Sonia so near, yet Mamata so far

Kolkata, Sept. 2: Mamata Banerjee’s Singur chalo programme on 25 September will coincide with Sonia Gandhi’s visit to the state.

The Trinamool Congress organises the programme at Singur every year on 25 September. On that day four years ago, Mamata Banerjee and some party functionaries were allegedly beaten up by police and CPI(M) activists there while protesting the forcible acquisition of land from farmers for the Nano car project in the .

However, this year, Sonia is slated to address a Congress convention at Netaji Indoor Stadium on that day. The event is part of the party’s country-wide programme to mark 125 years of its existence.

After chairing her party’s core committee meeting at Trinamool Bhavan in Topsia, Mamata said today: “We will organise a Singur chalo programme on 25 September as part of our month-long agitation against the CPI(M)’s reign of terror and to remember and protest the attack on me and other Trinamool workers on that day. Raj Kukar Bhulu, a Trinamool worker, was killed in the attack on us on 25 September, 2006.”

Mamata, however, parried questions on why her party was organising the event on the day the Congress president was expected to be in Kolkata. “We have been observing 25 September as Singur Day every year since 2007. Our Singur movement has set an example to the entire country. We feel proud that our agitation has forced the Centre to consider a new legislation so that land is not acquired (forcibly) from poor farmers,” she said.

Trinamool sources said the Singur event would help Mamata impress upon Sonia her sway over Bengal politics.

“Soniaji will be impressed by our ability to mobilise a large number of party workers to Singur,” said Trinamool’s Sisir Adhikari, the Union junior minister for rural development.

Another Trinamool event is scheduled on a day Rahul Gandhi is slated to visit Bengal.

Trinamool’s month-long agitation programme will be kicked off with a march to West Midnapore’s Keshpur on 6 September, the day the AICC general secretary is to address a public rally at the Shahid Minar ground.

However, Mamata will not be present at Keshpur. Trinamool Youth Congress president Subhendu Adhikari will oversee the programme.

Trinamool sources said Mamata would not attend the Keshpur event because there was a possibility of Rahul visiting her Kalighat home.

The Trinamool Congress chief said she would lead a padayatra from College Square to Esplanade on September 8 to protest the “CPI(M)’s reign of terror”. On 15 September, she will take part in a procession from Sashan to Rajarhat in North 24-Parganas. She will also participate in a rally in Birbhum’s Nanoor on 19 September. On 30 September, she will lead a padayatra at Canning in South 24-Parganas.

“Our objective behind the month-long movement is to isolate the communists from the masses in rural Bengal,” Mamata said.


The Telegraph