Author: CNN-IBN
Publication: IBN Live
Date: March 14, 2008
URL: http://www.ibnlive.com/news/us-talks-nandigram-left-fires-on-all-cylinders/61191-3.html?xml
The US State Department's latest Annual Report
on Human Rights, which has listed the Nandigram violence among the worst cases
of rights violations in India in 2007, raised the heckles in the Left camp
on Friday with CPI and CPI-M MPs slamming it as a 'grave interference of internal
affairs of India by the Bush administration'.
The report, coming at a time when the UPA
Government is trying to pursuade the Left on the Indo-US nuclear deal, said:
"In West Bengal, violence in Nandigram district led to accusations of
state government's failure to control ruling Communist party cadres, which
were accused by human rights groups of killing more than 30 rural villagers
and intimidating them through violence and rape."
The report also states that "From November
6 to 11, CPM members, whom human rights groups claim had state government's
support and direction, conducted a violent campaign of intimidation to regain
control over the Nandigram area."
It brings to notice another Left bastion,
Kerala, as well; saying that the number of custodial deaths in the state has
been abnormally high.
"According to Kerala State Human Rights
Commission, 46 persons died in state custody throughout the year," the
report said.
The report also mentions the failure of the
Modi Government to arrest and convict those responsible for the 2002 violence.
"Convictions of Hindu perpetrators of the violence were minimal, while
acquittals were common," it said.
Apart from poor enforcement of human rights
laws, the report also cites prolonged detention without trial, anti-terrorism
laws that justified excessive use of force and endemic corruption at all levels
of government and police.
