The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has decided to issue fresh directives to the West Bengal government,asking it to award the same compensation to victims of political clashes in Nandigram in November 2007 that was given to those killed in police firing earlier that year in March. Rejecting the West Bengal governments decision to award lesser compensation,official sources said the NHRC last week decided that the next of kin of those killed in political clashes in Nandigram should have the same rights as those who were killed in police firing and should be compensated equally. Fourteen persons were killed in police firing in Nandigram on March 14,2007,and 300 people including 52 policemen were injured in the wake of widespread protests against a proposed land acquisition programme by the state government for setting up a special economic zone and a chemical hub in the region. The protests were led by the Bhoomi Ucched Pratirodh Committee (BUPD) a Trinamool Congress-backed organisation,which also succeeded in driving away CPM supporters from the region. Following directives from the Calcutta High Court,the state government has paid compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of the dead,Rs 1 lakh each to the injured and Rs 2 lakh each to rape victims. However,it has refused to award similar compensation to those killed in political clashes between CPM cadres and BUPC as well as Trinamool Congress supporters in November 2007. The clash happened after CPM cadres regrouped in the following months and attempted to retrieve their base in Nandigram. The official tally in the November incident was seven persons killed and 32 injured. An NHRC team,which visited the area subsequently, also found that thousands of villagers,believed to be supporters of BUPC,were driven out and their houses damaged. A subsequent report of the state government admitted that 560 houses were damaged in the clashes. The Trinamool Congress,however,had alleged that the number of those killed was higher and that there were also several instances of women being raped. The West Bengal government has maintained that it will award compensation of only Rs 1 lakh to the next of kin of those killed in the November 2007 clashes and minor damages to those injured. The NHRC,however,insists that there should not be any discrimination in the compensation packages and victims of the November 2007 incident should be awarded the same damages as those killed in the police firing earlier. The NHRC has also said that Rs 20,000 should be awarded for fully damaged houses instead of Rs 10,000 fixed by the state government.
