Concern over missing people in Nandigram - NDTV.com - News on Concern over missing people in Nandigram

Concern over missing people in Nandigram - NDTV.com - News on Concern over missing people in Nandigram
Mohuya Chaudhuri

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Sunday, March 18, 2007 (Nandigram):


There is a wave of disappearances in Sonachura and Adhikaripara, two pockets in Nandigram where 14 people died in the police firing on Wednesday.

These include men, women and children who cannot be traced.

While the police say they may have run away during the incident to save their lives, villagers who are now tracking those who have disappeared, say as many as 400 people could be missing.

Sreemati Mondal has been waiting for her son, Gautam Mondal for three days. He went missing on Wednesday when police opened fire on hundreds of people who were trying to prevent the forces from entering the village.

"My son has disappeared for three days. I have no information about him," she said.

Loss of lives?

At the district hospital in Tamluk, Anubha Khara is worried about her children as well. She has a bullet wound on her leg.

Her husband, who was shot in the stomach, is critical after undergoing surgery in Calcutta. Both her children disappeared after the stampede.

Anubha: I have two small children. They are not at home.

NDTV: Where are they?

Anubha: I don't know where they are. They are missing.

Villagers say when the police fired indiscriminately at them, many people died. Several of them were women and children, whose bodies were taken away.

Those who could, ran into the nearby jungle, but scores of them are still missing.

"Several women told me they were worried about their children, that they did not know about their whereabouts. This is another aspect. It is still not clear how many people have lost their lives," said BJP leader L K Advani.

Head count

At a medical camp in Adhikaripara, a headcount is finally being done. Thirty-five names of those who went missing from three villages are on the list so far. But the numbers will be far more.

"We could not find 35 people. People have fled from four to five villages. So we are unable to trace how many are missing. We think about 400 to 500 people cannot be found," said Sheikh Moidul Hussain, Convenor, Bhumi Ucched Protirodh Committee.

The police have its hands full, trying to control the situation and providing security to VIPs.

"After such a huge incident, many people ran away. Whatever I formation we are receiving, we are taking action," said N Ramesh Babu, DIG Midnapore Range.

The picture is far from clear. Even now, there are reports of bodies being discovered far from the site where the incident took place.

In the next few days, once the villagers return home, will the actual contours of the tragedy emerge - how many lives were lost on that bloody Wednesday.