TMC chief pays tribute to 11 labourers killed in Nanoor
Kolkata: Trinamool Congress supermo Mamata Banerjee paid her tribute to 11 landless labourers who got killed in Nanoor on July 27, 2000 by CPI(M) workers.
The incident had played a major role in the politics of Bengal and in the movement taken up by her to oust the CPI(M) and end its 34 years of misrule.
She tweeted: "Today is Nanoor Dibas. On this day in 2000, innocent agricultural labourers were mercilessly killed. My homage to all those who lost their lives due to political violence during the 34 years of Left rule."
The CPI(M) had mercilessly killed 11 landless labourers at Suchpur under Nanoor police station on July 27, 2000.
After the event CPI(M) tried to divert the attention to the people and the local MP Somanath Chatterjee had said that those killed were anti socials and dreaded criminals. However, the then state secretary of CPI(M) Anil Biswas and politburo member Biman Basu had condemned the incident.
Mamata Banerjee led a mass movement condemning the attack and demanded punishment of those involved in the crime. Nitya Chatterjee and Manirujamman, prime accused of the incident were CPI(M)'s nominee in 2003 Panchayat elections.
In 2010, finally 44 persons involved in the incident were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. Banerjee made this a major issue in the 2011 Assembly elections along with Netai, Nandigram incidents and the forcible acquisition of farm land to set up an automobile factory in Singur.
Thousands of people joined the movement and CPI(M) had virtually surrendered and failed to regain its ground. In 2008 Panchayat election the party did badly with TMC establishing control over two Zilla parishds, East Midnapore and south 24 parganas. In 2009 Lok Sabha elections Trinamool got 19 seats while in 2010 KMC elections, TMC was able to set up the civic board. Then finally it won the 2011 Assembly elections.
The CPI(M) was fast losing ground to Trinamool Congress in Birbhum and the party decided to kill 11 supporters to teach local TMC workers a lesson.
