Naxalites, Suci join Kawakhali land movement
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Statesman News Service
SILIGURI, July 16: If trends are any indication, the anti-land acquisition movement launched by the residents of Kawakhali may spell trouble for the ruling CPI-M in near future.
In a major development, Naxalites and Suci activists, who had earlier extended their moral support to the anti-land acquisition movement spearheaded by the Kawakhali Purajhar Bhumi Raksha Committee, took part in a roadblock programme in the town today over the issue.
The roadblock, staged at Hashmi Chowk between 12.45 and 1.15 pm, threw traffic out of gear in the town. A large number of vehicles got stranded on the arterial Hill Cart Road, Bidhan Road and Kachari Road.
Braving rain, over 200 agitators, including women and children, blocked the road at Hashmi Chowk with anti-SJDA and anti-government placards in their hands.
They shouted slogans condemning the Siliguri Jalpaiguri Development Authority's land-acquisition bid at Kawakhali for a mega real estate project.
CPI-ML (New Democracy) leader Mr Sridhar Mukherjee, Suci district committee member Ms Jayanti Bhattacharya and CPI-ML activist Ms Gouri Dey took part in the agitation along with other party members. They lambasted the SJDA for "attempting to uproot" the poor from their homestead at Kawakhali, Purajhar and Tiknikatha area, located near the third Mahananda Bridge in Siliguri.
Today's agitation disrupted traffic movement in the town for nearly 30 minutes. The agitators finally withdrew the blockade and returned to Bagha Jatin Park in the town by rallying through the Hill Cart Road.
Members of the Kawakhali Purajhar Bhumi Raksha Committee have announced that they would intensify the anti-land acquisition movement if the SJDA refused to scrap the real estate project planned at Kawakhali.
"We are not going to surrender our land at any cost," Mr Jugal Kishore Sarkar, vice-president of the Bhumi Raksha Committee, said.
Labels: Kawakali
posted by Resistance 7/18/2007 09:04:00 AM,
