Digging roads an old protest method

NANDIGRAM: Digging roads is nothing new in Nandigram. The villagers took a similar line while protesting the government's apathy towards civic problems ahead of the assembly elections in 1982. "The people then responded to the administration," recounts Rameswar Mishra, who was then a block development officer posted at Nandakumar. The faith in the administration is missing now, says Mishra.

Nandigram had erupted in March 1982, when a college teacher's son was killed by cops during a rally. The villagers were protesting against tardy development in the block. The death of Nandigram college teacher Dilip Tewari's son Sudipto Tewari turned the tide against the administration.

"The enraged mob drove cops into the Nandigram police station and dumped a huge quantity of moss and muck on the road. Even grocery shops and vegetable sellers boycotted them and they were left hungry," recalled SUCI leader Bhabani Das.

Sensing public ire, the BDO was transferred. But no one was willing to fill the slot. Present chief secretary
Amit Kiran Deb, who was then Midnapore DM, asked then Nandakumar BDO Rameshwar Mishra to step in. Mishra agreed to take charge. The problem was to access Nandigram.

"The mess had to be cleared. I chalked out a short-term food-for-work programme, offering villagers food against manual labour (removing the muck). It paid off. Men and women worked in shifts for two days and nights to clear the road, Mishra said.

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com