today

Nandigram is perhaps a lesson in What Not to Do. It’s a story of rural India’s sentimental attachment to fertile agricultural land, an emotional bond that has developed over centuries, a tie that cannot be simply snipped off by one administrative order and re-joined by another that rescinds the earlier one. The idea that "land is a socio-economic issue and it requires very precise understanding of the character of a region before any forced acquisition programme is launched" is a widely held view.

This is an area where both Hindus and Muslims have co-habited peacefully over the ages.

These are people who are seeped in generations of tradition. Hindu women compulsorily light the diya under the tulsi-manch every evening, carry their dieties in dolis through the villages during festivities. The Muslims read their namaz five times a day and when the muslims have their festive occasions, Hindu ladies blow on the conchshells because muslim women also blow on their own conchs during Hindu festivals. "That is how they have always lived and that is how we have found them to be over the years we have been in charge here” the officers said. Next comes the land issue. The literacy rate in Midnapore, east or west, is very high. But you will also find a lot of frustration among the youth — many of whom are graduates and post-grads. Most of them have not found jobs and most of the shops in this wee village run hand to mouth. It is a very sentimental issue to these people and you must understand that, and the village, well.

So now the Washington Post says: "An Indian state government said Saturday it is dropping plans for an industrial zone after deadly riots [caused by the police and authorities] .. Land would not be acquired for any special economic zones in Nandigram." Federal Commerce Minister Kamal Nath promised a more cautious approach when land acquisition was an issue.

IMO: I certainly hope so, but I'll believe that when I see it.. We have already had enough problems due to bad planning.