Nandigram Day Being Celebrated Today

Medinipur: Nandigram Day is being celebrated pompously on Monday, 14^th March. Shuvendu Adhikari along with Land Eviction Protest Committee paid tribute to the Martyrs by lighting up the candle and putting garlands at ‘Shaheed Bedi’ on Monday. Family of the martyrs was also present.

Mamata Banerjee would lead a procession to remember the martyrs who fell to the bullets of police and cadres, under the instructions of the CPI(M).

In January 2007, farmers in Nandigram erupted in protest against a proposed special economic zone (SEZ).

On March 14, the then Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya sent 2,500 policemen to ‘recapture’ Nandigram, but unofficially, they were accompanied by CPI(M) cadres.

Officially, 14 farmers died in the firing, but over 100 were declared “missing”. A similar attempt in November by the cadres finally ‘recaptured’ Nandigram. Buddhadeb Bhattacharya showed no remorse as he said, “They (farmers and Trinamool activists) have been paid back in their own coin.”

In its final report, the People’s Tribunal on Nandigram had called the violence of March 14, 2007 a “pre-planned, state-sponsored massacre” carried out “to teach a lesson” to people opposing the SEZ project on their land.

The Tribunal report, handed over to Gopal Krishna Gandhi, Governor of West Bengal on August 8, also called for the re-arrest of the ten CPI(M) cadres taken into custody earlier by the CBI but let off on bail due to the deliberate laxity of the West Bengal State police in filing charges against them within the statutory period.

Charge Sheet Filed Against 35 FTII Students

Pune: Thirty five FTII students were today listed in a charge sheet for allegedly gheraoing and illegally confining the institute’s director Prashant Pathrabe last year, of whom 30 were later granted bail.

The Deccan-Gymkhana police, which is probing the case, filed the charge sheet against 35 students in a court and the next hearing will be held on April 2, the prosecution said.

“There are total 35 students against whom the charge sheet has been filed. Five students were arrested on the intervening night of August 18-19 and released on bail. 30 students, including 12 who were out on anticipatory bail, were given (regular) bail today,” defence counsel Shrikant Shivade said.

Shivade moved a bail plea for 30 students in the court of first class judicial magistrate S S Bangad, who granted bail to all the students on a personal bond of Rs 3,000 each.

The FTII students, who were on a strike for 139 days since June last year against the appointment of BJP member and TV actor Gajendra Chauhan as its chairman, had allegedly gheraoed and confined Pathrabe in his office on August 17.

They had challenged his decision to go ahead with the assessment of the incomplete diploma film projects of the 2008 batch students.

The incident had led to police swooping-in on the campus on the intervening night of August 18-19, and arresting five students.

The students were booked under various sections of IPC, including 143, 147, 149, 323, 353 and 506, dealing with offences, some of them non-bailable, related to unlawful assembly, criminal intimidation and rioting.

Seventeen students were last year identified and named in an FIR filed in connection with the case.

Last week, the police, after screening the video footage of the incident, had identified 18 more students and asked them to present themselves in the court today.

Miandad Lashes Out At Afridi For India Love

Islamabad: “Shocked and hurt” by Shahid Afridi’s comments that Pakistan’s cricketers were loved more by Indians than the fans here, former captain Javed Miandad has said that players making such statements should be “ashamed” of themselves.

“These cricketers should be ashamed of themselves for saying such a thing. Shame on you,” Miandad said on the ‘Aaj TV’ channel.
Afridi and senior player Shoaib Malik had praised India after landing there for the World Twenty20, insisting that they have never felt threatened in the country even though their departure was delayed due to security concerns.
“We have always enjoyed playing in India and have been loved by Indian crowds more than crowds back home in Pakistan,” Afridi had said.
Miandad said Pakistan had gone to India to play in the World T20 but it didn’t mean that the players should pander to the hosts.
“What have the Indians given us? Speak the truth even while in India. For the last five years what have they given us or done with Pakistan cricket. Having served Pakistan cricket for so many years I am shocked and hurt to hear such comments from our players,” Miandad said.
The veteran of 124 Tests said the Pakistan cricket authorities must look into this matter and there should be a proper media classes for the players when they go abroad.
“The job of this team is to go and play well in India not makes such unnecessary comments,” he said.
Pakistan’s former Test opener and chief coach Mohsin Khan also expressed his surprise over the comments from Afridi and Malik.
“They are senior players and should be careful while speaking to the media specially while touring India,” Khan said.