'It's proven no govt can run by taking anti-farmer steps'

KOLKATA: Relating the success of the farmers' movement at Singhu border with that of their win over the Left Front government's move of land acquisition for small car project, farmers from Singur on Friday stated that the movements like "Singur, Nandigram and Singhu border" have now established the fact in the country that no government can become successful by taking any anti-farmers' steps.

Singur farmers on Friday recollected the day in 2008 when the Tata's had pulled out of Singur and again when the division bench of the Supreme Court comprising Justice V Gopala Gowda and Justice Arun Mishra declaring acquisition of 997 acres by the erstwhile Left Front government to help setting up of the Tata's Nano factory at Singur "unjustified" on August 31, 2016.

The Singur movement was headed by Trinamool Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee.

On Friday morning, Prime Minister Narendra Modi apologised to the nation and announced withdrawal of three contentious Farm Laws. Dukhiram Das of Bajimelia in Singur recollected that the farmers' movement at Singur was not only to save the multi-crop agricultural land as Tata was supposed to set up the small car factory on 997 acres of agricultural land but also the national-level demand to repeal the 1894 Land Acquisition Act that used to empower a Union or state government to acquire land for industrialisation and other purposes. "Farmers at the Singhu border have also fought relentlessly forcing the Centre to stoop before their strength of united fight," Das said.

He further said: "The then Left Front government had given the land to a corporate group —Tata company. Here, the Modi government's three contentious farm laws were mainly aimed at handing over all rights to corporates and monopolists."

The Nandigram and Singur movements had claimed more than 14 lives. Another farmer from Singur's Gopalnagar Ghoshpara Naba Kumar Ghosh said: "Our slogan was then — "Jaan debo, tobu Jomi debo na" (will give life but not land). I extend my condolences to the family members of around 704 people who died during the agitation against the Centre's three contentious farm laws. History has proven that it is not only difficult but also impossible to stop a farmers'

movement." "Left Front then tried to label the Singur movement with that of the Naxals and extremists' groups. Similarly, some crucial leaders at the Centre this time termed the farmers as terrorists. The same leaders today apologised before the country," said senior TMC leader Purnendu Basu.