Cops, farmers clash at mining site, 37 injured

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Birbhum SP Shunted Out Amid Police Firing Charges
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Suri: A clash between farmers and policemen at the site of a mining project in Birbhum left 37 injured on Tuesday and conjured up images of pre-poribartan Nandigram.
The protesters alleged police opened fire when they refused to let them take away earth-moving equipment brought in by coal-mining company DVC-Emta. The equipment was stranded at the site after work was stalled last year by protests. At least 10 villagers and 27 policemen were injured in the clash, which took place at the break of dawn in Loba Village, 161km from Kolkata.
State home secretary Basudeb Banerjee dismissed the allegations of police firing. “Police didn’t open fire. Agitators attacked policemen with bows and arrows and bombs,” he said. The home secretary, however, evaded questions on how the police managed the mob.
Birbhum SP Hrishikesh Meena was, meanwhile, sent on compulsory waiting and Murlidhar Sharma, DC (DDspecial) Kolkata Police, given the charge. State officials said there were complaints against Meena even before Tuesday’s clash.
“Police did open fire. I don’t know why they (police) had to do so on the peaceful agitation,” said Joydeep Majumdar of the Krishi Jami O Jibika Raksha Committee, who is also one of the land-owners. Initial reports from Suri hospital appeared to corroborate his claim. Sources at the hospital said at least three villagers, Purnima Dom, Jiban Bagdi and Gautam Ghosh, had bullet injuries — Purnima on her right leg, Bagdi on his right hip and Gautam on his belly. Cong demands CBI probe
The Left has called for a thorough investigation into the clash and the Congress wants a CBI probe. “Trinamool activists were part of the land agitation when Mamata was in opposition. They have distanced themselves from the stir after she became CM,” said PDS leader Anuradha Putatunda.
Coal-mining company DVC-Emta had approached the Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee government to acquire the 2,321 acres of land to unearth 196 lakh tonnes of coal. But it was asked to buy land directly from farmers. It bought 728 acres, but some farmers refused to give up their land. “We were not consulted while fixing land prices. We want compensation, plus a proper rehabilitation package,” said Majumdar.
The standoff reached a flashpoint in December 2010 when the company brought earth-moving equipment. “It began work on land it had not purchased,” Majumdar alleged. “The SP confirmed this in his report. Unwilling landlosers stopped all operations,” Majumdar said.
Earlier this year, industries minister Partha Chatterjee had met the agitators but the issue was put on the back-burner. Unable to start work, DVC-Emta approached a Birbhum court to get back its stranded machinery.
Following the court’s directive, a large police force descended on Loba around 4am on Tuesday. Initially, they outnumbered the agitators, but as word spread, villagers from neighbouring areas swarmed the cops. Police lathicharged the mob, but when the villagers retaliated with brickbatting and a volley of arrows, the cops fired tear-gas shells. The villagers say bullets were also fired.