Why the Bargadars were not made the owners???????????
This puts a question mark on the sincerity of CPI-M in no small measure. And for industrial reform the Bargadars (share-croppers) have to buy the land from landlord. Sire man it is Marxism. Where is the rehabilitation package???? Anybody who questions it will have to face the muscle power of communist cadre in West Bengal, if he is fortunate enough, otherwise fire power of cadre will take care of him. The result - Rest In Peace.
Nandigram is an area 70 km south-west of Calcutta, India. Calcutta was, during Britis colonial period, the biggest and most important city in India. Now it is a state ruled by a communist government for last 30 years but no change except a fraud called land reforms called Operation Barga (a Bargadar is share-cropper). The industry stagnated due to dictatorship of proletariat. The industries left Bengal because of non-cooperation of working force and violent attacks on mangers. So what happened was that the entire burden of economy fell on agriculture. This led enormous pressure on agriculture and exploding population. And then Nandigram happened. Violence erupted and people, defending their agricultural land under belated entry of industry with Govt. accent, were the victims; they opposed it. Well the communist should be happy. Wow, what a lesson has been taught to these Bargadars to share cropper who dared to form committee to defend their land which was supposed to be sold to the Salim Group industry from Indonesia for setting up a chemical hub. The introduction of industry in stagnating West Bengal was necessary and for this one needs lands. But from where this land should come from? Exactly, it should come from Bargadars and Zamindars. Zamindars (land lord)? That too in Communism? A class ideology acting according to caste and claiming contrariwise? No caste , they are communists please – a caste is merely a part of superstructure – is it not ? And a matter of no consequence? But the caste persists, spread around in Calcutta. The landlords exist in a state following Marxism? These non-working exploiters are allowed? The ruling party in West Bengal is called CPI-M. Here M stands for Marxist. The Salim group is closely related to Indonesian ex-president Suharto – shades of crony capitalism.
In 1977, the Communist Party of India – Marxist, came to power in West Bengal ,a state in largest democracy in the world, India. And it as remained in power till date and that too with a brute state legislative majority, so it thought it could do now wrong. Its long term in power was mainly due to Operation Barga in rural which aimed to redistribute he land, but the land was not distributed, the landlords remained landlords though they became smaller due to land ceiling act but the share-cropper could not own the land. The famed land reforms maintained the landlord. The only difference was that the share-cropper ( Bargadar) became a registered whom the landlord could not evict. But if the share-cropper did not sow the land then it could have gone to another share-cropper who could have reaped the crop. The share-cropper was permanently attached to land on heredity basis like Zamindar (landlord). The share-cropper and land lord were supposed to share the crop in 50-50 percent ratio. Here seems to be apparently in theses land reforms but there is. The people who carried out land reforms came from pre-partition east Bengal ( now Bangla Desh); these people were high caste and Bhodrolok. When carrying out land reform they saw to it that their landowning high caste brothers did not suffer and let the ownership of the land remained with them. Is it casteism or Marxism? The Upper Caste siding with Upper Caste and share-cropper belonging to lower castes were happy. This seems to be out of tune with class ideology of Marx. But who cares if caste is involved? The Operation Barga drove the people in droves to join the CPI-M. The membership was in such a number that it wiped out the other parties and especially the Indian National Congress. Because of Congress’ had with extreme brutality and cruelty suppressed the Naxalite (extreme leftist group –now the Maoist are the most extreme left oriented group in the country) movement in 1965 and onwards. The mindless killing that took place in suppressing the Naxalites made the Congress a much hated party; not only Naxalite but also their innocent friends were eliminated – no attempt was made to differentiate between extremist and their innocent friend and acquaintances. These friends and acquaintances may not even have known that the person they were talking was an extremist. The extremist were killed along with their innocent who were not aware of real identity of their Naxalite friends. And a large number of middle class families were affected. And this sealed the fate Congress forever because it was in power in West Bengal at that time. The Communist became more and more influential. Because of Operation Barga (land reforms?) the votes of CPI-M became a kind of permanent and rural, nearly all Bargadar became the member of CPI-M. They had to vote for CPI-M because their share-cropping right was not permanent and any other party could have removed it and also because of it was their benefactor and also because of cadre muscle power of CPI-M. West Bengal came be known as Red Ford which could not be broken by any national or local level parties. All the parties were unable to make a dent in this Red Fort for thirty years – from 1977 to 2007. And then came Nandigram incidents where blood was shade from both the sides – the ruling CPI-M and its opposing party – the TMC( Trinamool Congress headed by Miss Mamata Banerjee , a prominent leader in West Bengal.
