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Sunday, Sep 14, 2008
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Singur: farmers, workers want work to resume

Raktima Bose

SINGUR: The venue and the backdrop remain the same, only the faces are different. Groups of men assemble near the Durgapur Expressway, at a spot directly opposite the boundary wall of the Tata small car factory site at Singur on Saturday. But this time the slogans are different — in support of industrialisation and development in Singur.

Farmers who had willingly given land and the workers employed in developing the project began a sit-in programme to protest against the Opposition’s “irresponsibility” and seeking an immediate solution to the impasse so that work at the project site could start again.

“We want work at the Tata factory site to resume without any delay as this factory is pivotal to our existence,” said Dipankar Chanda, who was rendered jobless following the suspension of work by the Tata Motors.

The anger and frustration simmering among the farmers became evident when Mr. Chanda was asked whether the Opposition party’s movement was doing any good to them. “They are an evil force trying to stop the development of Singur and its people. It is nothing for our good and we want them to get out of this place as soon as possible.”

Some ex-farmers milled around Mr. Chanda as he spoke. One of them, Tarapada Kolay, shared his views and said, “We are extremely happy with the rehabilitation package that the State government had offered on Friday.

“We cannot understand why the Opposition leader Mamata Banerjee is still opposed to it.”

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