An estimated 20,000 small farmers and other food producers in Singur (West Bengal, India) will be evicted on September 27, 2006 by the Left Front West Bengal government. In the name of "development", their 1,253 fertile lands will be given to Tata Motors, a giant Indian company. We urge you to support the struggle of Singur people to keep their land. Please sign on to the petition letter online: http://www.foodsov.org/html/takeaction05.htm

Because of the strong resistance of the communities, the civil society as well as other concerned sectors, the government has not been able to evict anybody from Singur to date.

However, police forces of the government are out to terrorize the villagers. The people from the communities are not being allowed to organise even any group meeting, procession and other actions.

Moreover, on the night of September 25, the police brutally attacked the peasants particularly the peasant women in Singur. Many people were seriously injured and a large number of them were peasant women. Many people were likewise arrested.

Even after all the petition letters sent to the government of West Bengal, as well as the rallies conducted by the communities and civil society groups, the West Bengal Commerce & Industries Minister Nirupam Sen announced that the government will go ahead with the transfer of 997 acres of land to Tata Motors in Singur within this month (October). This is all because Tata Motors want to launch a new car model by 2008, the one-lakh-rupee car.¹

CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS

04 September 2006
An international Fact Finding Mission (FFM) was held in Singur to look into the looming eviction of farming communities as a result of the construction of Tata Corporation of a facility in the area. As a result of this FFM, a report on the situation of the community was drafted. Moreover, an online petition letter addressed to the government of West Bengal and to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights was posted in the PCFS website. The letter urges these offices to look into the planned eviction of the farming communities in Singur, West Bengal.

20 September 2006
The West Bengal Government declared that the lands at Singur, for which notification was issued earlier under Land Acquisition Act of 1894, have been vest absolutely in the Government, free from all encumbrances.

25 September 2006
The West Bengal Government declared that cheques (for compensation) will be issued to the peasants of Singur whose lands have been vest absolutely in the government. This was done setting aside the objections of the thousands of peasants to the District Collector at Hooghly. The communities do not want compensation. They want to retain their land, because this is their life.

25 September 2006
Peasants, community members and members of the Krishi Jami Bachao Committee were peacefully demonstrating in an office campus in Singur against the distribution of cheques to the peasants. The peasants were disappointed and dismayed about the process of deliberation of the cheques, citing anomalies in the process. Their protest action was answered by brutal manhandling and forthright human rights abuses by the Left Front Government police. The Convenor, Mr. Becharam Manna was hit first by the police. Several peasant women and children were brutally tortured and were arrested. Roughly 57 people including women and children were admitted to the nearest hospital. Becharam Manna along with 57 others were arrested and brought before the court. The concerned judge directed them to be sent to judicial custody until 04 October 2006.

As a result of this there was a large scale protest from various quarters. In response to that, the government called an all party meeting. But there was no mention about Singur and the government was not willing to stop the eviction of the peasants. In this backdrop, major opposition parties boycotted the so called all party meeting which was nothing but an eye wash.

27 September 2006
As a sign of civil disobedience, the Socialist Unity Centre of India and CPI (ML) Liberation called for a 12 hour bandh (protest or general strike) in Singur on 27 September. Moreover, a meeting of the NGO's/ CSO's was held on the same date protesting against the attack of the police on the peasants of Singur, particularly on the peasant women.

01 October 2006
All the villagers in all the villages of Singur area switched off the lights in their houses in the evening as a symbol of protest. The whole area was engulfed by darkness.

03 October 2006
The people protested by refusing to cook in thousands of village houses in Singur. This is to protest against the police atrocities and as a part of non-violent peaceful movement.

05 October 2006
A meeting was held by the government, but was not attended by the major opposition party. Government has again declared that the physical possession of the land would be taken very soon and the same would be handed over to Tata before the end of this month.

STATUS OF PETITION LETTERS

In a span of only 17 days, there are already 1,335 petitioners who have signed the online petition letter. Most of the petitioners are individuals who would like to express their concern regarding the forced eviction. The petitioners are from different institutions and sectors -- universities, NGOs, women's groups, indigenous peoples groups, youth/ students, migrants, lawyers, political parties, funding institutions, and the media. The petitioners came from different countries -- majority of which are from Asia. However, there are also petitioners from the US, Canada, Latin America, Africa and Europe.

To date, we have not received any response from the government of West Bengal, nor from the UN Commission on Human Rights. We have also sent an email to Tata Corporation on September 26, 2006, urging them to uphold their core value of responsibility to the country and to communities. But to date, we still have not received any response.

FUTURE ACTIONS

Because of this, the community, together with civil society groups will continue with the fight.

On October 09, 2006, another 24-hour state wide bandh or general strike has been called by various political parties to protest the eviction of the peasants. The Committee to Assist the Struggle of Singur Peasants Against Eviction has also supported the general strike on October 9th.

Moreover, a Citizen's Convention will be held on October 14, 2006 at the Indian Association Hall in Kolkata to protest against the police atrocities on the innocent peasants and women.

WHAT WE CAN DO

We can write a letter to the Tata Motors Company, urging them to uphold their core value as stated in their published materials on corporate responsibility:

We can likewise ask them to:

1. Allow the peasants in Singur to continue their agricultural activities;
2. Respect the communities' decision to keep their land and to listen to their clamor for a community-led agricultural development plan.
3. Stop any forced and violent eviction until a genuine participatory and transparent process of decision-making on this land acquisition is implemented and the strategies for an adequate and equitable land compensation plan, social and cultural resettlement and rehabilitation are in place.
4. Look into other non-agricultural land as a viable alternative for the construction of Tata's infrastructure facility.

You can address the letters to:

Email addresses::

Sources:
IMSE
IBN Live, http://www.ibnlive.com/news/cpm-builds-consensus-on-singur-land/23211-4.html
PCFS

¹  A car that is largely made of high strength composite plastic, thereby reducing the usage of steel. A lot of the joints are to be sealed with industrial adhesive rather than expensive welding. After the different components of the car are built, they will be assembled in two ways. The first is the conventional way where Tata Motors assembles the car and sells it to their dealer network. The way is to sell the kits to the service stations around the country, and the car can be assembled on request.

More information is available at http://www.foodsov.org/html/takeaction06.htm