The violence took place on June 15, at a relief camp in Bhangabera for farmers who survived angry protests earlier this year, even as the Calcutta High Court is in the process of hearing cases pertaining to the issue

The troubled region of Nandigram in West Bengal's East Midnapore district erupted into violence again, with an attack by members of the Bhumi Uchhed Pratirodh Committee (BUPC) on police officials in Sonachura that left at least two policemen injured. There has reportedly also been firing between the two groups and the use of crude bombs.

The violence that occurred on June 15 at a relief camp in Bhangabera for farmers who survived January's protests (14 killed in violence over nandigram land grab) came even as the Calcutta High Court is hearing cases pertaining to the Nandigram issue.

Police reinforcements were rushed to the spot -- the proposed site for a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) to be set up by the Indonesia-based Salim Group -- and senior police officers are camping in the area.

Inspector Prabhat Sarkar and a constable on duty at the relief camp sustained bullet injuries during intermittent firing by members of the BUPC, which is spearheading the movement in Nandigram against the proposed acquisition of farmland for industry. Sarkar, who was injured in the head, is in a critical condition at the state-run SSKM Hospital.

Meanwhile, in a related incident, Gokulnagar area in Nandigram was tense after students ransacked a police camp inside a school to protest the presence of police in the region.

East Midnapore's Superintendent of Police G Srinivas said the local police intended to take strict action against students involved in the incident.

An all-party meeting to restore peace in Nandigram collapsed on the first day itself (May 24), with Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee staging a walkout, demanding that the term "genocide", for the March 14 police firing that killed several people, be used in the talks' draft proposal.

Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leaders rejected this demand. The Left parties have accused the Trinamool of backing the BUPC and instigating protests and violence against SEZs in the state.

At least 21 people have been killed and hundreds injured in Nandigram, around 150 km from the West Bengal capital Kolkata, in protests against the SEZ since January this year.

Thousands of people belonging to both the CPI-M and the BUPC have been living in camps since the flare-up. The all-party talks are essential to start a peace process in Nandigram and facilitate the return of terrified villagers to their homes.

Source: Indo-Asian News Service, June 15, 2007
PTI, June 15, 2007
www.ibnlive.com, June 15, 2007