My family was in the forefront of (the land) movement. We lost one of our members in the (police) firing. But what did we get in return? Only false promises… Not even a school teacher’s job. I took the TET (Teachers’ Eligibility Test) but failed to land a job because some other people purchased these jobs for Rs 5 lakh a piece.
That is how Prasoon Maity (name changed) pours his anger out not only on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee but also her principal opponent Suvendu Adhikari who is contesting on a BJP ticket. Prasoon is a member of a “highly respected Sahid” (those who died during the land movement that triggered Nanigram police firing in March 2007) family.
“If you condemn Mamata Banerjee can you spare Suvendu Babu for that … he was am MP, and later a powerful minister chairman of Haldia Development Board and cooperative bank and god knows how many things … we know how many of their men got jobs some for cash others for service but what happened to the kind of those … on whose corpse they rode to power. Nothing,” says Dipak Sihi (name changed) a local from Garchakraberia who too lost a relative in the movement.
“We know there will once again be a gagging lull after the elections. All these hullabaloo will be gone … and after May 2 those who are coming with folded hands will look at us with contempt and scorching eyes … we will continue to lead a speechless life for another five years… at times we feel why we walked into the trap of TMC and Maoists … Why did we not allow a chemical hub to take place in Nanigram so that thousands of locals would not have to go out for jobs,” says Feroz from Rowapara adding however “we the Muslins are in a catch 22 situation … we know that Mamata Banerjee has cheated us but still we have to vote for us … this is a battle of identity.”