Left Front chairman Biman Bose announced that compensation cheques were “ready” with the district magistrate, and urged everyone to collect them before September 22.

The Left Front last held a rally in Singur in November 2006. Later, as the CPI(M) was targeted by allies over land acquisition for the Tata Nano factory, and Mamata Banerjee joined the protestors, the LF kept away.

The latest package by Chief Minister Buddadeb Bhattacharjee — offering 70 acres within the plant site and a 50 per cent hike in compensation — seems to have done the trick. Among those convinced is Anar Banu Begum, a resident of Joymollah and one of the 2,150 who had refused to accept the compensation for their land. She was present at the LF rally.

“Even if I get back my land from inside the project area, farming is no more possible there,” she said today. “I have heard I will not be able to re-sell it. So I have decided to collect compensation at the earliest.” Anar Banu’s 2.3 acres were acquired by the Government in September 2006.

Joydeb Das, a resident of Beraberi Purbapara, whose 8 bighas of land were acquired, was also rethinking his options. “Initially we were thinking of taking the compensation money. But after the murder of Tapasi Malik, we changed our mind. But now we are rethinking our decision as this may be the last chance of getting the money. The compensation is also not bad,” he said.

The rally was held around 2 km from the Nano site, and the LF had managed a substantial crowd with people from five South Bengal districts brought in. With the crowd pouring out, a few thousand jostled to enter the grounds.

“You will get 50 per cent extra for your land,” Bose told the people, flanked by Forward Bloc state secretary Ashok Ghosh, who had earlier held a meeting at Singur against forcible land acquisition. “You can buy land nearby and start farming with the money. Or if you wish, you can start some project. Your family members will also get jobs.”

The widow of Susen Santra, who committed suicide reportedly after he heard that the Tatas were leaving Singur, was called on stage and given a cheque of Rs 25,000.

Bose explained that the Chief Minister had done all he could to convince the Opposition, but in vain. “The land which is being demanded back, which is kept for the ancillary units, cannot be given back. The Tatas will not be able to function if that happens. We should understand that Nano, the Rs 1 lakh car, is not only important for Bengal but the whole world. The car will be marketed to foreign countries priced at $2500. We should all try to join hands for the project, which will bring prestige to Singur,” he added.

Apart from the Forward Bloc’s Ghosh, the RSP’s Kshiti Goswami and the CPI’s Manjukumar Majumder also lauded the package today. “The Singur farmers are not our enemy... We fully support the Chief Minister who went to Raj Bhavan five times to solve the issue peacefully. We are still open to a peaceful dialogue. I appeal to Mamata Banerjee to resist from violence,” said Ghosh.