Now Hush, 'cause you don't matter

Yes. It is a bandh, yet again. And we all know why. This time, however, the mood is different. My brother, who works in an IT firm, tells me very few people turned up this time around. The 24 hour bandh last time had 80% turning up. But today, it was eerily different. Is this a bandh, we finally, believe in?

Yes, but of course. Putting a halt to our daily activities will solve all issues at hand. Do the math - the lesser the pollution, the clearer our thoughts. Sit at home and meditate. Sit at home and contemplate. Turn on the tube and cringe at the violence that is shaking a little village in East Midnapur. What more can you do anyway? Shut your idealistic traps and watch. Because we are mere spectators in our state. Don't file complaints. Don't rave and rant. It will lead to nothing. Just watch, as the big daddies and didis of West Bengal battle it out, fist for fist, eye for eye. Keep your towels and umbrellas handy though. For there will be blood. Loads of it. Surely, you wouldn't want to be drenched in it?
So while public sympathies are towards the villagers, and against the ruling Left, let's take a look at some facts.
The Nandigram plot of land was acquired, as we know, to create a Special Economic Zone by the Salim Group of Industries. The land aquisition notice that was passed however, was proved illegal. The villagers were therefore, automatically hostile towards any kind of outside interference and had isolated themselves from the rest of the state, not allowing any form of governance. Nandigram was cut off (voluntarily) for the last 2 and a half months, and there was no access to the outside world and vice versa. Which meant, there was no quality medical help, farm produce (Nandigram is provides a large chunk of the state's supply of fishes, vegetables and poultry) could not be reached to the markets, children could not go to school - in short, the common people were highly inconvenienced.
Thus, it became necessary for the Government to intervene, to reinstate State control. What they probably did not realise was the extent of resistance that awaited them. Along with the police were some of the 2000-2500 CPM supporters who were thrown out from their village after the SEZ fiasco, trying to make their way back into their homes. What followed, is there for everyone to see.
Could the blood bath be avoided? Probably. But what do we really know? We know, for one, this clash, wasn't about the farmer vs industry debate. It was more of a fallout of bureaucratic/political actions. And it is no secret that Midnapur has definite Maoist connections, so their involvement cannot be ruled out entirely. But these are all calculated guesses, as to why things went wrong, why people got killed, why this miscommunication occured in the first place.
And now the opposition has enough fodder to milk the Left's reputation for all its worth.
But it's a funny little thing. Balancing lives and reputations. In the meantime, solutions anyone? What is your P.O.A, Government? Opposition?

So listen up folks. Before you get fired up and flood the media with badly spelt SMSes and make them lots of money, take a good look at your foolish, emotional, ineffective existence. Sound and fury signifying nothing? You bet. Do something? But what? What do we do now? Where do we go from here? I sure as hell don't know. Read a book and watch a movie I suppose. Oh, the World Cup's there of course. Come, let's watch that and stop pretending to care so much.