Mamata threatens Tatas, Govt

[ Hindustan Times , Romita Datta & Saptarshi Banerjee ]
Singur, February 10, 2007

Trinamool Congress Chief Mamata Banerjee issued a threat to Tata and the government, warning them of the consequences of playing with fire.

"Don't play with fire, return the land," she dared the Tatas, at the same time exhorting the 35,000 strong crowd to pull down the boundary wall, that is replacing the fencing.

"The Tatas could not do it at Kalinganagar. They won't be able to do it here. We will break that wall..surely we will," she said.

"Those of you, who have not given up their land, I would ask them not to give. Don't receive cheques, if you have abstained so long. The Tatas don't have the guts to take your land with bullets," she thundered amid loud claps and cheers.

She said she was willing to respond positively to Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee's offer for talks but only if the land "forcibly taken away from farers" was returned.

"First return the land, you had forcefully acquired and then I would be ready to sit for a dialogue, any day, any moment. If you want it now, I am ready," she said.

"The gun will speak and so will the chorus (read Corus as Mamata intends) of Buddha and Tata and we have to sit for talks in this environment…this is not acceptable," she said.

Explaining the reason why she shifted the venue of her meeting to a place 15 kms away from Singur where section 144 had been clamped, Mamata said that it was done for the sake of peace and as a gesture of decency.

Mamata was addressing a motley crowd, which comprised all parts of the state and a few hundreds from Singur. The dais had all the prominent Trinamool leaders, but the biggest surprise was INTUC president Subrata Mukherjee, who drove in the venue with Mamata and sat next to her, smiling and chatting. While one section of the crowd cheered at the duo, many in the audience booed Mukherjee as a traitor.

After a long time Mamata Banerjee was at her crowd-pulling best. She was making funny puns, rhymes, the usual histrionics of resignation and giving up her posts, but the crowd lapped it up all.

Referring to a rumour that Trinamool Congress is against discussion and dialogue, while the chief minister was very keen, she said: "We have always maintained forceful acquisition has to be stopped, but he (CM) does not seem to care. Such audacity."

In fact, she feels that this government, which takes control of villages by using guns, which deprives men of their food has no right to stay.

"We will make them (Buddha..Buddhababu) bow down before the people. This ruthless and ruleless government has no right to continue," she thundered.