Nandigram violence

The Nandigram violence was an incident in Nandigram in the West Bengal state of India, in the aftermath of a failed project by the Government of West-Bengal under the erstwhile Communist rule to acquire land for SEZ (Special Economic Zone).

The policy led to an insurgency in the region, followed by the death of 14 people by the Police Forces.

This incident played an important role in the politics of West Bengal for the next few years. Mamata Banerjee and her political party widely mentioned this issue along with the political war cry Ma Mati Manush in their election campaigns.

Later the CBI gave a clean chit to the entire Buddhadeb Bhattacharya govt on Nandigram firing.

The SEZ controversy started when the government of West Bengal decided that the Salim Group of Indonesia would set up a chemical hub under the SEZ policy at Nandigram.

But farmers of the locality were adamant that they did not want to give up their land and agitated under the banner of Bhoomi Raksha Committee which was baking up by Maoists. While the then-governor was on air and no contact was available with him, the police entered the Nandigram area and violence erupted. The West Bengal government's plan was to expropriate 10,000 acres (4,000 ha) of land for a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) to be developed by the Indonesian-based Salim Group for the industrialization. In the police shootings at least 14 villagers were killed and 70 more wounded.

The Bhumi Uchhed Pratirodh Committee, an organisation formed by the Maoists reacted antagonistically to the news. They blocked the roads leading to the Nandigram area and for a period of 3 months from January to March 2007. A number of FIRs were registered at Nandigram and Khejuri police stations, relating to violence, arson, loot and murder, etc. But the cases registered could not be investigated by the local police as the local police were unable to enter into the villages during the standoff. Thousands of supporters of the Left parties got attacked and were made refugees to be accommodated at shelter camps.

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Wikipedia