In 2013, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government acquired 13 acres of land from farmers in Block 2 of Bhangar in South 24 Parganas near Rajarhat Township. The land was acquired under the controversial Land Acquisition Act, 1894, a day before the Parliament passed the new Land Acquisition Bill, 2013.
The people living in villages around Bhangar had been given little or no information about the acquisition of land for transmission lines for a 440/220KV power grid. The villagers claim that there was no clarity on the nature of the project, nor any option with the villagers to object to it. They were neither shown any social impact assessment or environment impact assessment report.
In 2016, protesters from Khamarait, Machhi Bhanga, Tona and Gazipur villages formed a committee to protect their land, livelihood and environment, called the Jomi, Jibika, Bastutantra O Paribesh Raksha Committee (Land, Livelihood, Ecology and Environment Protection Committee).
On 17 January 2017, two protesters, Mafijul Sheikh and Alamgir Khan, were killed in Bhangar during police action. The deaths were followed by more protests, which later spread to Kolkata. Police arrested many protesters, along with civilians and members of organisations who showed solidarity. Many farmers and village heads were booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.
In 2018, the protesters decided to contest the panchayat election in Bhangar. During the election campaign, a youth named Hafijul Mollah was killed. The villagers believed it to be the mastermind of local TMC heavyweight Arabul Islam. He was arrested and later released on bail.
After the panchayat polls in May 2018, the state government came to an agreement with the villagers. The government assured them through a notice of the District Magistrate of South 24 Parganas that the state would propose a new plan for the power grid, bringing down the number of transmission lines from 16 to four: two 400 KV lines from the Power Grid Corporation of India Limited and two 220 KV lines from the West Bengal State Electricity Transmission Company. The government also promised increased compensation and jobs to those whose land had been acquired for the project as well as to the families of the deceased protesters. The district magistrate also ordered the state to withdraw all criminal cases against the protesters and called on the police to act against those who had attacked the protesters.
Following this, the stalemate over the project ended. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee asked the officials to speed up the work before any further problem emerges in the area.
Agitation started afresh in 2021 when, on 26 January, protesting villagers put the power plant under lockdown. A representative of the committee that led the protests in 2017 reportedly stated that the government had not yet fulfilled the promise--to construct a cold storage and a hospital--made in 2018. After assurance from minister Firhad Hakim that the situation will be resolved soon, the protests were withdrawn. But again in July 2022, the power grid was locked up by protesters because the issues had not been resolved yet. After this, the government bought land from 34 farmers in Polerhat II panchayat to construct the cold storage, and started construction.
A local representative stated that people were satisfied following this development, however, there are still some other demands in the process of being met.
Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Refusal to give up land for the project
Complaint against procedural violations
Demand for compensation
Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Region Classification
Rural
Type of Land
Private
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)
Status of Project
Project completed
Original Project Deadline
2019
Whether the Project has been Delayed
Yes
Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users
Agricultural land
Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict
Source/Reference
Total investment involved (in Crores):
₹
1200
Type of investment:
Cost of Project
Year of Estimation
2010
Has the Conflict Ended?
Yes
When did it end?
November, 2022
Why did the conflict end?
In May 2018, the state government came to an agreement with villagers by assuring them of bringing down the number of transmission lines from 16 to four and promising increased compensation and jobs to those whose land had been acquired for the project as well as to the families of the deceased protesters. After a fresh wave of protests, there was further conversations and actions taken by the government in the form of meeting demands of villagers for cold storage, hospital facilities, etc. Following developments towards meeting these demands, the conflict ended.
Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict
Land Acquisition Laws, Other
Legislations/Policies Involved
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute
What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?
What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?
Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:
Controversial land acquisition by the government
Non-payment of compensation/promised compensation
Non-implementation/violation of LARR Act
Delay in compensation
Legal Status:
Out of Court
Status of Case In Court
Whether any adjudicatory body was approached
Name of the adjudicatory body
Name(s) of the Court(s)
Case Number
Main Reasoning/Decision of court
Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:
Killing
Physical attack
Arrest/detention/imprisonment
Whether criminal law was used against protestors:
Reported Details of the Violation:
On January 17, 2017, two protesters, Mafijul Sheikh and Alamgir Khan, were killed in Bhangar during police action. The deaths were followed by more protests, which later spread to Kolkata. Police arrested many protesters, along with civilians and members of organisations who showed solidarity. Many farmers and village heads were booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. In 2018, a local youth who was going to contest local panchayat elections was killed.
Date of Violation
December 27, 2017
Location of Violation
Bhangar
Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:
West Bengal government
PSUs Involved in the Conflict:
Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (PGCIL)
Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?
No
Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached
Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:
Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (PGCIL)
Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?
No
Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:
Jami Jibika Bastutantra O Paribesh Raksha Committee (Land, Livelihood, Ecology and Environment Protection Committee)
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?
Mitali has previously worked as a freelance journalist for Doordarshan. She has directed and produced documentaries themed on sexual violence against women and the peasant movement at Bhangar in West Bengal. She has also co-directed SD, an investigative biography on slain Naxalite leader Saroj Datta. She is currently in the editorial board of Protibidhan, a Bengali magazine dedicated to women’s movements.
