MAMATA BANERJEE known to come up with strange forms of protests to draw attention to her cause has decided to take a leaf out of Manipur to shame the ruling Left Front in West Bengal over the Singur issue. She has threatened to launch a "Manipur style" protest if the state government does not return the land it "forcibly acquired" from people for the contentious Tata Motors project.

 
A section of women in Manipur had marched in the nude in mid-2004 with banners asking the Indian Army to rape them. It was their form of protest against the alleged rape and murder of a woman by jawans of the Assam Rifles. The protests had created uproar in the country.
 
Addressing a public meeting organised by the Save Farmland Committee on Durgapur Expressway, West Bengal Mamata said the mothers and daughters of Singur would do the same.
 
Let us sample one of the postings from the website, <www.revolutionarydemocracy.org> to understand the full implications of Mamata Banerjee’s resolve to embarrass the Left Front.
 
On 2 March 2004, Naobi, a student who taught in a private school in Manipur, issued a press statement: “I was half conscious most of the time but whenever I regained consciousness, the Commandoes were molesting me … the police commandoes got themselves gratified with everything they want from my body. But, I am grateful to them for giving me the chance to narrate my agony by sparing my life at least…”
 
Her torture was brutal and inhuman, one of the worst violations of human rights. The government had to give in to large-scale protests and release a severely wounded Naobi, after much embarrassment. Mamata Bannerjee’s warning, once again brought forth the memories of the worst human rights violation. Certainly, the Left Front government would not like to be put in a spot by the firebrand leader of Trinamool Congress.