The “Tomar Naam, Aamr Naam, Nandigram, Nandigram, Nandigram,” once again echoed through the entire district of East Midnapore after a decade, following Mamata Banerjee’s haul to contest her candidacy from Nandigram that was once scarred with blood-shed and violence. Enacting a direct face-off with the Adhikari’s of Midnapore, Mamata made her poll stand clear on fighting back with the BJP through thick and thin.
The dramatic embankment by Mamata Banerjee during her pre-poll visit to Nandigram raised questions on her political outcry that never moved beyond the Bhawanipore domain. Quoting ‘Nandigram’ as a lucky quotient for the upswing of Trinamool Congress back in 2011, Mamata Banerjee decoded her candidacy from the Purva Midnapore constituency for the upcoming 2021 Vidhan Sabha election. Up heading the sheer revolution against the then Left ruled government in 2007, Miss Banerjee sphereheaded the ‘Anti-Land Acquisition Movement’, resulting her to dictate the thrown of West Bengal for ten long years.
The TMC Supremo in her latest visit to Nandigram diced an open challenge to ex-cabinet minister and disgruntled former TMC MLA Suvendu Adhikari, whom Mamata denotes as a ‘traitor’ and ‘greedy’ for authority. In retaliation to Miss Banerjee’s challenging face-off, Suvendu vowed to defeat her with at least 50,000 vote margin and if not, will eventually exit from active politics.
Nandigram after a decade stands divided under the thin lining of ‘divide and rule’ politics. Over the years, the ruling party in Bengal did nothing stupendous except appeasing a section, adversely affecting the trust of the other. The bloodiest and petrifying ‘Land Acquisition’ movement that took 14 innocent lives in 2007 is yet again encircled under the banner of Trinamool Congress as a use of emphatic weaponry in the upcoming election. But, the narrative this time seems to have changed to ‘Thrown Acquisition’. At present, the objective of ‘Nandigram Mission’ by the ruling is to turn down the ‘purported invasion’ of the saffron brigade rather outlaying welfare for the downtrodden.
The shift in political appeasement in Nandigram became prominent after the 2013 panchayat election. It is reported that the local villagers who witness the land acquisition movement were sidelined on the basis of religion. Elected Muslim members of the panchyat were steadily given powers and position in Zillz Parishad and ruling party’s district unit. The widening gap in Nandigram through polarised politics asserted the right-wing practitioners to create a foothold of the saffron brigade at the zest ground of TMC. Although, the ruling party remained unhurt, until 2019 that shuffled the trust of rural voters.
The Adhikari’s including Sisir Adhikari and Suvendu Adhikari were the pioneering faces in 2007 Nandigram Mission. Joining the Trinammol Congress in 1998, the Adhikari family stood bone hard with Mamata Banerjee and led alone flourished Green revolution across Midnapore district in 2011. Sisir Adhikari, currently TMC Lok Sabha member was the convenor of the Bhumi Uchhed Pratirodh Comittee (BUPC), responsible for pioneering the acquisition movement against the backdrop of forcibly transforming cultivable land into Special Economic Zone (SEZ).
After 14 years of traumatised blood-soaked Nandigram, the people of East Midnapore are left with unemployment, poverty and dictated law and order. With no inclusion of economic activity and infrastructural dispositions, the 2019 Lok Sabha election provided the voters with an alternate choice.
The ravaging inclusion of the BJP in Bengal has pushed Mamata Banerjee to take the growing challenge into another level. However, the recurring political spur among the BJP and TMC is worth to witness as the “opposition queen” is all ready in keeping her win-win chance at stake. The 2021 Bengal fight is both smashing for BJP and TMC. A single miss can either make one party surf and the other drown.