Situation in Nandigram barbaric, says ex-DGP

Former Director General of Police, Punjab, P C Dogra has described the situation in Nandigram as ‘brazen, barbaric and feudal.’

Making references to the carnage in West Bengal at a meeting held jointly by Justice on Trial and Media Centre in Chennai on Wednesday, the former police officer said a visit to Nandigram would reveal the poor state of affairs in the Communist- ruled State.
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Mentioning his visit to a village, he said the place, which is about 160 km away from Kolkata, had seen no development.

He said it has no connecting roads to other places, no electricity or potable water in the villages, and very few schools.

Detailing about the situation and his meeting with the victims and people over there, Dogra said

CPI (M) leaders had demanded the land from the villagers and sensing on opposition they threatened them of dire consequences if they did not part with the land.

He said the CPI (M) used various tactics besides putting economic blockade.

He said a ferry service between Nandigram and Haldia had been stopped thereby depriving boatmen of their wages and activity.

He said that on 14 March, the day of a peaceful protest, people were fired at and killed.

He claimed that about 200 to 300 CPI (M) cadres wearing police uniforms were behind the shooting.

He revealed that generally during police shooting, a Magistrate has to be present at the place, but in this case, it was not so.

Besides the victims found dead had bullet injuries on their chest and not below the knees which showed that the shooting was not done by the police.

Moreover, some of the victims bodies bore injuries that were inflicted by knives.

Even if there was a statement that policemen were acting in self- defence no policeman was found to be injured.

He also said the weapons used were .315, which were normally not used by the police.

Dogra said it was astonishing to find that no cases were registered, no judiciary enquiry was done and no compensation given to the victims.

Nafeeza Hussein, former member, National Commission for Women, said women and girls were allegedly raped by the culprits.

Citing an instance, she said a 14-year-girl was dragged out of her house, raped and killed.

This showed that there was no law and order in place and the government had been supporting the rioters.

While talking to the victims, it was revealed that the people did not register any case as nobody lodged any complaint. Because, the people had lost all confidence in the police, she added.

Nafeeza also stated that no Human Rights Commission member or the National Commission for Women visited those places to address the situation and bring the problems to light.

She said the reports collected from the place had been submitted to the President and stressed the need for more fact-findings to address the problems faced by the people in Nandigram.

Capt. Balakrishnan who was present in the meeting adds:

Mr. P.C. Dogra,made three telling points,viz.

(a) Many of the dead were killed by bullets fired from a .315 calibre rifle.This calibre weapon is NOT USED BY THE POLICE.

(b), All the dead were either killed by the .315 bullets or by ‘sharp weapons’,and their fatal wounds were ALL found in the upper torsos of their bodies,and,

(c), NO MAGISTRATE was ever present with the Police force-a mandatory requirement.

Mrs. Nafeesa Hussain, wife of well known journalist Mr. Muzzaffar Hussain, (author of the excellent book-“Insight into Minorityism”),detailed two especially poignant cases,of the ‘rape and pillage’ indulged in by the ‘Marxist Goons’.

These were,

(a) A two and half years old ‘baby girl’ being slapped with an “ATTEMPT TO MUDER” F.I.R. by the local Police at the behest of the CPM!!

(b)Three sisters studying in the local school, and presently lodged in ‘refugee camp’,unable to attend their school as their books are in their village,now under the control of the CPM cadres. The girls were terrified of entering their village for fear of their being ‘raped’ by these ‘Marxist thugs’.

Both the speakers were unequivocal in stating that ‘Nandigram Today’ presented a hark back to ‘Medieval Times’.