Laughing Buddha ....

By Sushmita




Did you see the smile on Buddhadev's face when he announced the recapture of Nandigram? Did it not look similar to that of George Bush when he announced his capture on Iraq and Afghanistan? The only difference is that Bush was happy by killing the people of some other country while Buddha's hands are dripping with the blood of his own people.








It will not be wrong on your part if Buddha's smile looked similar also to that of Narendra Modi's when he justified the Genocide of Gujarat by saying that 'every action has equal and opposite reaction '. Faces have amalgamated.At last Nandigram has been captured. A deadly dance that took away hundreds of lives and hundreds are still missing. Dozens of women have been raped beneath the CPM flag. Houses have been reduced to ashes. Life will never be the same for the women and children there.






The villagers say that the second round of violence has claimed about 150 lives, 2000 are missing. That day around 550 people were roped and taken to Khejuri where the CPM used them as shields against any retaliation. Sources say that criminals and goons were mobilized for the deadly operation. The genocide went on successfully under the leadership of four of CPM's MPs. Tapan Ghosh and Shakur Ali who are wanted by the CBI in Choto angariya massacre case were amongst the goons who played the death game. It is being said that preparations were going on for months in Khejuri. For this, goons were hired from Raniganj-Assansol- Coal Belt, Gorbeta, and Keshpur.We heard that the people of Nandigram have got a taste of there own medicine.We heard that socialism would be brought if ladies showed their backs to Medha Patekar.We also heard that CPM flags were put inside the bodies of women of Nandigram. We heard and were shamed. We heard about those who sold the ray of hope to the guardians of darkness. We heard about a CM who after killing 150 people washed his hands with rose water and started preparing for film festival.The air is filled with the victory songs and slogans…Nandigram has been captured. Terrified …. Deserted… Burnt…. Burnt Nandigram. That Nandigram which is a sign of hope for us. That Nandigram which is the hottest blood amongst the great struggles of Paris commune Russia, China, Vietnam, and Naxalbari.







The plot of seizure was prepared a year ago. The people of Nandigram had already taken lessons from the Singur episode. On July 2006 the word spread that 28000 acres of land would be acquired for a chemical hub. People started resisting the land grab. In the march 2007 CPM tried its best to capture land from the peasants. But they failed. It became a question of prestige for them. They couldn't bare the challenge posed by the people of Nandigram so this time they conspired and organized this butchery. First they came to negotiating terms with the Bhumi Uchched Pratirodh Committee and then attacked them so that they were not ready for this attack.CPM's Lakshman Seth said "Maaro, na maro". Vinay Konar addressed the women asking them to pull up their saaris and show their backs to Medha Patekar.






Viman Bose was continuously saying, "The people of Nandigram were not feeding us rosogullas".Amongst these killer slogans could be heard the laughter in writer's building were the inhabitants congratulated each other saying that the people of Nandigram have been paid back in there own coin.The deployment of CRPF was also a very shrewd act. First the killing operation was conducted and then despite of the strong protests by the masses and other democrats of West Bengal, CRPF was deployed to gain control over the area. The center's gesture of sending a CRPF battalion is like bribing the CPI(M) not to push their demand of de operationalising of the Indo-US Nuclear agreement.







The CPI(M) will now stage a 'mock opposition' in the impending parliamentary debate on nuclear deal. This act shows how the party is licking the feet of imperialist forces.Buddhadev says that peace has been restored in Nandigram but the fact is that there is silence. A silence that can be found at the cremation ground. Silence combined with ashes. Only the hangman is shouting. He is advising the people of Nandigram to behave. He is enlightening the whole country with what is democracy.We are being told that this step has been taken by an elected govt. therefore it is justified. We are being told that any question arising on the Nandigram issue is a conspiracy against an elected govt. Narendra Modi spoke the same language in 2002. Do we have the right to remember this 'comrades'?






Does George Bush speak any different language while attacking the weak and resisting countries in the name of democracy?D.Raja of CPI and Prakash Karat of CPI(M) say that a democratically elected govt. was not allowed to function in Nandigram. In other words their democracy was in danger. Is democracy only a tool in the hands of ruling class to justify state sponsored killings? Does the govt. have the right to chase the people out of there homes only because the govt. is so called democratically elected? If democracy has a threat from the people of Nandigram then why don't the people have a right to say that they are scared of this kind of democracy? This democracy is banning there right to live.






The truth is that the people are fighting for there right to live which ultimately is a fight to save their motherland.Nandigram is not the only witness of this kind of state oppression. Imperialist forces have carried over this kind of campaign all over the globe.The tribes of Latin America and Vietnam have been displaced or killed to gain control over resources. At some places not even a single person was spared. Whole tribe was butchered. The comparadors of imperialists in India are applying the same tactics. Years back the state had taken similar steps in Muthanga (Kerela) where the state crushed the brave resistance of the tribes in a bloody campaign. The story follows in Chattisgarh. Disputes were created amongst the tribes and some were taken to relief camps. The rest were frequently attacked and hence displaced. The govt. is planning to turn the relief camps to villages.







All of them were displaced from there land and the land was handed over to the MNCs. A similar process is to be started in Orissa, Jharkhand and west Bengal. That is by hook or by crook remove indigenous people from their land and then surrender the land at the feet of imperialists. In Nandigram the resisting villagers have been chased out. It is being said that they can come back only on CPM's will.We feel that we are in peace because unrest is somewhere in Muthanga, Chattisgarh or Nandigram. But suddenly we find the green snake beneath our seats. It is hidden amongst the green grass so we are unable to see it. In such case we are compelled to leave our seats.