It was indeed a fight for turf but how and why did it come about?
May be it has to do something with the concept of dictatorship of proletariats following the workers in Corporate world face their managers with a violent and non-operative attitude. They were in fact behaving in rational manner. Their job was permanent and income assured; in that case they had to maximize their leisure (and thus avoiding the exploitation). Naturally leisure maximization means lowering of productivity. Every worker in factory was working at his on sweet pace nearly to zero. And those belonging to Communist cadre were loitering around and telling the management what is to be done and when. There were frequent disastrous and violent strike to establish the hegemony of Cadre and workers. It was to teach a lesson to capitalists. In these kinds of conditions, where industries could not make profit because of decline of productivity, led the industries out of the state. The results was that the industries moved out of state and nobody willing to establish factories in West Bengal because of labor problems which had the backing of the ruling party. The Capitalists had learnt their lesson. Everybody was happy until the stagnation started to pinch state, Govt and people. An army of unemployed youths is not a pleasant thing to look at, let alone face it.
Now nearly all the jobs were created in Govt sector and these went mostly to Cadre of the CPI-M. The Cadre became more and more powerful. Even to the extent that the police and other were supposed to report unofficially to local Cadre head. The Cadre were violent and nothing could be done. If one wanted to set a tea shop then he had to take the permission of local cadre head. The network of Cadre was spread everywhere. The represented the terror which had the unofficial backing of the police which did not register a single case against them. The police belonged to state and state belonged to CPI-M. All the new Govt went to educated cadre without question and joining CPI-M became a road to employment when jobs were and workers were happy in the absence of exploitative capitalists. And the same capitalists are back. Anyway doing anything without the permission of local cadre head was not possible and cadre had the unofficial right to decide everything and take their share. The muscle power of cadre caused everybody to fall in line. Some people voted out of fear for CPI-M because their area could have been singled out for not voting for the Red Party. The trouble for defying the dictates of cadre could have been of long duration. The police being a state organ sided with the organ of state govt, they also had to save their skin; the duty can go and take a walk. The cadre organized the strikes ad bandhs simply by force.
Over a period of thirty years the situation so bad in this heaven of workers ( please never mention the caste because simply the upper caste landlords were not removed out of caste consideration) that unemployment became rampant and govt could not provide jobs to all its educated cadre. It should be mentioned that really educated people and West Bengal are very few in number because the education system is in shambles. The people were going around without jobs because West Bengal had become industrially backward, relatively speaking. The state enterprises had become loss making units. And you just can not tax and tax to fill the state coffers. The people were hungry and unemployed and sole agriculture was unable to bear the entire burden when the industries been rendered unfit to operate under ideology and cadre muscle power.
So the alternative was to industrialize the state. The central govt. had opened the Indian economic for MNCs under the guidance of IMF (or pressure ). The IMF had agreed to give the loan to India to tide over its dollar problem to buy the oil. The Indian govt had to pledge its gold to get a short term loan. The full loan was by IMF only onconditions of opening of Indian economy for outsiders and withdrawal of state from business. This was agreed to and India was saved from a financial disaster.
But communists being communists abhorred the exploiting, in their terms, the Multi National Corporations. But abhorrence is no substitute for employment and production and add to this the leisure oriented attitude of workers with permanent jobs with assured income. They had the quality time to spend in gossip, loitering around and discussing how great is the communism despite its failure in Russia and China. Incidentally the CPI-M draws inspiration from China but still refused to go for privatization. Meanwhile, rest of the states were going ahead by encouraging private enterprises and West Bengal was lagging behind. Therefore Communist govt. also decided to embrace MNCs without any embarrassment. First thing to happen was Singrur fiasco. With a brute majority of winning 235 out of 297 made the govt. pretty confident. The Cadre muscle power was in their hand they could have evicted anybody they wanted but they were wrong. The communist survived in power because of Operation Barga which share-croppers out of cultivators where the landlords could not evict then and most importantly the muscle power of network cadre of authoritarian nature who had unofficial authority till village level. Nothing could move in their areas without areas otherwise the famed muscle power came in to force – the dictator of proletariats.
