Nandigram talks fail as Mamata walks out

The all-party talks for restoration of peace in Nandigram collapsed today with Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee staging a walk-out alleging that CPI(M) did not accept the killing of 14 people in the area on March 14 as "genocide" and was trying to force the group to accept a pre-drafted order.

CPI(M) leader Subhas Chakraborty apparently said the incident in Nandigram was the fallout of the troubled law and order in the area. According to him, three police jeeps were set on fire in a matter of days, and the firing was the result of police effort to restore normalcy in the area.

Banerjee, however, did not subscribe to the argument and wanted punishment for those involved in the killings on March 14. She left the meeting with seven of her group members, which had representation of all parties except the Jamait and BJP.

Forward Bloc leader Ashok Ghosh, who convened the meeting, said Trinamool's arguments were heard with patience, but said it is a matter of discussion whether the incident was "genocide".

Ghosh said as the meeting was "inconclusive" it was "adjourned" and will be held later after bilateral discussions with all the parties.

Ghosh, however, described the meeting as "success" and sounded optimistic of a consensus on a future date.

Banerjee said although she welcomed the move for an all-party meeting, she was dissappointed with the outcome of today's meet. She said she will preside over a meeting at Panskura tomorrow in response to Chief Minister's meeting there supporting the industrialisation initiative undertaken by the state government.

As participants of the meeting began arriving at the venue, Mahajati Sadan, BJP workers reached the spot and began demonstrations after blocking the arterial C R Avenue leading to chaos. The police said that 30 BJP workers were arrested. A strong police picket was also set up to ensure that the meeting could proceed undisturbed.

CPI(M) leaders including Transport Minister Subhas Chakraborty, CITU state president Shyamal Chakraborty and state secretariat member Madan Ghosh, CPI state secretary Manju Kumar Majumdar and RSP Minister Kshiti Goswami also attended the meeting today.

Mamata Banerjee led a six-member delegation, which included the Leader of the Opposition Partha Chattopadhyay. The other members of the delegation were Baccharam Manna, Shisir Adhikary, Shubhendu Adhikary, Abu Sayed and Shiekh Sufian.

Congress was represented by PCC Working President Pradip Bhattacharya and Somen Mitra and Legislature Party leader Manas Bhunia.

The parties not invited to the meeting were the BJP and Left Front partners Revolutionary Communist Party of India (RCPI) and Biplabi Bangla Congress - all without any representation in the state assembly. An invitation extended to the CPI(ML) Liberation, also non-existent in the legislature, was later revoked.

Jamait-e-Ulema-I-Hind, which had been playing a major role in the Nandigram agitation, had also not been called in the meeting because of its non-political entity.

The SUCI has boycotted the meeting describing it as "futile", while the BJP, one of the few parties not invited, has alleged that it is a "farce". Kept away from the talks after getting invitation, CPI(ML) Liberation has said the party is skeptical about the success of the peace process.

Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and CPI(M) state secretary Biman Basu were not present at the meeting.

The area has remained a political hot-bed for more than four months over the issue of setting up a chemical hub wedging a sharp political divide among the local people, triggering unabated violence even though the Left Front Government has backed out on the project.

The unrest stalled all economic and development activities in Nandigram, and even denied administration to run in Nandigram, which virtually remained cut off from the rest of the state with members of the Trinamool Congress-led Bhoomi Uchched Protirodh Committee digging up roads and keeping vigil against entry of outsiders.

Altogether 23 people, including 14 killed in the March 14 police firing, have died in the area since January while hundreds of houses have been torched in the continuing armed rivalry.