Acquisition of Agricultural Land in Singur and Its Protest —

AnIncomplete Timeline

(From May to 31st December 2006)

From the last week in September everyday there have been numerous Sabhas, Samitis, marches and conventionsin support of the Singur Movement. Its waves have reached other states as well as the international scene.

May 2006
18th / Announcement of Singur Development at the Chief Minister-Tata Joint Press Conference in Kolkata
25th / Gherao of Tata representatives in Singur went they went there to see the land
29th / More than a 1000 peasants show black flags as a sign of their protest to the Minister of Industry, Nirupam Sen
June 2006
1st / A few thousand peasants’ protest demonstration at the BDO office with brooms, farm tools and oxen and with “Singur Agricultural Land Protection Committee’s” banner.
8th / Formation of a committee of 70 persons at the S… ‘s first formal meeting
12th / Arrival of CPI (M) leaders for inspection at the time of protest demonstration at Singur’s Bajemalia village
15th / Fact finding by a 15 member team of CPDR
17th / Protest demonstration at the office of the District Collector against acquisition of agricultural land
July 2006
13th, 17th / More than a 1000 peasants unwilling to give up land submit a written note of dissent to the District Magistrate
19th – 24th / 13 notices issued under Section 9 (1) of the Land Acquisition Act of 1894
24th / The people of Singur protest by blocking the Durgapur Expressway
August 2006
18th / Notice issued under Section 9 (1) of the Land Acquisition Act of 1894; demonstration by the peasants
22nd / Hearing at the BDO office—boycott and sit-in protest
25th / The endeavor to make the peasants sign is futile—temporary camp is wrapped up
28th – 29th / 48 hours sit-in protest demonstration at the BDO office
29th – 31 st / Notice issued under Section 6 of the Land Acquisition Act of 1894
September 2006
1st / All day sit-in protest demonstration at Bowbajaar in Kolkata by Sanhati Udyog
1st – 2nd / Because of protest demonstration keeping women in the forefront in Bajemelia district authorities flee—work of issuing notices is abandoned
3rd / Political rally from Kamaarkundu organized by Singur Agricultural Land Protection Committee
4th / By the initiative of PSFA an international fact-finding team conducts an enquiry
7th / By the initiative of APDR there is a protest rally from Kolkata’s College Square to Shyambajaar
10th / Topic of the Jatin Lahiri Memorial Open Discussion Forum organized by APDR’s Sreerampur branch —Land Acquisition for Industry—Peasant’s Rights
10th – 11th / By the initiative of Congress there is a gathering/meeting and protest demonstration at Singur*
19th / At the initiative of Sanhati there is an all day sit-in-protest demonstration at the office of Hoogly District Magistrate’s office
20th / Announcement that all the land necessary for the Tata Motor factory entrusted to the Government
21st / At the Singur eviction Bandh Congress and Trinamool Congress request the Governor to intervene
21st – 23rd / Under section 6 of the Land Acquisition Act of 1894 the date for the price announcement is shown
25th / Attempt to distribute checks at the BDO office under the cover of RAF and the police—at around 1:40 am in the night the RAF and the police attack a few thousand men-women-children who had been protesting peacefully all day, few hundred persons are injured—73 persons including MP Mamata Bannerji, MLA Rabindranath Bhattacharya are arrested
26th / Rajkumar Bhool of GopaalpaDa who was injured by the police atrocities at the BDO office dies. He is declared as the first martyr of the Singur Agricultural Land Protection Committee. By the initiative of Trinamool Congress there is blockage of all roads and railway lines in the state from 11am to 12noon.
27th / Singur Bandh called by the S.U.C.I and CPI (ML) Liberation. There is a huge political rally. At Dharmatala, Kolkata there is a protest demonstration by Trinamool Congress, Sanhati UDyog’s dhikkar rally.
28th / All Durgapuja Celebrations in Singur are stopped
October 2006
1st / On the day of Bijoy Doshumi night vigil is observed in the affected moujas of Singur.Ex-chief justices of the Supreme Court judges J. S. Verma and Rajendra Babu and retired judge M. N. Rao write letters to Ratan Tatato abandon Singur
3rd / On the day of Lakkhi pujo there is no cooking in various villages of Singur
4th / There is an all party meeting by the initiative of the government—Trinamool Congress boycotts. The government declares that possession of the occupied land will take place in one or two days.
8th, 9th / In support of the proposed October Bandh there is a huge all party political rally in Singur
9th / 12 hour totalBangla Bandh called by various opposition parties, democratic groups and mass organizations—6211 Bandh supporters arrested
12th / A deputationof the Sanhati Udyog is sent to the Hoogly District Magistrate; APDR publishes its fact-finding report on police atrocities at the BDO office and the murder of Rajkumar Bhool.
14th / At the Kolkata Bharatsabha Hall there is a citizens’ convention organized by the voluntary organization, Fiyan.
15th / Because of police atrocities in Singur on September 25thshame day is observed
17th / 10 universities of the state and 130 faculty members of IIT request the governor to intervene to stop the forceful eviction of peasants in Singur
18th / More than a 1000 women from Singur protest in front of the TataCenter at Kolkata
21st / No lights are lit in the villages of Singur on the night of Diwali
27th / By the initiative of Singur Agricultural Land Protection Committee and Sanhati Udyog, a public hearing takes place in front of a panel comprising of Medha Patkar, Mahasweta Devi, retired chief justice Malay Sengupta and Dipankar Chakroborty to discuss the various issues of industrialization by acquisition of agricultural land in Singur. In the evening there is a huge public meeting in the lawns of BajemeliaHospital
29th / The chief Minister did not meet with the judges of the public hearing. Talks of the minister of Industry, Nirupan Sen, with Medha Patkar, Malay Sengupta and Dipankar Chakraborty
November 2006
3rd / Citizens’Convention by the Citizen’s Mancha in Kolkata. Ten complaints are filed against the government. Public meeting organized by SUCI in Singur