TMC, BJP vie for Nandigram legacy on martyrs’ day

Nandigram: The "epicentre" of Bengal's land movement — Nandigram — turned into a theatre of competitive mobilisation on Saturday with BJP and Trinamool vying to claim the legacy of the 2007 martyrs.

Early in the morning, state leader of opposition Suvendu Adhikari led a rally at Gokulnagar's Adhikari Para and paid floral tributes to the martyrs' column.

This was followed by a second ceremony at Sonachura Martyrs' Minar. "We can never forget March 14. It was a battle of the people to save their homes and hearths. This historic day is etched in our memory," Adhikari said.

On the other hand, CM Mamata Banerjee took to her X handle to pay homage to the martyrs. She wrote: "On Nandigram Diwas, I pay my humble respects and heartfelt salutations to all martyrs of the world, including Nandigram, Singur and Netai."

Trinamool also organised an outreach programme under the banner of the Bhumi Uchched Pratirodh Committee. Trinamool activists held rallies at Bhangabera and Adhikari Para.

On March 14, 2007, CPM cadres dressed as policemen while wearing ‘hawai chappals' allegedly stormed villages in Nandigram via Khejuri and Tekhali bridges to suppress the anti-SEZ movement against the erstwhile Left Front govt.

Ever since Adhikari quit Trinamool and joined BJP, the martyrs' day observance has been a fractured affair. Former colleagues now stand on opposing ends of barricades, each claiming to be the "true heir" of the Nandigram movement.