‘We want to go back home’, say Nandigram children

Academics, citizens, human rights workers and civil society groups including ActionAid visited Nandigram to meet over 1000 displaced villagers at a relief camp run by local protest group Bhumi Ucched Protirodh Commitee. Villagers say they have been trapped since fresh violence erupted in Nandigram in early November 2007.

Human rights workers delivered relief materials including saris, children’s clothes, books and colour pencils. Some organisations are providing medicines and doctors.

Insecurity and despair is rife in the camp. “Boredom is adding to the sense of helplessness,” said Anchita Ghatak, head of ActionAid’s women’s rights work in India.

“People in the camp are desperate to return home but they are also afraid that they may become targets of violence. Several women in the camp said, ‘Do something to help us get back home. How long will we stay away?’”

Rebuilding homes will be difficult, says Ghatak. The recent violence has also damaged houses of those women who were comfortably off, and their property too has been looted. A High Court directive ordered the state government to grant adequate compensation to families who suffered losses. But the authorities have not yet given any assurances.

“Villagers are asking for tarpaulin tents,” added Ghatak.

Violence has been ongoing since government attempts to sell off village land for Special Economic Zones since early this year. Though these were dropped after 14 villagers died in police firing in March, violence between politically aligned factions has not abated.

Six villagers were reported killed in the latest bout of violence in November, bringing the death toll to at least 34 so far this year. Several women have accused communist cadres of raping them.

Children have not been going to school for several months now due to the violence. Asra Khatun, 15-year-old girl of Satengabari said, “I was due to sit my Class 10 public exams in early 2008. Sadly, I have not been able to go to school for most of this year. Classes are held in fits and starts because of the disturbances. I hope I can now sit my exams in 2009.”

Of late West Bengal has seen several agitations over the killing of Nandigram villagers. On November 14, over 60,000 people including ActionAid workers took part in a silent protest march in Kolkata against state atrocity on the villagers of Nandigram.

Teachers, students, actors, singers, poets, office-goers and businessmen, even monks and nuns, came out to express their solidarity with the villagers of Nandigram. Social activists and filmmakers including Medha Patkar, Rituparno Sengupta and Aparna Sen were also part of the march.

ActionAid partner organisations including The Calcutta Samaritans, Right Track, Digambarpur Angikar, Baghmari Mother and Child Development Mission and Association for Peoples’ Initiatives for Liberation participated in this historic action, says Sourinee of ActionAid.

“We marched with banners and posters saying ‘Governments should protect people’, ‘Stop killings in Nandigram’, ‘We want peace in Nandigram, not the silence of death’, ‘Mr CM, we feel betrayed’ and ‘Restore rights in Nandigram’” added Sourinee.

Children and women are suffering most from the violence and disruption of daily life. They want to return home.