One more report on Singur

At the behest of the " Singur Bachao Mahila Mancha" (a platform of women's organisations and individual women who have come together to support the land struggle in Singur) three women activists - Ilina Sen, Scholar on women's studies and founder member of Rupantar, Chattisgarh, Madhuri of National Alliance of Agricultural Workers Unions and the Jagrit Adivasi Dalit Sangathan, M.P. and Kavita Srivastava, National Secretary of the PUCL (all three active in people's struggles in the country) visited the affected villages of Singur over the 16th to the 18th of December.

The objective of their visit was to understand:

• To understand the reasons for the opposition to the Tata Small Car project in Singur, Hoogly District and examine the impact that the consequent displacement and dispossession from land and agriculture would have on the villagers, particularly women.

• Whether force and terror had been used by the West Bengal Government on the people, particularly women in order to acquire the 997.11 acres of land for the purpose of giving it to Tata Motors for setting up a small car plant.

• To understand the process of land acquisition used by the Government of West Bengal in Singur and the nature and amount of compensations being provided to the affected people.

• To examine the issue of a motor vehicle factory being the "Public Purpose" for displacement of people from their multi crop agriculture land. and to examine the viability of the project vis-a vis the stated purpose of "employment generation and socio-economic development."

The team met various stakeholders, including concerned Government officials, those who support the project as well as those who oppose it. The concerned team of women activists met the press on 18^th December, 2006 at the Kolkata Press Club to narrate their experience at Singur to the press and electronic media. Later on, their report was published by Paschimbanga Khet Majoor Samity.

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