On a bright sunny afternoon last fortnight, when Nandigram was on the boil, a group of farmers waited eagerly for a pick-up vehicle to take them to Midnapore court. The farmers were to sign over land to JSW Steel, the country’s third-largest steelmaker, for a Rs 35,000-crore project that is being set up in their area.

The contrast couldn’t have been more stark: while Nandigram was caught in a vortex of violence between those opposed to land acquisition for industry and CPM cadres desperate to ensure their rule, entrepreneur Sajjan Jindal had managed to acquire the land needed for the 10 million tonne plant.

It helped that most of the land had been in government books before the project was announced. But more important was the fact that Jindal had offered an attractive package to farmers from whom he had to get some land.

So, as Nandigram burned, the Jindals were moving ahead quietly. They envisage a captive power plant too. The Jindals moved decisively to take over another 50 acres, having taken the farmers into confidence. By December-end, the company hopes to acquire another 70 acres and complete the process of securing around 500 acres directly from the farmers.

Biswadip Gupta, chief executive officer of JSW-Bengal Steel Ltd, the company set up for the project, said that they would need only about 150 acres of ‘patta’ land, which the government would have to acquire on its behalf and later transfer. Under law, companies cannot buy land directly from ‘patta’ holders.

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