on Apr 01, 2021)This village, the epicentre of the anti-land-acquisition movement 14 years ago, was called “mini-Pakistan” by BJP candidate Suvendu Adhikari, who himself had led the protesters in 2007.But the tag seemed demeaning to the long tradition of equal participation by Hindus and Muslims in any movement from Nandigram, including the freedom struggle. After Congress passed the Quit India resolution on August 8, 1942, 10,000 people marched to Nandigram police station on September 30, 1942 to hoist the Tricolour there. British troops fired at them, killing eight. The “Dictionary of Martyrs, India’s Freedom Struggle Vol 4”, published by the ministry of culture and the Indian Council of Historical Research, mentions the eight martyrs, including Sheikh Alauddin (40) who was “actively participating” in the Quit India movement. Ajim Baksh and Sheikh Abdul, who were arrested and sentenced to imprisonment, died in Midnapore jail. “Tamluk, along with adjoining areas, were the only pockets in the entire country to gain independence from the British twice — once after the Quit India movement and again on August 15, 1947,” said Raj Sekhar Basu, professor at Calcutta University.Undivided Midnapore, then a Congress stronghold, witnessed mass mobilisation during the civil disobedience movement in the early 1930s and Union Board Boycott Movement in the early 1920s.
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Now, parties are attempting to divide the people of Nandigram on religious lines to gain votes, experts said. Nandigram has always been a hub of cultivation of rice and vegetables, which explains the high population of Muslims there. Some Muslims are also weavers. “Nandigram is also a centre of Baishnabs. When the police entered Nandigram in March 2007, there were special azaans from the mosques and prayers by Baishnabs. The farmers, irrespective of religion, have always been united in Nandigram. It is sad to see that people are trying to vitiate the atmosphere for petty gains,” said Jharna Panda, a professor hailing from Nandigram.
Source: Economic Times
