People in refugee camps in Nandigram still fear reprisal

Nandigram (PTI): Two weeks after the CPI-M's recapture of Nandigram, people lodged in a refugee camp here on Monday claimed that they could not return to their homes fearing reprisal by Marxist cadres.
They also alleged that they were deprived of compensation given by the administration.
The CPI(M) however, charged Bhumi Ucched Pratirodh Committee, which spearheaded the anti land-acquisition movement in Nandigram, of 'politicising' the issue and said the people had to first return home to get the compensation.
"People are afraid that once they go back to their villages and lose touch with each other, CPI(M) cadres will launch fresh attacks on them," Bhabani Prasad Das, who claimed to be a district leader of Left opposition Socialist Unity Centre of India (SUCI), said here.
Das, who is one of the leaders at the camp set up at Brajamohan Tiwari Siksha Niketan, said there were around 800 refugees at the camp now, of which 250 were women and 200 children.
These refugees are mainly from Satengabari, Sonachura, Ranichowk, Kamalpur, Kalicharanpur, Soudkhali and Garchakraberia villages, he said.
All these areas were the strongholds of BUPC and had remained inaccessible to the district administration since January.
Bidhan Dalapati of Sonachura said he had returned to his house on November 15 after remaining homeless since the November 10 attack by CPI(M) supporters.
Dalapati claimed that he was beaten up by CPI(M) cadres after his return and had also been allegedly confined to his house.
"After two days, I could flee in the early morning with my 12-year old son and reached the safety of the camp," Dalapati said.
"We were asked to join a rally to be organised by the CPI(M) on November 28," he said.
He alleged that the BUPC supporters were threatened to join the rally or would face the consequences.
Sandhya Das of Gokulnagar said she had returned to her village after the violence of November 10, but "after getting threats, I decided to return to the camp."
Describing the allegations as baseless, the CPI(M) accused the BUPC of politicising the issue.
"The refugee camp is a showcase to launch political campaigns against us and to get grants from NGOs," Niranjan Sihi, Zilla sabadhipati of East Midnapore district here said.
Sihi, also a prominent CPI(M) leader in the district, said 214 people in Nandigram block one and 72 in block two whose houses were destroyed, would receive Rs 10,000 each as announced by the state administration.
Another 350 persons in Nandigram block one and 18 in block two whose houses were damaged, would get Rs 5,000 each to repair them, he said, adding that they would also get Rs 1,000 each for buying utensils.
Sources in the Block Development Office here said unless the people returned to their homes from the camp, they would not get the compensation.
"How can one get compensation for reconstructing or repairing houses sitting in the camp?" they said.