabbily by Didi who rubbed salt in his wounds by making Bechada minister of state for agriculture. We the people of Singur are with Mastermoshai (Mr Bhattacharya who is a former headmaster and is fondly known as Mastermoshai),” he added.
The villagers were peeved with Mr Manna because he had on Tuesday slammed Mr Bhattacharya for his statement against the Mamata Banerjee government. Mr Bhattacharya had openly said that a section of Trinamul Congress leaders were indulging in extortion and Ms Banerjee was aware of the entire sordid affair. He had gone so far as to declare that Ms Banerjee may be a a fighter and a leader but he did not consider her his ideal. “That is why I did not hang her picture in my chamber,” he had pointed out.
On Wednesday, Mr Bhattacharya further alleged that when the anti-Nano movement was at its peak in Singur, Mr Manna used to hobnob with a businessman who was close to the Tatas. “When I asked him why he did so he said that gentleman had helped him in getting Trinamul Congress ticket from Haripal (Singur’s neighbouring Assembly constituency),” he added.
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