What happened in Nandigram?

"Recaptured" by CPI (M) men after days of armed clashes with the Bhumi Ucched Pratirodh Committee (BUPC), several areas in the interior town still remain deserted.

A spell of disturbing calm in desolate villages is accentuated by triumphant communist cadres moving around in mobikes with party's hammer-and-sickle flags.

Villagers, who fled in the aftermath of the clashes, know little about the presence of a team from National Human Rights Commission. And they also don't know when they will return to their homes.

At the Nandigram Bazar relief camp, children were begging for money. Asked if they were not being fed, a boy said, "We will be given food only in the afternoon. We have had nothing to eat since morning. We are hungry."

And there are tales of horror. "We were beaten up and our women molested. The state administration acted in a partisan manner. How can we go back home?" said Pijush Kanti Dasadhikary from Golunagar Adhikaripara. His family has been staying in a camp for the last eight days.

Dasadhikary said he owned ten bighas of land, but he did not know what would happen to the standing paddy crop.

The NHRC team is due to visit the areas on Friday. The team's primary objective is to find out whether there had been any lapse on the part of the local police and administration.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) S.P. Singh, leading the team, said that the team would visit troubled areas on Friday and talk to a cross-section of people as well as the administration in the next two-three days.

Administration sources said that the NHRC team met district magistrate of East Midnapore Anup Agarwal. However, Agarwal refused to share information about the meeting.

Over 1,500 refugees are sheltered in relief camps at Nandigram Bazar, patrolled by Central Reserved Police Force (CRPF) personnel. "We are taking a little time to settle down," a CRPF officer said.

He was talking to a group of women who were too scared to return to their villages. "We will do everything possible for your safety," the officer told the women.

Azanur Islam, a BUPC supporter, said,"I was a neighbour of CPI(M) local leader, but had to flee to Haldia for a few days during the recent violence."

He said the CPI(M) was now in total control of Nandigram Bazar areas, which was the last BUPC stronghold to fall after the CPI(M) men "overran" Nandigram.

Local CPI(M) leaders have their task cut out: that of convincing the refugees that it was the BUPC that "misled" them and it was now CPI (M)'s duty to give protection to the refugees.

Said local CPI (M) leader Himanshu Dey, "We are assuring them (the refugees) that our men will not trouble them. We have told our people not to consider anyone an enemy. Those now in camps were forced to follow the dictates of BUPC leaders and were misled," he said.

"Now there is peace everywhere," he claimed.