The snake is crawling amongst the grasses. From Muthanga to Chattisgarh, Kalingnagar, Jharkhand, Singur, Nandigram and no one knows where.The CPI and CPM assert that the opponents are against development. But statistics reveal the fact that already 55,000 factories are closed in West Bengal due to various reasons. Sick industries account to 1,13,846 i.e . 45.60% of the total sick industries in India. 15 lakh workers have lost jobs in the past 15 years. Where as only 43,888 people got employment. In 1980, employment in organized sector (both public and private) was 26,64,000. In the wave of industrialization the level came down to 22,30,000. In 1977(when left front came to power) registered unemployed were 22,27,000. It increased to 72,27,117 in 2005. Here it is necessary to point out that people above 35 years of age are not considered.







Agricultural backwardness has created a more devastating situation. The CPM leaders never stop boasting about land reforms in West Bengal. They also assert that agriculture in West Bengal has created a strong base for industries in the state. But the veil is removed when actual situation comes to the front. After 1983, operation bargha and an attempt to make barren lands cultivable was stopped. The Human Rights Development Report 2004, state that 14.31% bargadars were displaced. The rate differed in different places i.e. in 31.60% in Jalpaiguri, 30.2% in Kuchbihar, 31.42 in North Dinajpur and 30.75 in South Dinajpur. Not only this, around 13.23% people who were given land on lease (patta) were displaced. From 1992-2000, 48.9% village households became landless.As far as food grain production is concerned, in 1976 the per capita food grain availability for the nation was 402 gms. Where as for West Bengal it was 412 gms. In 1999 all India per capita food grain availability was 502 gms whereas for West Bengal it was 444 gms which fell down to 413 gms in 2001 (source-Ajith Narayan Basu,'Pashchim Bengal ki Arthniti Avam Rajniti). The above stated facts clear the crisis in agriculture.







The development models propounded by the western economists and borrowed by Buddhadev, mainly stress on increasing GNP and industrialization as the base of development. After the Second World War, in the age of neo-colonialism, this development model was imposed in the Less Developed Countries. The western model negated the alternative of a socialist model arising in Russia and China. Marx in his development theory had talked about industrialization on the debris of feudalism and pre-capitalist relationships. The modern theory failed in almost all the poor countries after 1970's. To solve the internal crisis, the imperialist countries now preached the western model with the help of World bank, IMF, and other imperialist agencies. As said before Buddhadev borrowed this theory when he said in Indonesia that agriculture is a sign of backwardness where as industry is a sign of growth.







This is nothing but buttering up the imperialists.Agriculture is neither a sign of backwardness nor a problem. Problem arises when there is inequality in distribution, increase in number of middlemen, making space for MNCs, large number of shopping malls and fertile lands are destroyed for making highways.






And this is what the CPM has been doing all these years.The CPM's notion for development basically suits the interest of imperialists and goes against the peasants. This approach to development would create chaos in the state. Conversion of vast fertile lands for other purposes will lead to further fall in the production of food grains and many more people will live in a state of despair.Events in Nandigram have proved that this government with its sharp claws can crush any voice arising against the imperialist techniques used by them.







The CPM has applied this technique to all its political opponents. Any force arising against the CPM had to face armed oppression. The CPM never allowed the opposition to develop more than a fetus. This is why the CPM could exist there for such a long period. But the areas where people continued powerful resistance till date, there CPM is fighting for existence. Gorbeta is an example of such an area. The goons of Gorbeta are now being used in Singur and Nandigram. The leaders of CPM have accepted that they cannot let go of places like Nandigram (tehelka). We can conclude from this that the opposition to survive in West Bengal will have to be prepared and well equipped to resist the henchmen of CPM.






Therefore may be they are afraid of the Maoists. They say that violence in Nandigram was due to the presence of Maoists. That is the CPM would have completed its work peacefully if the Maoists had not been there.From 1970s CPM has been charged of social fascism. Social fascism and communal fascism are two faces of the same coin. And Nandigram has cleared this. There are also communal charges against the CPM in the Nandigram issue concerning the minorities. What is important is that Nandigram has played a true role of opposition. It has continued the resistance struggle for almost one whole year.Nandigram has been recaptured. Just like the victory of capitalism over the proletariats in Paris commune, China and other countries. Triumphantly they are celebrating as the State has celebrated after every victory over the mass rebellion.So, will we not get a glimpse of hope even in the last lines of a poem? Will the laughter of children be made impossible in the climax of a film? Will the sky never be fragrant with the flights of birds? Will the earth filled with dreams come to an end? Has the spring gone forever to never come back?We heard that the fields in Nandigram could not be cultivated this season. We heard that stones and bodies of the dead are lying in the fields. But have you not heard of the yield of hope that has ripened there? In the war front moving ahead and back is a part of the war. Moving back does not mean to surrender. The dreams of masses are still alive.







Masses will write the history of all Karats and Buddhadevs. Dreams haven't ended for the masses of Nandigram. They have retreated from the front but they have not surrendered. They will again rise to take their front back. Masses from Muthanga, Chattisgarh, Kalingnagar, Singur and Nandigram and all other places are joining in this front. They won't leave their seats. They are searching for the green snake and preparing to chase it far off. Are you listening Buddhadev ji?





Translated by lalima from hindi