BIG FISH VS THE SMALL FARMER

THEIR ONLY HOPE Farmers at Rambhadrapur village pose with their land deeds. Behind them lies farmland converted to a pond

- Romita Datta

The Mamata Banerjee government, which portrays itself as pro-farmer and famously opposed the acquisition of land for industry, is now being accused by some of looking the other way as land sharks forcibly convert multicrop land into fish ponds, robbing hundreds of their livelihood. The reason: pisciculture is big business in Bengal, worth crores of rupees, and is controlled by those with political clout. The irony is that Mamata’s rise and the entrenchment of the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal politics happened on the back of massive movements opposing forcible acquisition of land in Singur and Nandigram in 2007 and 2008. Around 200 out of 350 acres of fertile land in Sabang subdivision in West Midnapore district have been dug up to create seven fish ponds, each occupying 20-30 acres. Over the past three years, promoters have allegedly taken away land from several hundred farmers by force. Complaints and memoranda to the district magistrate and the superintendent of police have brought little respite, and even repeated Calcutta High Court orders to provide remedy have gone unheeded. Instead of getting succour, farmers like Shaktipada Pramanik, Tulsi Pal, Mohini Mohan Pal and others who fought back were allegedly implicated in cases of rape and attempt to murder.