Is it beginning to cool down?

Yesterday evening, CM, West Bengal, Buddhadeb Battacharjee virtually admits to administration's land-grabbing. He even promises that those who have not yet collected the cheques (read "the farmers unwilling to give their land") may come to fix their deal and negotiate with local administrations.

This astonishingly low-keyed posture on behalf of CM calls for attention.

Equally remarkable is Jamait-Ulema-e-Hind leader Siddiquallh's softened stance. He literally follows the administration's dictate of not breaking the section 144 in Singur two days back. Mr. Siddiqualla avowedly stated that he would not break the law and take to a democratic peaceful movement.

Yesterday evening, Trinamul Congress leader Mamata Banerjee called a meeting in Kolkata. There, she strongly emphasised on non-violence that her party members would have recourse to at any future mass movement over land acquisition.

Today, she raises in a huge gathering near Singur three key points.

1) The movement of Krishi Jami Bachao Committee is apolitical.
2) The political actions would be carried forward by local initiatives. Big political parties like hers would extend support to these local initiatives from outside (remember the 'OUTsider' labeling by CP(I)M administration during the movement).
3) TATAs need only around 300 acres for their small car project.

Keeping all this in mind, it seems that the dispute over land acquisition in Singur is going to be settled with little modifications and TATA's Singur project is going to get a green signal, this time, from the major opposition party in West Bengal.

Whether things are going to cool down or flare up on a new scale, that is the question.

-IP