Then happened Nandigram.
The govt. decided to invite Salim Group of industries from Indonesia to set up a chemical hub in Nandigram which is 60 Km South-West to Calcutta. For this there was a need to acquire a land of about 14000 acres. This was to be acquired from landlord and cultivators-turned-share-croppers (Bargadars). The Bargdars rose against it and formed an association called Bhumi Uchheden Pratirodh Committee (BUPC). The landlords and share-croppers were to be compensated for it and an act was made to make the share-cropper owner of 50% of land while 50% ownership remained with landlord. And for this gracious act the landlord will get compensation for land as the Bargadar will pay the landlord to acquire the 50 of the land he is cultivating! Strange Bengal Marxists’ logic, indeed! Marx must have been turning in his grave!!! Why compensation to landlords – they contribute nothing to land and originally they were the land collector for British colonial govt. The exploiting class is being paid compensation by a Communist Govt. simply the landlords belong to upper castes as do the top of Communist Party. Long live the caste and there is no caste. Go and ask any communists in West Bengal and you will get the same answer – there is no caste which is actually a lie. Anyway they are going to fool all the people all the time. The landlords agreed to it because they live in Calcutta and they get the compensation for full land. The opposition came from share-croppers though one member from each family was assured a job in the chemical hub spread over 4000 acres. Anyway being illiterate they would have got only lowly paid class IV jobs, the peons, cleaners and guards etc. Govt thought this should have enough for them but these greedy share-croppers wanted nothing of it. The reason was very clear – the share-cropper knew nothing else then cultivation. To turn them suddenly into unskilled workers in the economy was lowering their status with the uncertainty of income. The majority of high skilled jobs were going to Calcuttans Bhodrolok – the educated upper castes in West Bengal. Education? What education? Eduction turns a man into a thinking one and that is disliked by such rulers – uneducated ruffians were enough for them. With no extra skills in their hands the share-croppers knew that the compensation to them was not going to last for a long time – they are being realistic. It is a country with 60% population depending on land. A little surplus labor from rural areas can only be absorbed.
They agricultural laborers also opposed since they lack the social network through which they could arranging for starting something, as if they knew something new! The opposition against govt. policies and use of its cadre muscle power was developed. The mere thought of giving up their land was unsettling them. This was the land their primary source of income because keeping the private capital out and loss making govt. units.
The Trinamool Congress (TNC), the main opposition (small) party with its own muscle power started to fish in the troubled power. Well the opposition is supposed to oppose the govt. Are they no? TNC cadre moved into area and organized people against party. The people were themselves were surprised that the govt who gave (?) the land to cultivators was prepared to tale that away from them. As it happened the govt was unable to convince the people of rational behind their anti-Marx policies. It was difficult also because people nurtured in workers’ politics could understand the capital politics. The Maoist, who believed in classless society, also entered the area to exploit the anti-govt. sentiment. Maoists are a separate and armed group of communists who believe in annihilation of enemy are also against the use of private capital. In January these people combined together threw out the goons and cadre of CPI-M. 11 persons were killed in the process and 1500 supporters were forced to stay in refugee camp, far away. The involvement of Maoists seems to be evident since the people Nandigram area were unable to oppose the muscle power of CPI-M cadre. Only the support of armed Maoist and TNC enabled them to throw out the CPI-M supporters.
The CPI-M lost control over Nandigram area. It was a great lost of prestige to the party which had gained 235 seats out of 295 assembly election. Small outfits, without, any reckoning, were able to throw them out Nandigram !
The reprisal must. It came in March 2008 when the police along with CPI-M tried to enter the Nandigram area. However, the people came to know about it and blocked the entry point were blocked by keeping the kids and women in front. 14 people were killed in police firing of majority belonged to dalits. Was it deliberate? It has happened many times. The untouchables are targeted above the waist – shoot to kill! Others are usually shot below the waist; only in extreme circumstances they are shot above the waist by the police.
