Kolkata: India’s Supreme Court on Wednesday set aside the land acquired in West Bengal’s Singur by Buddhadeb Bhattacharyya-led Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM) government in 2006 for Tata Motors to set up its Nano factory saying due processes and procedures were not followed.
The bench comprising Justice Gopala Gowda and Arun Kumar Mishra observed that Tata Motors had acquired the land illegally and ordered the state government to take possession of the 1,000-acre plot and redistribute it among the land owners within 12 weeks. It also asked the farmers, who got compensation from the government, not to return it because they had been deprived of their livelihood for the past 10 years. Farmers who had not taken compensation are to be compensated by the state government.
Trinamool Congress, then the Opposition party, had opposed the project. Violent protests were organised against the land allocation, where 14 people including a teenage girl Tapasi Mallick lost her life. Mamata Banerjee went on a 21-day hunger strike at the heart of Kolkata forcing the Tatas to shelve the project.
After being elected to power in 2011, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee enacted the Singur Land Rehabilitation and Development Act, which the Tata Motors challenged and moved in the Calcutta High Court. A trial court upheld the land acquisition and said the Act passed by Trinamool Congress-led government was unconstitutional on appeal. The matter was then heard in the Supreme Court.
Speaking to reporters at the state secretariat, a visibly emotional Banerjee said that after Wednesday’s verdict that she can die in peace.
“I had dreamt of this verdict for so long, for the people of Singur. Now I can die in peace.” said Banerjee.
“We waited for ten years for this judgment. It is a victory for the farmers. I would expect everyone to celebrate this Singur utsav, it’s like an invocation of the celebration to Durga Puja,” the chief minister added.
She even recalled the days of the agitation when she was brutally attacked by CPM goons and how civic society including writers, poets and artists stood by her in those days of crisis.
“I remember many people, specially author and activist Mahasweta Devi whom we lost last month. She would have been so happy,” Banerjee said.
The apex court has directed the state government to return the land in 12 weeks and Banerjee’s government is set to start the process by Thursday where a special task force will be organised to ensure the same. “We are yet to get a copy of the order but we will meet on Thursday and chart out a course of action to initiate the process of returning land to the farmers,” she added.
There were celebrations all over Singur as farmers rejoiced the apex court order of giving back their farm land. “I never believed that this could really happen. This is the best day of my life,” said Sadhan Das, a farmer whose land was acquired for the project.
Many danced with pictures of Banerjee atop their head, as it is rare for politicians to keep their promise and for them, Banerjee is one such chief minister. “She is our god. She helped us during the time of crisis and even after that,” said Biplab Mondal, another farmer.
Banerjee was often criticised for having dumped the issue of Singur that brought her to power but her government did stand by the people in crisis. “It was my first decision as chief minister to return land to the people. People with vested interest dragged the matter to court but finally the day has come,” Banerjee said.
