| West Bengal |
By Biplob Ghosal
Hole in CPM’s fortification
It was a period of social awakening for West Bengal, which clearly rejected the industrial policies of a party that ruled it for over two decades. The dominating Communist Party of India (Marxist) lost the zila parishad elections in Singur and Nandigram for the first time in many years. The party also suffered defeat in the panchayat elections. The party suffered a disastrous defeat in East Midnapore and Nandigram and lost its hold on zila parishad to Trinamool Congress (TMC) and its ally Socialist Unity Centre of India (SUCI), winning 35 out of 53 seats.
Nano turmoil
If it was Nandigram in 2007, the political scenario in West Bengal this year revolved around the Tata Motors showpiece project, Nano, with the Trinmaool Congress spearheading a prolonged agitation for landlosers, which ultimately led to its exit dealing a blow to the Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee government`s industrisation drive.
Emboldened by its success in the rural belt post Nandigram, the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress singled out the Singur project demanding return of land to landlosers who were unwilling to part with it, a move seen by annalists as an apparent bid to strengthen the parties votebank.
The West Bengal government suffered a huge setback as India’s biggest auto maker Tata Motors shifted their Rs 1,500 crore Nano project from Singur to Gujarat.
Failing to save its dream project, the Left Front government put up a brave face saying that there would be no going back on the industrialisation drive and tried to corner
the Trinamool Congress by dubbing it `anti-industry`.
CPM cadres convicted
CPM also suffered a huge blow when party heavyweight from Singur Suhrid Dutta and supporter Debu Malik were sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Tapasi Malik who had rallied farmers against land acquisition for Tata Motors`s Nano project.
Judiciary acts tough
It was an embarrassing year for the judicial system as well. Soumitra Sen, a practising lawyer, was allegedly found to have indulged in financial misconduct prior to his elevation a High Court judge in December, 2003.
He allegedly received Rs 32 lakh as court-appointed receiver in a lawsuit between the Steel Authority of India Ltd and Shipping Corporation of India and deposited the amount in his personal account. He was accused of retaining the money even after being elevated to the High Court in 2003.
Rizwanur Rahman death case
Rizwanur Rahman, a 30-year-old computer graphics trainer, was found dead besides a railway track in Kolkata under suspicious circumstances on September 21, a month after his marriage to Priyanka Todi in August 2007.
Initially, police termed it as a suicide case.
Later, Rizwanur’s death was attributed to his marriage with Priyanka Todi, the daughter of an eminent industrialist Ashok Todi. Priyanka fell in love with Rizwanur Rahman, her teacher at a graphics training center.
It is believed that, the two secretly married which was not acceptable by Priyanka’s family. Purportedly, Rahman was told to distance himself from Priyanka and was also threatened, even by top level police officers of the state.
CBI had accused Ashok Todi and his two relatives - Pappu and three police officers for abetment to suicide, criminal intimidation and conspiracy. |
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