Nandigram was included in a Special Economic Zone (SEZ). A SEZ is an area where the development of industry is accelerated by excluding it out of the usual snail paced procedure of setting an industry in Indian. Those who have tried to set up an industry know that how tardy, frustrating, time consuming and tiring it can be. One has to keep running from ministry to ministry, office to office and desk to desk and facing the arrogant bureaucracy in India. Sometimes (?) unofficial transaction of money has to take place. One may require more than 20 certificates/licenses to run a factory. The idea of SEZ was to get rid of all these barricades and thus indirectly acknowledging their existence. These geographical areas (SEZ) are free from existing economic law in the country and in that place they have their own economic laws for rapid industrialization and to help the foreign investment. This means that the foreign investors will not have to face the country’s economic laws. IT is as if though the local businessman is dishonest and a foreign one is hones to the core. Is it so? Do not the irrational domestic laws are irresponsible for such a situation and responsibility for that goes straight to legislatures. So the Salim Group was to enter the Nandigram SEZ, acquire the land through Govt. and foster rapid industrialization without facing local laws. But the mood of people went against it and people threw out the CPI-M supporters out of Nandigram in January 2007.
The West Bengal being a populous state where these displaced persons wee supposed to go? Are the supposed to wonder from place to place in search of livelihood, with rudimentary skills, in the state? The govt made no provision for that. The compensation was supposed to be enough for them. They were supposed to buy a house with compensation with ever rising land prices? This scattering all over the state meant not only severing ties with land and also ties with their respective families. Who is going to earn his livelihood where? Nobody knows. But the geniuses in Writers’ Building must be knowing. After all they have the expertise which is backed by thirty years of experience.
Most of these persons to be displaced belong to Muslim community thus giving it a communal angle and taking the lid off anti-communal stand of CPI-M in opposition to BJP. And we have already that Scheduled caste person were killed in March 2007. So these two weak communities were the target of govt policies. These two communities do not have a social network to fall back upon.
So much so for equality of Marxism engulfed by muscle-power and fire power of communist cadre.
However, the govt announced that Nandigram would not declared a SEZ are but it was too late. By this time the Nandigram area was already under control of BUPC and govt declaration were not believed by anybody or rather the leaders of TMC and Maoist with local leaders were not prepared to believe it. Politics all the way – from both the sides. The CPI-M had lost the control of area and honor also. It had to regain both of them. But the police was not used for the purpose. Why? The righteous or unrighteous people opposing land acquisition policy could have been evicted using police and para-military forces. But that would have undermined the superiority of their cadre-muscle power and their hegemony. The hegemony of cadre and not that of politburo. A weak cadre essential means weak party which is cadre based. Thus the cadre-muscle power was to be used to restore its glory. 1500 CPI-M supporters were staying as refugees and that was insulting; the insult had to be avenged by teaching the opponents a lesson. And it was done.
The Communist Party of India collected its armed cadre, the harbinger/enforcer of peace in Nandigram from all over the state, in November 2007 and numbering about 3000. Some of them came on motor cycles with their face covered and holding the Red flag. Some of them were wearing police uniform without sleepers, the visionary govt could have arranged for police boots for them but it did not. These armed groups captured the people from around Nandigram who were supporters of BUPC and use the as shield to enter the Nandigram with the aim of recapturing it from enemy. These people cannot think of anything with considering enmity. The supporters of BUPC ran away from such a heavy assault from supporters of industrialization without any rehabilitation program. With this the area had been captured back (looks like it is their hereditary right to occupy area and show ideological and muscle power of cadre). The insult of January 2007 had been avenged. The peace (?) had been restored. And everybody was happy except the small opposition. There were reports of murder and rapes – but these are merely acts of war – a war on its people by the Govt. with its private force. And red flag fluttered on every house and supporters joined the rally of their opponents. Well one can say that they were made an offer which could not refuse at that time.
The police was asked to stand by and not to take any action. CRPF was supposed to arrive after a few hours. There was no hurry for such an act.
This was meant to give a free hand to attacking forces.
The media was not allowed to enter the area for a long time. It was interest of people that they do not get terrified in the face of terror. They should wait until the terror has subsided and forced peace has returned.
But if it were a war then Maoists do not seem to be less than ready. There are troubled times ahead.
