By IMRAN AHMED SIDDIQUI
Singur, Sept. 3: Sushil Santra, 55, who had happily given his land for the Tata small-car plant and whose three sons had found work in the project, drank pesticide and died this morning in his house 100 metres away from the factory.
The resident of Joymollah village had heard on television last night that the Tatas could leave, his family said.
“He watched television at the local club till late night and was shocked to know that the Tatas would leave Singur. Around midnight he came home very agitated. He asked me how the family would survive now and went to sleep,” wife Balika said.
The farmer woke up early today and went to a nearby market. He returned around 9am and headed straight to his room. “After half an hour, I found him vomiting and called my sons. A bottle of pesticide was lying near him,” Balika sobbed.
Santra died on way to hospital on a cycle van.
Her husband had been upset their sons could not go to work since Mamata Banerjee began her siege outside the factory gates on August 24, Balika said.
Uttam and Subhas, the older sons, each earned Rs 109 a day at housekeeping company BVG at the project site. Bibhas, the youngest, got around Rs 80 as day labourer at the mother plant.
Santra had willingly given up his one-bigha plot two years ago for Rs 3 lakh, money that he used to build a pucca house for his family and marry off his sons.
“Earlier we had a mud house but after getting the money, my father decided to build a one-storey house for us. We were very happy and the construction was completed a year ago,” said Subhas.
As soon as the house was ready, Sushil got Subhas and Bibhas married off on the same day. Uttam was married about five years ago.
“We were very happy as our sons started working at the factory site,” Balika said.
But the family of 10 had been hard pressed after the three stopped going to work last month.
“They were the principal earning members of the family and we survived on their income. But they stopped going to work out of fear over the past 11 days. We had no money and my husband became very tense,” the widow said, as tears rolled down her cheeks.
Santra died around 10am while he was being taken to Singur hospital 6-7km away on a cycle van. Angry villagers took his body on the same cycle van to Durgapur Expressway, 2km from Mamata’s seat of agitation, to protest against the suspension of work at the factory.
District magistrate Neelam Meena refused to comment. “I am yet to receive the post-mortem report,” she said.
Tata Motors described the death as “unfortunate”.
Suspension of work at the factory has hurt the villagers, most of whom had given up land for the car plant and found employment at the project site. They demanded immediate resumption of work at the factory.
“Many of the farmers will have no option but to commit suicide if the Tatas leave Singur. Our land was acquired for the project and now we have lost our jobs because of the agitation. It’s a dead end for us,” said Narayan Chandra Pakira, Santra’s neighbour.
Vikash Pakira, another neighbour, was working as an apprentice at the Nano plant since January 15, after completing his ITI course from Ramakrishna Mission in Belur.
“I used to get Rs 1,700 a month as stipend but do not know how my family will survive if the Tatas pull out from here,” the family’s breadwinner said.
Santra’s nephew Vidyut is also an apprentice at the Nano plant. (END) Source: The Telegraph
The resident of Joymollah village had heard on television last night that the Tatas could leave, his family said.
“He watched television at the local club till late night and was shocked to know that the Tatas would leave Singur. Around midnight he came home very agitated. He asked me how the family would survive now and went to sleep,” wife Balika said.
The farmer woke up early today and went to a nearby market. He returned around 9am and headed straight to his room. “After half an hour, I found him vomiting and called my sons. A bottle of pesticide was lying near him,” Balika sobbed.
Santra died on way to hospital on a cycle van.
Her husband had been upset their sons could not go to work since Mamata Banerjee began her siege outside the factory gates on August 24, Balika said.
Uttam and Subhas, the older sons, each earned Rs 109 a day at housekeeping company BVG at the project site. Bibhas, the youngest, got around Rs 80 as day labourer at the mother plant.
Santra had willingly given up his one-bigha plot two years ago for Rs 3 lakh, money that he used to build a pucca house for his family and marry off his sons.
“Earlier we had a mud house but after getting the money, my father decided to build a one-storey house for us. We were very happy and the construction was completed a year ago,” said Subhas.
As soon as the house was ready, Sushil got Subhas and Bibhas married off on the same day. Uttam was married about five years ago.
“We were very happy as our sons started working at the factory site,” Balika said.
But the family of 10 had been hard pressed after the three stopped going to work last month.
“They were the principal earning members of the family and we survived on their income. But they stopped going to work out of fear over the past 11 days. We had no money and my husband became very tense,” the widow said, as tears rolled down her cheeks.
Santra died around 10am while he was being taken to Singur hospital 6-7km away on a cycle van. Angry villagers took his body on the same cycle van to Durgapur Expressway, 2km from Mamata’s seat of agitation, to protest against the suspension of work at the factory.
District magistrate Neelam Meena refused to comment. “I am yet to receive the post-mortem report,” she said.
Tata Motors described the death as “unfortunate”.
Suspension of work at the factory has hurt the villagers, most of whom had given up land for the car plant and found employment at the project site. They demanded immediate resumption of work at the factory.
“Many of the farmers will have no option but to commit suicide if the Tatas leave Singur. Our land was acquired for the project and now we have lost our jobs because of the agitation. It’s a dead end for us,” said Narayan Chandra Pakira, Santra’s neighbour.
Vikash Pakira, another neighbour, was working as an apprentice at the Nano plant since January 15, after completing his ITI course from Ramakrishna Mission in Belur.
“I used to get Rs 1,700 a month as stipend but do not know how my family will survive if the Tatas pull out from here,” the family’s breadwinner said.
Santra’s nephew Vidyut is also an apprentice at the Nano plant. (END) Source: The Telegraph
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